[Closed] Downtube shifters

[img] [/img]

How topical - this is mine! I've also got a black Cinzano jersey to complete the American Fliers look!

Mind you don't catch them with your plus fours.

Nice dovebiker.

Thats fancier than mine!

Scotroutes i said downtube not sturmey

Sorry, they are terrible.

Most noticeable when racing or in traffic.

Back in the 1980s I had a custom road bike frame built and it was specced out with a complete (as in it came in one box/display case) Shimano 105 groupset. SIS had just been released so it was six speed block. Cost was £220 for the frame and forks painted as I wanted and £200 for the groupset. (Might have been the other way round, it's a long time ago now)
Either the cables/outers got dirty or the SIS drifted out so eventually I ended up just using the original friction shift, nicely satisfying judging the change and getting the chain to just drop/pull onto the required cog. Of course multi-shift was dead easy!

Friction eliminates the eternal hassle of tuning indexed gears! Those were the days!

Restored a 1980 Olympic gas pipe roadster replaced gear cables and outers...tensioned up and then a big blank in head...no need to index!...as said horrible in traffic though and I remember when it wasn't a retro choice

I went 1x friction on the downtube of my commuter back in september:

By November I had fashioned this magnificent horror show*:

Which is still functional 8 months on.
Being honest, I like friction shifting, but years of having shifters on the bars has spoilt me and the whole thing of reaching a wee bit lower to shift lost its novelty quite fast.

So I've sort of got the best of both worlds, friction shifting at the hood.

(*Note: There is a pukka solution available from CTBM)

Dura Ace and Ultegra DT shifters still on my two classic 90's bikes. Never saw the need to upgrade as they shift perfect, and are lighter than brifters. I've got some of the first STI's on my classic 90's MTB though.

Forgot that I had a set… might get a band on mount and breath life into my single speed with the RHS one.

and breath life into my single speed with the RHS one

🤔

@Dovebiker, i have a pr of those Campag shifters on my desk as i type.
Are they of any value? Would anyone want them?
Ian

They're Campagnolo Corsa Record made from the mid-late 80s - eBay suggests they're worth £30-50 for a pair.

I think you are rather missing the point cycnic-al. There are maybe advantages to other options. But nothing else feels better. A satisfying timing on a climb no excuse for a last minute crunch on the STIs a laxy shift on a hot summers day to tweak that cadence. Dumping all the gears in a oner. Tweaking the drivetrain for perfect noiselessness.

Bliss.

I sold my carbon bike my only road bike has down tube 2x8 all on friction and it sparks great joy (helped by being yellow... And chrome.) And its done heehaw to slow me down.

Did you ever do anything with that nigel dean i gave you?

How did it take mankind so long to move the shifters to somewhere you could actually reach them?

See  also suitcases and wheels.

I held out getting STI shifters for a few years sticking to downtube shifters. I liked the Shimano ones that came with my Raleigh Triathlon that was index but on the occasions, they played up could be switched to friction. That's also what I liked about my XT thumb shifters

Agreed, I used to feel awesome arm down for a shift and settling the gear.....reverted back to DT shifters from STI's on a few frames.

**I am an old git!

Sorry Josh, I'm delighted you love them, but it's romanticism for me, I would too on the occasional lazy summer ride, but given my experience they don't have a place for me, if I could have 20 bikes they might.

Yeah I built up the ND after some brazing and blasting, rusting a bit then 2K. I rode it for a summer and it made a great SS, it's now in the loft, I can't let it go (who would want it?).

I hope you enjoyed the beers 😊

Weirdos.

[url= https://i.postimg.cc/j50NkZ4L/20200608-090026.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/j50NkZ4L/20200608-090026.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

On my 1986 Raleigh Road Ace just now. 6 speed SIS, first release I think. Bought a couple of years ago off a bloke on eBay. Something like 50 miles on it.

Had one back in the day, part exed it and always regretted it. After a full service, a check over and new hoods, tyres and inner tubes - she's ready to ride. Which I, errr, haven't 🙄

actually some downtube shifters are less downtube than others...forgot my restoration has them on the stem....had a commuter bike in early 80's with same set up

[img] [/img]

I’m having nightmares looking at those lights. Corroded,leaking batteries, falling off and the very source of many black holes.

but it’s romanticism for me

100% romanticism!

Glad to hear it git ridden, now i think about i think i took the downtube shifter bosses off that frame!

I've still got a pair of the Wonder light equivalents of those in the garage (I'm sure that's 'I wonder where the ****ibg light's gone?'...). They were shite too.

I put downtube shifters. On my cargo bike as I too remember the romanticism of riding downtube shiftered road bike although I'm not really "that old" .....I just had a really old first road bike...

They lasted about 3 rides before some Paul's mounts were sourced for the bars.

Friction is good though

Had something similar on a Raleigh router. Had a clamp on the front fork for the light, heading down hill and saw it start to wobble and thought it was slidding off. Right must stop an slide it back on. No sooner had the thought passed I was on the deck, no helmet. The clamp had come loose and spun round into wheel and hooked a spoke stopping me dead. I was still crouched holding onto bars I didn't have time to put a hand out or anything. Forks bent to crap and paint cracked around head tube, end of that bike!

Running two 80's steel tourers both with friction gears, they weigh more than my mtb. I get great enjoyment getting KOMs from the locals on their carbon. Yes I know I am dad but it sure keeps me fit🥵