So, I'm riding the "back-up bike" for a few weeks, and I'm not understanding these Brifters. The main problem seems to be me getting lost and not remembering what rings I'm on. With the bar-end shifters, you can see* where you're at. I don't know the bike well enough to know by feel.

It's a triple ring, and a lot of the gears feel the same to me, so I don't know how people tell where they're at...

Mostly I remember about where I am on the cassette and go
by the torque and cadence to determine shift points. CW:
I spend 85% of my time in the 42t middle and 0.5% in the
30T small, so I never get lost up there, but no big deal to
glance down. FWIW Shimano has an inline indicater for
about $10 that moves a little colored bead back and forth
in a clear window about 4-6" from the brifter and visually
indicates which gear you are in.

If all else fails (pedal resistance, intuition, memory).....look down.

You know, I did* do that and it helped. I can't see the rear sprockets on my Rivendell for some reason (without weaving), so I kept forgetting to try that on this Klein.

However, I'm getting the $10 indicator put on. I think that's a great idea, Sch.

I am a bit lost. What is a "Brifter"?

Regarding looking down, and assuming you're an "up and comer" cyclist, it and looking back over your shoulder, and sratching your behind, and diggng things out of your jersey, nose, ear, seat bag, etc. will all become natural as you spend more time on the bike and get more relaxed. Not a promise, just a fact. Soon enough, you'll be counting rear cogs, checking for a flatting rear tires, switching water bottles, etc.

Assuming your question is earnest, I'll get sucked in here...brifter is a combination Brake lever/shifter. Very common on bikes for some years now. Still regarded suspiciously as new-fangled contraptions by reactionary BF'ers.

Brifters are a combination brake and shifter. The brake levers are one component of the shifting component. There is the brake lever and an inside shift lever. When shifting the large rings you activate the inside lever to go from big ring to small and you move both the brake lever and the inside lever to change from smaller to larger. The right does the same type of operation but it moves the back rings.

Yes it was an Honest question. I have never heard of these things. Thank you for the information

Sorry, Sand, I sounded uppity; there's plenty I don't know.

No Apology necessary.

The 2008 Shimano lineup includes the much maligned Sora family reborn in its new 9 speed version. Most interesting is an optical gear display on the STI shifters ("Brifters").

You could always buy a Shimano flight deck computer if you are using Shimano. It shows you the rings you are on in the display. For me it is pretty easy since I am almost always in my big ring and during normal riding I generally only shift my cassette down at most 3-4 gears. So I can mentally keep track and when I come to a stop I either do a double gear cassette change back + 1 = 3 or two double gear changes = 4. As CC says it is also pretty easy to look back and see what gear I am in. I never shift into my 25 or 11.

I wish Shimano go do a double shift down gears like it does up, that would be nice.

Yah! You sounded kinda uppity to me*, too! When I'm going up a big hill and I accidently shift to a harder front* ring, it's pretty easy to wobble back and forth while trying to see where your chain is when I'm going, say, 3 miles per hour! Am I an "Up and coming" biker? Maybe down and going!

You could look down at the chain rings to see which one the chain is on.

My CHEST gets in the way. OK? There, I've said it. I have to contort my body to see my rear wheel, and I ride into curbs.

I am now prepared for the onslaught of comments from the peanut gallery.

You mentioned rings and a triple chain ring so I thought you were wondering about which chain ring you were in, but since you mention looking at the rear wheel in the last post I see you are wondering about which gear you are in. In that case you could just go by feel and shift gears when it feels like you need to.

Sorry, that other thread about the blue typeface got me all riled up! Thank you, though, you're right. I am* more confused about the front than the back, and I can see the front ones.

No comments from me. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have that problem

If you weren't from flat-as-a-pancake Florida, this would be one heck of a boast. But for Florida, it's only fairly impressive . Unless you go up Sugarloaf in your big ring...

I've put the gear indicators on my bikes but they still don't help me find an easier gear when going up really steep hills and I need something easier than I already have!!!!!

I do like the gear indicators though........

They are pretty easily installed....just a couple minutes. And if has been a while since the shifter cable has been replaced go ahead and do that at the same time.

There is only gear I need on going up your hills and it is the lowest. No matter how often I push those shifters Sorry- Brifters- I never find another one

OK, to clarify, my problem is that I've only used them twice, and I can't remember what both do together as opposed to just one. I have to do it to find out. Since I then only feel* the result and I don't see it, I forget where I am... and then I think about if I'm at the top of a gear or the bottom of a gear, and then* try to remember what the handles do. I think it's unintuitive for a visual learner. That's all. I think the little $10 gizmo sounds smashing.

The biggest hill I get to ride is the William Powell bridge that goes over to Key Biscayne. See below for the awesome elevation profile.

If thats your heart rate- You are in trouble. Flat liner.