There's a thread about replacing DT with STI because of "safety issues", which isn't the first time I've heard that kind of statement. So I wonder: has anyone here ever crashed because they used DT levers?

Never.....

Nope.

Now about those fancy clip in pedals...

No.

No.

Just rode my Pogliaghi with DT's yesterday.

37 miles w/o incident.

Did have someone ask me why I wanted a bike with those though, and I couldn't come up with a great reason.

I finally mentioned how well they functioned, and he returned a somewhat blank stare.

Never.......Anyway, what's all the seeming doubts and hate from amny posters about DT shifters latesly?? DT shifters had been natural to many many C&V bikers as two wheels on a bike had always been.....

Chombi

no I never crashed because of them. when I got my first bike with them I reached a bit to far and got nicked by the spoke reflector. I learned just how far to reach real quick after that.

I do miss the good old days when you could quickly reach over and push someones shifter/shifters forward and take off on them.

I don't get it either. Hence the thread...

Next time tell them that if they were good enough for Eddy, they should be good enough for you.

I've heard comments from some apparently much newer to the sport than I about not riding with other cyclists with DTs in a pace line due to "safety concerns". Baloney! Amateur and pro alike rode DT shifters for many years. Were they dangerous "back-in-they-day"? No. Are they less convenient? I'd say that's more a matter of personal preference. If you don't want to have to reach all the way down to the DT to shift but don't want to switch to index-shifting brifters, then there's always good ol' barcons or these: https://www.kellybike.com/2nd_xtra_takeoff.html (I use Kelly's on my Ciocc - no "safety concerns" from the brifter crowd.)\

Edit: Emphatically, NO. I've NEVER crashed because of DT shifters.

i crash every time just looking at them.

Considering my fast group rides and being in the middle and front of the pack on the past two hill climb races I did with DT shifters I find those comments hilarious. If it could be done for years in the pro peloton than there's no reason it can't be done now. Granted I don't ride quite as close to the wheel in front as I did with my brifter bike - and I haven't missed that bike at all.

Now, if I crash it's usually due to inattention.

I've fallen more times with straps. Getting parts of your shoe caught on the pedal is much easier than pivoting your foot outward.

But to the OP: No. Although people are pretty unstable the first time they use DT shifters. There is a bit of a learning curve.

No. I like to go fast but I'm not a racer. Sometimes I have to delay a shift for safety concerns. No big deal, the aesthetics more than compensate for the minor delay.

No. Nothing against brifters, though, I stick w/DT shifters out of simplicity and inertia and the fact that my riding style is pretty laid back these days. I do know that sometimes I don't shift w/DT where I probably would w/brifters because I don't want to take a hand off the bars because of rough pavement, a tricky traffic situation, etc. But this doesn't happen often enough to make it a significant bother.

However, when I get around to building up my Trek 560, I'm thinking I may go w/brifters on that.

DT shifters in a pace line are a heck of a lot safer that the triathletes that do fast group rides in a full aero tuck, with their hands nowhere near the brake levers. Now that makes me nervous. I will say that I prefer click shifters in a fast paceline, since a balky or missed shift can cost valuable momentum or even require the person behind me to brake unnecessarily.
People who are smooth and understand momentum and don't panic and grab the brakes or accelerate in spurts are the ones you want to ride anyway. I make a real effort to give the person behind me a good wheel to follow.

Interesting concept, blaming a crash on DT shifters. Reminds me of a friend that had a motorcycle crash, that he blamed on a road sign (he looked at the sign instead of the road).....

From the threads on BF, it appears pedals are death traps. Shifters - not so much.

Do we need a "Have you ever crashed because of toe clips?" thread? I raced toe clips for more than a decade, and the only times I ever crashed because of pedals were when my new-fangled Looks pre-released during sprints...

For me, the shifters themselves aren't dangerous but when you shift. Last weekend, after the hurricane, every time I went to shift all these acorns flew in front of me, leave me to navigate with just one hand on the bars. I don't like hitting acorns one handed.

Scott

Here is my view: Bikes now come in a few sizes, many fewer than in the steel era. And a custom carbon frame is possible, but not cheap. The result is many riders for a decent fit have stems in the 125 mm or longer category, couple that with the short front end dimensions today and the front wheel is more loaded. For many on these bikes just getting a waterbottle is dangerous, I have observed this while driving next to a local club group. Possibly for the same reasons, the majority of club racers cannot seem to ride a straight line, they weave constantly. For many of these riders reaching down for an "extended" period of time would be dangerous, they do not have the skills. I won't even discuss the guys training on "tri" bars and running stop signs to keep the tempo going...

As a city cyclist, I agree with the above.

I also find that I just don't shift as much with DT shifters as I do with brifters. Brifters almost make it to easy to shift, so I shift down to much when I should keep the pace in a taller gear. I also only have 14 speeds to choose from with my DT bike, and much more with the brifters, so I actually think the DT shifters make me a better rider...

No - But I did take a good unexpected ride through "Goat Head Sticker Alley" when trying to adjust my front dérailleur and ride at the same time... (had to walk home)... (6 flats)...

I use both brifters and downtube. It's pretty flat around here, so I don't do that much shifting anyway. Find a gear I like and stay in it.

However, I do like friction DT when I am trying to put together different components in a build. Last year I upgraded from a 6 to an 8 cog cassette without having to so much as adjust the cables on the shifters. I suppose friction downtube shifting takes an instant longer to dial in (it's sort of like adjusting your derailleur every time you shift), but I'm not that caught up with efficiency...

I really don't see how it's possible other then flukes and maybe getting caught on your shifter levers? The first time I used them this year, they did indeed feel alien, but I learned to use them very quick. A week or two ago I gave my niece a road bike for college, she'd never used DT shifters before either and she adapated within minutes.. I just don't see it.