This is possibly the most offensive piece of gear I have encountered on a bike. Do you really need a little orange wand to tell you what gear you’re in? There is only one gear to be in: the hardest one at which you can still make the pedals go around in something resembling a circle.
These goofy little things were found on the bike I rented last weekend for a benefit ride on the east coast in honor of my late Aunt. It was a wonderful ride and great family time… but really, shift indicators? Further proof that all has been in decline since the advent of indexed derailleurs. What added insult to injury in this case was the quality (or lack there of) in the shifting itself. Tiagra is a far cry from my beloved Dura Ace. I would try to shift and the little orange wand would wobble uselessly back and forth — like a Seattle driver trying to merge on the highway — until, finally, an enormous noise would ripple up the bike and a new gear *might* be achieved. I began to brace myself for the effort…. and…. SHHHHHIIIIIFFFFFFTTTTT. Like passing a gallbladder stone. (Or so I imagine.)
In the end, this Cannondale Synapse was just fine. It even had a sharp paint job. Almost sharp enough to make up for the kiddie shifters.
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This is gold. I have extolled the virtues of the bike as a system. Some "components" simply do not qualify. We don't put baseball trading cards in our spokes with a clothespin either.
i had tiagra on my first road bike, a trek 1000 I bought on eBay for $450. Put about 6000 miles it before upgrading to 105. No indicators on the old tiagra, but it worked well. 105 is good value.
@eightzero
You put baseball (or soccer) cards in your spokes if you have one of those Choppers like Chris has!
Major props to the steerer tube extension. Sometimes you're better off walking.
@Steampunk
Before upgrading I didn't know any better, and for those first 3 years, it was ignorant bliss. GIven that, I still have the one shifter on a frankenstein with an old ultegra double shifter, and there is no comparison with the 105. The 105 even outperforms the older ultegra. I would say that I would never go back, but every time i ride that bike, I go back, and every time I ride it, I miss the feel of the 105. I have the final components of a campy chorus 10 group in the mail and am looking forward to rebuilding the frankenstein up proper. I will hand the old parts down to someone for a new bike build, and I'm sure they will find bliss in their ignorance as well.
Those things are ugly and stewpid. But it they're part of somebody's path to enlightenment, they're exactly what they ought to be. For that somebody.
Until earlier this year, my #1 bike looked roughly like the above. (Not my actual bike, and I did make a few improvements, such as clipless pedals, no reflectors, and a saddle that hadn't been chewed by the dog). I had smooth road tires on it, but the damn thing weighs in excess of 30 pounds; I would have thought I'd died and gone to heaven if I had Tiagra 10-speed components on it.
My replacement bike is not that snazzy compared to many on here, but it is a decent house-brand bike from Performance with Ultegra components on it and the comparison is day and night. I've kept the Schwinnosaur as my rain/mud bike, so it continues to be kept in the best shape possible given its humble status.
Riding a heavy, clunky bike that invariably elicits comments like "Dude, have you considered getting a bike from this century?" builds both physical and moral fortitude in a way that my new carbon bike with drop bars doesn't. The short version of this long story is that I'm a firm believer in ride what you've got, since there will always be somebody with a more expensive bike but that doesn't mean they can keep ahead of you.
Plus, I had a Schwinn Stingray back in the early 70s with a center-mounted shifter much as shown in the picture, although I only had a 3-speed. Good times.
Oh my God, I never realised grown-up groupsets didn't have indicators!!!
I'm with razmaspaz - you're better off learning how to ride with rubbish components (hello Shimano Sora!) and then appreciating the upgrade.
My new baby (complete with Centaur) arrives on Tuesday, struggling to sleep...
A Keeper that rides Shimano? What is this madness!
In other news, Campagnolo Athena's 2012 and newer shifters now only allow you to downshift one gear at a time. I've got the 2011 and can dump half the cluster, which is important for when I'm attacking, out of the saddle, in the drops on the HC.
@Chris
You better not be lumping us track riders into that category.
@TBONE I suspect it depends on whether you do a lot of skidding on the track.
Speaking of which, I recently read "Gold" by Christopher Cleave, and while it's a bit of a Movie of the Week story it focuses on three characters who are Olympic-level track racers. It's an interesting change of pace from some more focused cycling stories.
@Chris
Two shifters. Does that mean it's a ten speed. Just wrong. 3 speed and a banana seat only. It's official Choppers are cool. Why? You can hang a carrier bag full of beers on the handlebars on the way home from the off license. You won't shred the bag on the front wheel spokes and scatter your beverages across the road. Try that on your Cervelo....