I've seen "suicide shifters" mentioned a few times, but I've never heard the term before. If I think about what it might mean, though, downtube shifters certainly seem like they might fit. Am I right, or does it mean something else?

Maybe there should be a thread for terminology? Some terms are not especially intuitive ("bottom bracket"? They call the pedaling subsystem a "bottom bracket"? Where on earth did THAT term come from!? )

The term generally applies to the early front derailleurs, from Simplex and others, which were a single component comprising a lever, a pivot, and the cage itself. One had to reach down the seat tube to change gears; hence the "suicide" moniker.

Conventional downtube levers are a BIG improvement.

By the way, I also consider the old normal-low bandspring rear derailleurs "suicidal," because cable failure can throw the cage into the spokes.

I think most people when they refer to suicide shifters are talking about stem shifters, as supposedly if you go over the bars you will rip certain parts of the anatomy off. As with "suicide" (safety) brake levers, this is utter nonsense. The suicide part is all about how experienced the rider is with his or her equipment.

+1...there's nothing really that wrong with safety levers other than it makes it hard to hold the hoods.

A lot of people like stem shifters but I just don't like the idea of them, I've been hurt once by them, that's why I'm giving them away and switched them for downtubes.

Suicide shifters are indeed stem shifters, and suicide levers DO suck, because they don't work. They move the brakes through about 2/3rds of the action that the regular lever would, ommitting the part where most of the actual brake effort is engaged (the last bit)

I love stemmies and death levers.
Never had any problems

I concur with John E. that the term originated with the direct lever front derailleurs. It could apply equally well to Campagnolo's Cambio Corsa rear derailleurs with direct acting lever(s) on the seat stay. However each succeeding generation seems to re-invent the term and apply it to whichever is the ergonomically inferior of the shifting systems that they grew up with. I can appreciate the rationale for applying the term to stem shifters, top tube mounted shifters and even brake extension levers. And I can well imagine that the current generation, growing up on "brifters", will rationally attach the moniker to down tube shifters.

Wotsa "brifter", t-mar? There's another term I've never heard before! People should have mercy on us auld scunners.

Brifters are one of the items that has plunged modern cycling to the sad state of affairs
it is in right now. Thats all one needs to know. Stick with friction stemmies tee hee

Lem, you were so mild mannered in person. What's gotten into you neighbor? Has that Peugeot gotten under your skin and caused a bit of irritation?

One of my church members was trying to talk me into "Brakters" yesterday after service. I told him I was just fine and I didn't need to spend the couple $100 to upgrade--- for my 6 speed freewheels!

I don't think that stem-shifters are particularly problematic because on most bikes the shifters don't extend above stem-height anyway, and thus are not any added danger to grab delicate pieces of one's anatomy in the rare event that you go over the handlebars with your crotch in position to grab the stem.

That said, stem-shifters are more of a pain to use than bar-end or down-tube shifters, unless you ride with your hands on the bar-tops most of the time. I've got a stem-shifter on my comuting bike currently (with drop bars) because it allows me to swap bars and stems easily as I mess around with my position before installing a bar-end shifter.

I don't have an issue with stem shifters myself either - it's just that that's always what the term, for me, has referred to. Suicide levers, however, suck.

Ha Ha.... Some times I read my stuff and realize it might not have come out properly.
I am still as mild mannered as ever
This was just the Retro Grouch coming out.... Those Brake/Shifter things
are the equivelant of using MD 20/20 for Communion !! Yuck !!!
I love the Peugeot !! I have put many mile on it since I picked it up.
It is a rocket ship !!! Im hoping to do a Middlebury/Lincoln Gap ride before the
snow comes with a few other BF'ers and represent for the Classic and Vintage forum !!!
CarbonLycroids beware !!!!!
Im looking at pictures of your Schwinn and hoping you might want to meet in NH again sometime after you feel the need to move on to another project ? hee hee hee

I though it was from early motorcycles with the shifter under the saddle

Some sucked, some didn't. The well designed ones didn't reduce lever travel at all. The bad ones could be fixed with a few minutes work notching the lever body.

This is the Huret stem shifter I've seen refered to as the "Suicide shifter". 4-1/2" of pointy steel.

As I told someone else--- "...not until I'm bed bound for the remainder of my life!" Next spring we'll have to meet for a ride.

Depends. I could skid easily on the suicides I had.

+1

I have bikes that I ride on around the park and such that have safety levers, and they are fine for stopping under those conditions. If I am going down a decent, the regular levers are there to use also. Go's back to what I said about a rider knowing when and how to use the equipment on a bike.

I never had a downtube shifter bike until I got the Peugeot, and I'm an instant convert. Something about applying firm side load back pressure near the stem always bothered me. I could never get comfortable with it. After a few rides on the PH10, I can shift both front and rear comfortably with one hand.,,,,BD

That also so happens to be a downtube shifter.

Let's face it guys, by nature all the road shifting systems, except brifters and bar ends, are "suicide shifters". They all make you take a hand off the handlebar to execute the shift. Isn't that the defacto definition of a suicide shifter? Shifting is a case where the ATB guys got the basics right, the first time. The shifters were always on the handlebars, very close to the brake levers.

... and "take-offs"

I guess I'm suicidal, because I love my downtube shifters. In fact, I would probobly use DT's on my main road bike if it would accept them (oval shaped aluminum downtube with brazed on cable stops).