Tandem Cycling - D/a sti: Rip!

Well some tandem content, anyway!
Originally had Dura Ace STI on our c/f Zona tandem. Always had issues with the front der. shifting and after 3,000 miles my stoker suggested: 'Why don't we go back to barcons?' We did and now have over 25,000 miles on our twicer and still happy with the barcons.
However, had a custom single bike built and put the D/A STI on it. Worked fine, no issues; perhaps the shorter cable run was a help.
Now the front STI shifter is 'terminal' (after 10,500 miles of total usage) and will replace it with D/A barcons.
About $500 cheaper (and less complex) . . . works every bit as well + lasts thousand of miles longer.

RIP STI!

Pedal on solo . . . or TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

Another option is Campy 10s shifters with a JTEK shiftmate.
Lighter, less expensive than Shimano and repairable.
When the Shimano levers go bad its game over.
It looks like Campy 10s is hard to find with 11s taking over.

That's a bummer to only get 10,500miles out of a set of DA STI's. I got over 40,000 miles out of my old DA (9sd) shifters. I switched to Ultegra for my current bikes in 04 (I think) and they're all still working great.

Rudy....when I saw the title of your post I was hoping you were going to say you tossed the DA STI and were testing/demo'ing some new secret hi-tech electronic derailleur goodies or 11 speed something or another for Tandems... but dang... you went the other way on me http://mail.yimg.com/a/i/mesg/tsmileys2/01.gif

Bill J.

About $500 cheaper

D/A Shifters should not cost $500.:twitchy:

We have our tandem set up with 9sp DA and have 13,500kms on them and they are still like new. I have 10sp DA on our road bikes and I'm in no hurry to change the tandem to 10sp.

I would really like to like barcons, but barend shifting is awkward to me; downtube shifters are fine, however. My guess that it's because the reach to downtube shifters keeps your weight more centered on the bike. Anyway, I love the fact that I don't have to move my hands to shift my Campy levers and only under duress would consider going to anything else.

Yup a big '+' for Campy Ergos: they are repairable!
jnbrown: have ridden a Co-Mo that utilized the JTEK Shiftmate. Give the folks at daVinci credit for coming up with that one! Works great.
However, all but one of our tandems (Follis in 1975 had downtube shifters) we used barcons (Suntour and later Shim). On our Zona we went 'modern' and tried STI for 3,000 miles.
Seems the more advanced components get, the quicker they tend to wear. Much of course is 'marketing' and creating 'must have' status.
Specbill: we are currently in a long-time testing mode for an old/new 'concept' that may or may not see daylight.
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

Our Santana has always had barcons. They never wear out.
Never upgraded to STI because I couldm't get past using the travel agents on the V-brakes.

DA shifters shouldn't cost $500? The new ones cost $600!
I remember paying $200 something for the 7800s.
I think Shimano is pricing itself out of the market.

Not tandem related . . .
Got the 9 speed barcons and Shim. brake levers installed on single bike.
The barcon (on index) actually shifts the rear der. smoother/better than the Dura Ace STI ever did!
Ah yes, simpler technology triumphs once again!
Pedal on!
Rudy/zonatandem

[QUOTE=zonatandem;9549660]Well some tandem content, anyway!
Originally had Dura Ace STI on our c/f Zona tandem. Always had issues with the front der. shifting and after 3,000 miles my stoker suggested: 'Why don't we go back to barcons?' We did and now have over 25,000 miles on our twicer and still happy with the barcons.
However, had a custom single bike built and put the D/A STI on it. Worked fine, no issues; perhaps the shorter cable run was a help.
Now the front STI shifter is 'terminal' (after 10,500 miles of total usage) and will replace it with D/A barcons.
About $500 cheaper (and less complex) . . . works every bit as well + lasts thousand of miles longer.

That's pretty pathetic. My Campy Chorus lasts 30,000 miles at least. My current Chorus levers will be rebuilt this year after 4 years and 28,000 miles.

I love the STI on my single bikes, but I just took the Ultegra 9 speed STI shifters off of our tandem, and I'm going back to bar end shifters on it as well. Same issue: front shifting was just finicky. I'm not helping the issue by having some older, non-ramped chainrings on the front, but I've decided that the bar ends will do what we need just fine.

I am planning the same sort of retro-fix on my travel bike (home-made take-apart frame, similar to a Ritchey Breakaway). It's just a pain to have to adjust the shifting every time I put it back together, and I'm usually not racing when I travel with it.