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Roadbikes sure have changed since the 1970's or I'm a n00b again!

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Roadbikes sure have changed since the 1970's or I'm a n00b again!

Old 07-14-06, 07:44 PM
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Roadbikes sure have changed since the 1970's or I'm a n00b again!

I just got a new to me 2000 Bianchi Veloce (sorry, no pics yet), my first real road bike and first road bike since my Free Spirit. To give you an idea of how long ago this was, Mork & Mindy was my favorite show, and disco was still popular.

After commuting the extra long way home on my fixie, I picked up the bike from the LBS where I had the derailleurs properly adjusted and took it out for its maiden voyage. Armed with some hex keys to make adjustments, I headed to Central Park for a ride. Forthwith are my n00bish thoughts/revelations/discoveries:
  • Too bad the brakes don't come with those extra levers under the tops. (You know, the ones connected to the main brake lever.)
  • Which of these levers shifts up and which shifts down?
  • How come the shift levers on the left do the reverse of the ones on the right? The left thumb shifts to the small chainring while the right thumb shifts to the small cog. How am I supposed to remember... ooohhhh.......this is gonna take some getting used to.
  • Which of these levers shifts up again?
  • Oh yeah, I can stop pedaling and coast.
  • Man, these drops are low. I can't breathe, my nuts are getting mashed and my knees keep hitting me in the stomach. How do people comfortably ride like this?
  • Damn, why didn't they put those extra brake levers under the tops?!? What's so wrong w/ them?
  • Wait, which lever shifts down?
  • I wonder how fast I'm going?
  • Hmmm...the hills don't seem that bad...yay fixed gear!
  • Which lever does what again?!?
  • I wonder if the derailleurs would work w/ friction shifters?

So now I feel like a n00b all over again. What are your newbie recollections?
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Old 07-14-06, 07:51 PM
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Newbie recollections: Clipped in and started up a shallow grade in the apartment complex parking lot. (Perhaps 2% average, 3% max.) Went around a speed bump and lost my momentum and fell over. Got back on the bike. Went on a five mile loop that I thought would be pretty flat. One little "hill" in the home stretch. Couldn't figure out my front shifting on the fly, so stayed in the middle chainring and somehow got up that "hill" in my 42/25.

[EDIT] Forgot to mention that I was highly amused by my cyclocomputer. I loved knowing my speed and cadence. Even if my average speed that day was a lowly 10 MPH, it was a blast having constant feedback. [/EDIT]

Advice for jyo: You're a smart guy. Just think of the following. Small lever shifts to smaller ring/cog. Big lever shifts to bigger ring/cog.
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Old 07-14-06, 08:38 PM
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They aren't all that differant. Some are lighter... alot lighter. However, they still have drop bars, and two wheels.
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Old 07-14-06, 08:47 PM
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It will become normal very quickly. You will come to love the new stuff. Personally, I never liked those suicide levers. My Nishiki had them, I was hppy to se them go when I purchased my Mondia. Enjoy the new ride. Bob
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Old 07-14-06, 08:55 PM
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Originally Posted by jschen
Advice for jyo: You're a smart guy. Just think of the following. Small lever shifts to smaller ring/cog. Big lever shifts to bigger ring/cog.
Now that's a good way for me to remember it. I was thinking in terms of direction of movement to try to remember it while I was riding. Brifters are a whole new thing to me and not having the brake levers at my finger tips when I'm on the tops is a little disconcerting.

Patriot: the bikes haven't changed much, just the control details. Instead of thumb shifters or stem mounted friction shifters, I have brifters that I've never used before so I have to ride a while and get comfortable with them.
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Old 07-14-06, 08:58 PM
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You can still buy bar levers, but they don't work the same way by pushing down on the main brake levers. They're integrated into the brake line. They're usually marketed as a cyclocross product, but some companies like Iron Horse put them on their road bikes. I tested out a bike with them and liked them. Huge step up from the crude "suicide" levers that I had on my Schwinn. I have not used them in the long run though so maybe somebody else could add their experience. They attach right on the top bar and allow you to brake like you would on a mountain bike.

https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=

As for the STi, the shifter is integrated into the brake lever. Mess with it a bit and it will become instinctive after a couple of days. I can assure you that you will never want to take your hands off to shift ever again (or maybe you will, some people like to use friction shifters so you can still buy them if you want). Personally I never want to use any again.
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Old 07-14-06, 09:04 PM
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Originally Posted by jyossarian
Now that's a good way for me to remember it. I was thinking in terms of direction of movement to try to remember it while I was riding. Brifters are a whole new thing to me and not having the brake levers at my finger tips when I'm on the tops is a little disconcerting.
I don't mean to confuse you but installing a rapid rise rear derailleur (mountain bike component) will reverse your STI lever action if that's what you're looking for...
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Old 07-14-06, 09:43 PM
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I'm gonna leave it the way it is for now and just force myself to get used to the control scheme. Thanks for the info re: inline cross levers. As for replacing the derailleur, I figure I'll ride it into the ground first. Then I'll convert it to FG and buy another road bike.
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