joe932

Don't be silly. I bought a $30,000 gold-plated carbon bike with 72 gears and a nitrous system. Only freds buy cheap bikes.

Bob Dopolina 

Gold is pretty heavy.

Still waiting for a response as to why you think you are so fast regardless of your non-p*ssy equipment choices.

What cat and what results?

joe932

Who said I was fast? Only guys with carbon bikes and carbon wheels are fast.

Bob Dopolina 

You talked about racing with DT shifters and how integrated levers wouldn't make a difference.

Then you called those with carbon and integrated levers p*ssies because those things just make it easier. I posted a very relevant quote on the matter which you completely missed.

Then you suggested I was a p*ssy and that perhaps I should use a bus to go faster.

So how fast are you, Mr non-p*ssy burly man? If you want to talk smack, fine. Now back it up. If you know as much about racing and going fast give us an personal example of either. If you can't one might conclude that you are either trolling or talking out your arse.

So which is it? Person talking from personal experience? Troll? are Arse talker?

joe932

Dude, I saw your blog. You are not as important as you think you are.

Bob Dopolina 

Yeah.

So it's arse talker then.



Believe me, as a racer I know exactly where I fit in the grand scheme of things. I know what real talent looks like and it's never been something looking back at me in my shaving mirror.

joe932

I'm sorry I called you a p*ssy, but saying that DT shifters are difficult is kinda lame.

And would not feel bad about not making it to the pros if I were you. It's a hard lonely life that requires drugs.

Bob Dopolina 

I never said they were difficult. As I said I raced on them my first few seasons so I have tens of thousands of km on both the friction and indexed iterations. I said that integrated shifting is even easier esp for newer riders and, additionally, it offers a competitive advantage.

Pretty straight forward stuff and I'm not the only one in the thread who feels this way.

rjones28 

2 to go

Bob Dopolina 

I would not want to be a pro rider. It's a brutal way to earn a paycheck.

rebel1916

Joe932 is my new favorite member/poster. I wonder how he feels about chromoly steel.

v70cat

You have already said that at least once in this thread.

Motolegs

Who knew a thread about the humble Motobecane Mirage would morph and grow like some magic bean? (BTW, mine continues to serve well and ride true, DT's and all)

achoo

And no one's seen yours...

I'll let you fill in the rest.

Think of it as a test of your mental capacity.

RJM

so.


Hey man, I'm a fan of bike racing too.

Speed is only one criteria in road cycling, and it isn't the most important for many people. Take the Op, it seems to me like a bike that is comfortable, dependable, and fun would be more important than ultimate speed or efficiency. It's a first road bike for a newbie, downtube shifters would work fine at that application...and frankly would be more dependable than some entry level brifter. (yeah, I said the word)

iamtim

I used to upshift from the drops on my Sora 8-speed shifters all the time. *shrug*

rjones28 

All of his posts, so far, are in this thread.

achoo

Yeah.

Sock puppet?

Any other short-term poster with trollish tendencies disappear about when joe932 appeared?

wphamilton

Spot on. The question doesn't really rate the heated controversy in my opinion.

Personally, I'd rather have the entry level brifter even with it being less dependable. Yet the downtube shifter is just fine in this application - it was my choice in that situation, and I was satisfied with it. Harking back on the original question, a choice of two entry-level bikes of comparable prices, one having brifters and the other not, I think the most pertinent point has been lost in all this. The bike with brifters probably has a compromise somewhere else compared to the downtube bike in order to match the overall price, and for me the deciding factor depends on what that is. Carbon fork or better wheels for example I think I'd want whichever is the better bike when you take the shifters out of the equation.

Bob Dopolina 

I agree. Speed is only relevant to those who race or really want to go fast. There are other equally legitimate ways and reasons to ride. I support and embrace them all.

Perfect example: Sunday morning I did a quick two hours of tempo. Then I went home, got my 7 yr old son on his bike and we went for a two hour ride along the beach. We rode 20km with a stop for a snack, a pee and to try to figure out where the person flying a very large kite that was very high up was actually standing.

Guess which ride I enjoyed more?

I can't wait until he is old enough that we can do our first bike tour together. Speed will not be a factor.

iamtim

I remember riding with my son when he was young. Good times.

ricebowl

Do all the Campy shifters out there need to be upgraded? If brifters get a mark in the cons column for shifting from the drops, don't DT shifters get the same ding?

Bob Dopolina 

All shifters can be shifted from the drops if they are positioned correctly on the bars. This is a non issue.

LesterOfPuppets

Not with my thumbs. But I can deal with the necessary re grip needed to up shift from the drops since I don't have to do it all that often really.

iamtim

But my shifters are on the down-tube, how do I position them correctly on the bars?

(No response needed, in the sake of humor that was nothing but a cheap shot at the whole "brifter vs. shifter" terminology debate, heh. )