boze

so i had to have an explanation yesterday about trim shifting my new Ultegra FD. the mechanic was telling me 9sp is such a broad area that i need to shift between two positions that are both for my middle ring up front to avoid rubbing.

i was coming from an old RSX bike with a 7sp cassette and i just think this is weak. i was stunned to think that i had a component group that was worth considerably more by itself than my old bike and that shifting was now _more annoying.

is it true that this would have been the case with a double as well?

55/Rad

To some degree. The shifter has 4 positions for 2 gears, meaning that there is some getting used to the idea of jamming through a couple "clicks" to get it up to the big ring. Some people will adjust the cable so tight that it eliminates the 3rd and 4th position, but this negates any possible trim function.

I'm with you, it seems it should be easier given the cost and the technology. The idea of a friction shifter for the big rings makes some sense. On the other hand, you'll get used to it.

55/Rad

Retro Grouch 

Well, you have to consider all of the things that are happening. Your new bike probably isn't exactly the same as your old one except for the shifters. Nine speeds on the back means that the rear cassette is a little wider. Race geometry bikes tend to have quite short chanstays. Those two factors result in wider chain angles between the chainrings and cassette cogs. Also, oftentimes, people who ride low end bikes put up with all manner of noises that I find unacceptable.

Uh - I'm old enough to remember the old, low tech days and they weren't always all that great. We trimmed our front derailleurs a lot, even with only 5 cogs on the back. I trimmed my front derailleur so often that I did it with my right hand immediately after the rear shift that made it rub. The new bikes are better, period.

shaq-d

like retro said. on my six-speed 1980s pinarello friction shifter, you still have to trim the front derailleur when you get into cogs at the extremes. and it's far easier to "click" into the trim than it is to do it by friction. click/index-shifting is a real breakthrough.

sd

jfmckenna

I disagree. I would much rather have the FD be pure friction. My old touring bike with Suntour XC triple shifts like a champ. The 'trim' when shifting friction you just jump the chain and if you go to far just come back, it's all in one motion vs clicking then clicking back and very carefully so you don't drop to your amall ring. I wish on my Ultegra double that the black lever was a fristion shifter instead of the sti or whatever it is called.

shaq-d

hm, thinking about it, i suppose it might make a diff if the friction shifter was behind the brake lever, as opposed to on the downtube.. hard to know which is the reason why.

sd