Foot shifting - what could possibly go wrong?
#1
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Foot shifting - what could possibly go wrong?
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Hah! I just watched that video. Yeah, I don't think I'm quite coordinated enough to do that, but it's probably not more difficult than getting your feet into toe clips without looking.
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I've tapped stubborn derailleurs w/ my foot, but that's a bit out of my comfort zone
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That's a hard pass for me.
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After making clear to my kids why it's important to keep one's fingers out of the chain/chainring interface, I think my credibility would go out the window if they every saw me do that. Don't we have front derailleurs so we don't have to do that?
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"a front derailer, which is kinda-like-a tiny, cable actuated foot anyway" ....

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Shifting down would be easy. I am surprised how quickly the shift up into a larger ring was. That definitely is something I would think would take time and require the foot to stay in place.
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-----
...can see the coming thread where enthusiasts argue over which is the best model of Chuck for this practice
next comes mods to shoes
then folks begin selling their mods mailorder...
who knew there was a Converse brand of front mech!
-----
...can see the coming thread where enthusiasts argue over which is the best model of Chuck for this practice
next comes mods to shoes
then folks begin selling their mods mailorder...
who knew there was a Converse brand of front mech!
-----
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greasy shoes....
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85 Shogun 800 -- 86 Tommasini Super Prestige -- 92 Specialized Rockhopper -- 17 Colnago Arabesque
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Errrrmmmmm, no, I can manage to crash all by myself. No need to use Chucks and Grant to pull it off.
Bill
Bill
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yeah, I think this video is just for fun even though with this dude seems like it might be SOP. I am curious about that chain tensioner. Looks homemade maybe. Anyone know if that's a commercially made thing? Could be cool for a 3 speed Sturmey archer setup with front double chainrings.
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It look like a Falcon or SunRace rear derailleur without a cable.
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Please get a front derailleur even if you think cable and shifters are not cool on your handlebars. Place a shifter on your seat tube and use something like a Sturmey Archer fulcrum pulley to reverse the direction of the cable to the rear derailleur.
Or just use a downtube shifter. I like the simple two speed idea but shifting with your foot....... not such a good idea.
Or just use a downtube shifter. I like the simple two speed idea but shifting with your foot....... not such a good idea.
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It's all fun and games until you get your foot stuck in the spokes or caught between the wheel and seat tube.
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Whole idea is kind of stupid, if you want a 2 speed bike to foot shift, get a Sturmey Archer 2 speed kick back hub. Much more elegant, reliable, and safer solution. Don’t have to slow down to shift either, what’s the point of that?
Plus, I don’t have any shoes that need the toe covered in grease
Tim

No cables or shifters
Plus, I don’t have any shoes that need the toe covered in grease
Tim

No cables or shifters
Last edited by tkamd73; 11-18-21 at 04:43 PM.
#16
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THAT'S not a suicide shifter...
THIS is a suicide shifter!
THIS is a suicide shifter!
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If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
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Next: a pulley on a small bracket projecting from the front of the right cycling shoe....

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Not sure it if that was the exact model.... but a few years back )8 to 10) Rivendell had a 4 speed Single speed the quickbeam. 2 cogs in the back and 2 chaing rings in the front. the idea was if you need a different gearing, you just stopped and flipped the rear wheel and/or move the chain up front. there was no tensioner
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Yeah, he should put brifters on that rig instead.
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Try shifting a Campagnolo Cambio Corsa going up hill.
I am not nearly flexible enough to reach that far back and down, even with one of the "tourist" models with the longer controls.
Note to shift any one of the Campagnolo lever shifters, the chain must be backpedaled, catch the new gear, cock the lever and resume pedaling.
All the while keeping the forward momentum going.
Shifts must be planned in advance so the bike keeps rolling forward.
I am not nearly flexible enough to reach that far back and down, even with one of the "tourist" models with the longer controls.
Note to shift any one of the Campagnolo lever shifters, the chain must be backpedaled, catch the new gear, cock the lever and resume pedaling.
All the while keeping the forward momentum going.
Shifts must be planned in advance so the bike keeps rolling forward.
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Try shifting a Campagnolo Cambio Corsa going up hill.
I am not nearly flexible enough to reach that far back and down, even with one of the "tourist" models with the longer controls.
Note to shift any one of the Campagnolo lever shifters, the chain must be backpedaled, catch the new gear, cock the lever and resume pedaling.
All the while keeping the forward momentum going.
Shifts must be planned in advance so the bike keeps rolling forward.
I am not nearly flexible enough to reach that far back and down, even with one of the "tourist" models with the longer controls.
Note to shift any one of the Campagnolo lever shifters, the chain must be backpedaled, catch the new gear, cock the lever and resume pedaling.
All the while keeping the forward momentum going.
Shifts must be planned in advance so the bike keeps rolling forward.
#22
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I mean, I guess if you're just trying to maximize usefulness and you don't have the resources for an alternative it works, but I think this guy is doing it not out of necessity but to be real neato.
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I don't think so. The bottom pivot on this tensioner connects in the middle of the pulley cage.

Edit: Looks like a Paul Melvin. $$ Melvin Chain Tensioner – Paul Component Engineering
Last edited by tricky; 11-18-21 at 06:20 PM.
#24
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Edit: Looks like a Paul Melvin. $$ Melvin Chain Tensioner – Paul Component Engineering
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If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
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