I finally took my '82 Trek 614 out on its maiden voyage today. This was my first time ever using downtube shifters and the first time I'd used rear friction shifting since about 1986. Needless to say, it wasn't pretty. (Well, the bike was pretty...me riding it was not.) After a few miles riding it like it was a singlespeed I gave in and tried to shift. Just reaching for the shifter I wobbled all over the road. I moved it into approximately the gear I wanted and was greeted with chain racket, which it took me another 15 minutes to figure out was because I had the front derailleur in a bad position. By the end of the ride I felt like I was starting to get the hang of it, but this is clearly going to take some practice.

So now a question: I assume that most people shift less with a setup like this (2x6 + friction) and just the wider gaps of the rear cogs would mean less shifting, but just how much less often do you (yes, you) shift with this kind of a setup as opposed to an indexed 2x11 kind of bike?

vvv Gratuitous picture to make the thread worthwhile

I thought - just for a second - that you were pulling our legs. I mean, this is C&V where downtube levers rule the roost. Then I took a look at your bike collection. I get it

Don't worry, you'll get a handle on it. Practice makes perfect.

DD

Mastering friction shifting and one handed steering while holding a steady line on the road = great skills that transfer to holding-th-line when reaching for bottle and turning one's head on modern brifter bikes. There are advantages to C&V savvy.

edit = remember - left hand for front der, right hand rear der - ambidextrous is best.

Have riders forgotten how to look at their f&r derailleurs while riding?

I tend to only use only the three or four gears on the rear on any vintage 2x6 setup. I prefer friction on both front and rear vs sis so run all my shifters on friction. Since I run few gears and like a drive with little noise, friction is it for me. Tend to shift both dt levers with the same hand but only drop to smaller ring on climbs anyway, otherwise it pretty much runs large to third. I do like bar ends on my touring type bikes though, they are obviously more stable for keeping hands near the bar.

[MENTION=111144]Andy_K[/MENTION] - Gorgeous bike and good job! I got my first bike with integrated shift/brake levers last summer on my Straggler. I shift a LOT with those because it's so darned easy. On my '78 Univega 5 speed (rear) with downtube shifters I shift a lot less. In part because there are fewer choices & bigger jumps between cogs (it's a 14-32 freewheel), but I'm still a bit wobbly. I definitely don't try to shift, say, if I'm coming to a complex intersection or on a busy road. I just suck it up and wait until I'm in a more comfortable location.

Keep it up - practice.

You can do it, [MENTION=111144]Andy_K[/MENTION]. I used to have that same frame. Great rider. If you're so inclined, and haven't done so already, invest in a modern hyperglide freewheel. Friction shifting is greatly improved.

I have a 2X6 drivetrain with DT shifters on my most ridden bike and shift quite a bit, both front and rear. Lots of hills and some rather longish flat stretches for the big ring. DT shifters won't take long to work into and once you do you'll want them on all your bikes.
Just remember to trim the FD to avoid that racket.

I guess cause I grew up on friction downtube shifters, I find this discussion disconcerting. I am always surprised on the first shift on one of my indexed bikes. By the end of the ride I'm really liking it, but have no trouble going back to friction. Downtube all of them. I undrestand people have trouble with water bottles, and turning around to look behind as well. I also grew up when there was far, far less traffic on the road, and less speed and hostility.

Learn to do it all with your right hand. Easy peasy. 2x7, roughly, mostly, inner 3-4 on inside front, outer 3-4 on outside front. Some exceptions. YMMV.

Browsing the topics in the thread list, I missed the 'f' in the subject. Had to click and see what in the world was going on.

Why do you use the opposite hand/side? I use right hand for right side lever (rear der).

I'd have a difficult time reaching down to DT shifters - no brifters, but all of mine are up on the bars somewhere. Bar ends, command shifters, and thumbies.

You can do it! I think getting the hang of DT shifters will help you shift better in general. I found it is best to anticipate any shifting that will be needed, instead of waiting until I hit an incline to downshift. I'll now do it just before and spin easy for the last few meters until I am using the lower gear. One of the best things about going friction is that you now have all the trim you could ever want for you FD. I shift both front and read w/ my right hand.

I'm with most of the guys here..rarely shift, only on climbs. I love dt shifters!

But I've got this fantastic SunTour New Winner freewheel in such great shape!



Honestly, I'm not the L'Eroica type -- I just bought an 11-speed group for my '84 Pinarello -- but for some reason I just feel like I want to keep this group together until I manage to wear something out (the short reach brakes didn't work with this frame, hence the dual pivots and modern levers). Even the chain is original SunTour. I have thought about an HG freewheel. I've also thought about indexed downtube shifters. It's a slippery slope, technology. Before you know it I'd be slapping Di2 on this thing (though I am currently managing to maintain a full-on Luddite view of electronic shifting).

Now that would be a problem!

I grew up with stem mounted shifters, but then I got a car and forgot about bikes for 20 years or so.

The thing that surprised me about this is that I have no problem accessing a water bottle while riding. That took learning too, but I guess I just developed the muscle memory for where the water bottle is and now I have to figure out where the shifters are.

My favorite advantage to downtube shifters was that you could always tell what gear you're in with just a quick look at the right side shfiter. Can't do that with most integrated shifters.

I learned to use shifters back in 1964. The downtube shifter was the latest greatest.... I felt so very fortunate (and was).

Today I mostly ride modern (brifter) bikes. But I always keep a shiny real steel bicycle with a clean cockpit and downtube shifters. It won't take long to get the hang of the DT levers. You have a nice bike.... and it should provide you with endless hours of cycling pleasure.

Coming from only mountain bike grip shifting, I went through learning downtube friction shifting last spring. Then I went a learning curve again last summer, when I bought my second C&V bike, with the friction shifters moved on the stem. Now, I get to go through it a third time with the new bike with bar end shifters...

After a couple rides, it becomes incredibly intuitive. Two things to remember: don't get too caught up in having to have shift a specific number of gears (friction in general), and secondly (downtube specifically): REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR FINGERS AWAY FROM THE FRONT WHEEL

I'm a recovering downtube shifter, but I'm only one yardsale away from a relapse. It's a skill I take for granted after 40 years. You'll get used to it, to the point you shift without looking, and can feel just what gear you're after.
The nice things about friction shifting are being able to precisely tune the derailleur positions to eliminate chatter, no worries about index pitch, and being able to throw the lever over in one move and jump gears.

Before I switched to Ergopower, then Ultegra STI, I didn't shift quite as much, but where it was really noticeable was group rides with modern bikes. I had to anticipate shifts to keep up, and be careful of pacing because of the wider gaps in gears.

Hmmmm. There are a number of people who have difficulty with one handed steering or even no handed riding. I personally don't understand this challenge. My thoughts go towards fit of the bike and how fit you are. Relying heavily on your hands and arms to support you can contribute to the challenge.

Once I started strengthening my core and getting the bike fit better, I can easily do left, right or no hands. For me it isn't getting to know where the shifters are, although I do know the general location, as much as having the core strength to be in any position and shift my weight and balance to the feet and saddle as needed. I noticed several months ago that I don't steer with my hands and arms but more with my torso by shifting body weight.

Another thought is that when I take my right hand off the handle bar, I use my core to support my upper body taking some of the force off the left hand on the bar. This allows me to control the bar with more finesse because there is less force on it.

My oldest son was home recently and we went out for a ride. None of my at-home stable has brifters. He's only used brifters and had trouble at first shifting on the DT, mainly because of balance. I told him to grab the bar next to the stem when he wanted to shift and that seemed to help. Doubt I'll get him to convert though.

Yep, don't let your fingers dangle when getting ready to shift or after.
A modern freewheel and chain is pretty amazing - shifts just happen, rarely an overshift or centering required. But you're right, that is a pretty freewheel.

That's why it took me so long to figure out that the racket after my first shift was being caused by the front derailleur. It was quiet in the gear I started in. I shifted and then kept moving it back and forth trying to find the silent spot for the new gear and it just wasn't working. I did look down at the front derailleur and it "looked" OK (my vision isn't sharp), so I kept fiddling with the rear. The fact that I was able to get back into the gear I started in and have it silent should have tipped me off. I guess this is a case of bias-induced stupidity -- I expected to have trouble finding the right spot for the rear derailleur, so I believed that had to be the problem.