Don in Austin

I have three hybridized mountain bikes. They all have indicators on the shifters. I just bought a road bike with "brifters." I am embarrassed to say that I find myself needing to shift down in a hurry and have to look down at the sprockets to figure out where I am currently at -- not good. Somewhere I saw a link to add-on shift indicators but can't find it again to save my life. Suggestions?

Thanks....Don in Austin

CACycling

Like these?
https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...&category=1613

kaseri

I never look to see nor do I care what gear I'm in. I just pedal and shift as needed.

Engyo

+1 ^^ My old friction shifters have no indicators. Lever up = bigger ring, lever down = smaller ring.

Don in Austin

What if you need to shift down and you don't know if you are maxed out on the front or the rear?

Don

Don in Austin

I was considering getting friction down tube shifters simplicity and point of reference.

Don in Austin

Don in Austin

They are out of stock there, but at least I know what to look for.

Thanks...Don in Austin

10 Wheels

Just take a look at the chain ring or cassette.

hairnet

If you're maxed, then shifter won't shift. Just don't force the lever

cyclezealot

[QUOTE=kaseri;9983281]I never look to see nor do I care what gear I'm in. I just pedal and shift as needed.[/QUOT)
Mtn Bikes are unique in that you needn't worry about the chain being criss -crossed.. With my 21 gears, its something I try to avoid. Causes chain stretch and prematurely causes you to need a new chain.

Glynis27

The item CACyling linked are what you need.

However, you say you just got the bike. After you ride it long enough, you will know by feel what gear you are in. If not, the shifter won't let you shift, so you will know that way.

I would suggest against looking at the cassette while riding as this almost always causes me to come close to crashing into the back of parked cars. Has never actually happened, but I got really close a few times when I just got the bike.

bikinfool

[QUOTE=cyclezealot;9983839]Huh? How do mountain bikes alleviate crosschaining concerns?

As to the need for indicators, it's already been covered, but...I still use downtube shifters on my road bikes which are in and of themselves visual aids but I don't use them, I just know what gear I'm in (well, most of the time ). On my mountain bikes I take the indicators off (altho one set refuses to budge, thing came so tight I stripped it trying, so left them on that bike).

Al1943

I shift often and keep track of which chainring I'm on. I ride a standard 53-39 double with a 13-26 cassette. I know that I can ride the inner ring (39) at any speed up through 20 mph at 100 rpm without cross-chaining. And I can ride the big ring at 19 mph and above at 85 rpm and above without cross-chaining.

This way I don't have to know exactly which gear combination I'm in, just which chainring.

Al

Don in Austin

That's why I want the indicators. I don't want to be looking down at the cassette -- especially at night. As far as feel goes, I ride four different bikes and they are all different. Also different gear combinations work out about the same but may or may not have options for a needed quick downshift on a given derailleur.

Don in Austin

rogerstg

You'll get used to it. Just take a quick look from time to time if you need to know where you are in the gears. As you ride more you'll look less often.

**sorry, I posted before seeing your post about not wanting to take a quick look because you are scared of crashing. Most cyclists don't have that issue.

joejack951

Here's another option though it's a bit of an expensive solution (assuming compatible Shimano shifters):

https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...&category=2170

exRunner

Not to put words in the OP's mouth, but I believe he is thinking like a MTB rider (duh) not realizing that road biking is very different. In other words:

On a MTB, if you are riding aggressively, your shifts are quick and sudden. If you don't get in the right gear at the right time you either bonk on the up hill, loose speed going down, or get trapped in soft material, etc. And you don't have a lot of time to do it, either. Having your gears displayed in a heads up position can save you.

On a road bike, unless you are in a crit, you have time to tap a shifter and if it doesn't move, tap the other one and ... There are no real situations on a road bike that mimic a MTB.

This is one of the reasons that I ride MTB a lot. It improves reaction, balance, and endurance. Most importantly, it teaches you the importance of anticipating what it coming and adjusting. Traffic is nothing after you have banged down some technical trails.

I would suggest that the OP ride the road bike a while. I would bet that he finds he does not need gear indicators.

bike_boy

The little ovals on the Flight Deck indicate which chainring and cassette sprocket your in.
You can program it if you have a double or triple along with # of teeth on each chainring
as weel as cassette. You alkso have to program in wheel size. 3 models (oldest to newest):
SC-6500, SC-6501, SC-6502. There are also different wired & wireless harnesses and they are
also based on 9 cog or 10 cog cassette. The SC-6502 allows for programming in multiple
bicycles. This model also momentarily displays gear teeth combination when shifting.
The cyclocomputer ranges from $35-$65 and the harnesses from $20-$100.

It "calculates" cadence.

Cadfael

It was an issue for me to begin with when I used brifters, but now I don't worry to much about the gear I am in, if I find myself free spinning I just drop down...and move up when it gets hard. I have also gotten the feel. If I am on the largest ring at the back... my lever will move, but does nothing. For info they are Campy Veloce.

bike_boy

Need to mention the Shimano Flight Deck series cyclocomputers only work
with Shimnao brifters as the integrate a wire or two into them. Older Shimano
brifters had 2 buttons on inside edge of left brifter. Newer brifters have a single
on inside edge of each brifter. These buttons cycle thru the various displays and
reset and turn on/off timer/tripometer.

dperreno

The "brifter" indicator you are looking for is this one:

https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...s.php?id=16742

It is in stock for either 9-speed or 10-speed.

TallRider

I have (and have had) road bikes with down-tube shifters, bar-end shifters, and brifters. and I often look down at the front and rear gears, especially with brifters which of course don't have any visual feedback from location of the shift lever.
I don't think it's dangerous at all, to glance down, if you are competent at riding the bike in a straight line.

is exRunner correct about this as a difference of going from mtb to road bike?

BCRider

It's simple, tape over the indicators on the other bikes and learn to remember roughly what combo you're in and shift as required from there.

I've only got one bike out of 6 that has an indicator. I don't really look at it much and I don't look down at the other bikes more than extremely occasionally. If it seems odd I'll look down at the cranks and based on what I see there I know roughly which cog I'm on at the rear + or - one. That's close enough since you ride by feel. Too hard, shift... too easy, shift. It really doesn't matter which gear you're in as long as you know you're not severely cross chaining.

bikinfool

You want lit gear indicators?

Mr. Underbridge

That's what chain rub's for!