Originally Posted by
joedab
I wouldn't say I am shifting improperly as this would be the method with only one front chainring, though I can see how leveraging the chain against cogs with more teeth would put less wear on the drivetrain over time. I usually don't encounter enough long downhills to necessitate shifting to the larger ring, and with my shifters on the downtube, I have become accustomed to keeping my left hand on the bars while sparing my right for the shifting.
Look at the first picture showing the chain zig-zagging and tell us again how this is not improper shifting.
Your problem of not wanting to take hands from handlebar has been resolved with the invention of handlebar shifters.
The problem here is the rider (or the friend of the rider)