Elisa,
You can only shift the 3 speed hub at a stand still. The 8 gears are just like a normal derailleur.
But, This is not really a problem. I find that mostly I am riding in the level mode around town and
shift the 8-speed up and down for mild changes in terrain. If I come to a stop, the chances are that
I'm not in the highest gear anyway, and by shifting to the climbing mode, it is always easy to get
going again. As soon as I get going, I shift to level mode. I only use downhill mode when I really
get going fast which doesn't happen too often in town.
I have also found that if I want to shift a single gear ratio, I can twist the 8 speed shifter one
or two clicks while simultaneously shifting the mode lever one click and actually just slightly
change my gear ratio. Because there is only one derailleur, you don't have to worry about the chain
jumping or jamming by doing both shifts simultaneously.
Also, a marvelous thing about the dualdrive is how instant the hub shifts. Say you are in climbing
mode and you start to pull the lever to get to level riding mode. Well, halfway through moving the
lever (which takes a fraction of a second), you are already in the next mode. It is almost
instantaneous. No pause while the chain tries to jump gears.
I am completely sold on this system. My friends that try it out, definately have some envy and
wonder why all bikes aren't made like this one.
I have read that the dualdrive is supposed to have less friction than the Shimano nexus. Can't
confirm that but I have seen it written. Another nice feature is how easy it is to adjust. Only one
barrel adjustment on the cable is all you do. They give you marks in a little window, when you get
the marks lined up using the cable barrel adjustment, you are done. Really simple.
Another little detail, is that the rear wheel is not going to have a quick release but rather a 15mm
nut. It means carrying one wrench to be able to change a tube but I like this feature cause it means
I don't have to lock up the rear wheel since it would be hard to steal the rear wheel off too
quickly. Know what I mean?
I appreciate your exhaustive research and analysis before making your purchase. I am the same way
about big purchases. If you have any particular questions about DualDrive, feel free to email me at
ekirstein"Spam"@catskill.net Please remove "Spam" from my address.
Ed Roxbury, NY
"Elisa Francesca Roselli" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:In the thread "New Shifters that Shift When You're Still, Ed Kirstein wrote:
<<It uses the SRAM DualDrive which gives you an 8 speed rear derailleur and a 3 speed hub. It has
all the range of a 3 gear front derailleur without the fuss of one. I'm very impressed with it. No
matter what gear I am in on the rear derailleur, if I come to a stop, I can just shift to the
lowest gear on the internal hub and have no trouble getting going. Its a beautiful system.>>
Giant is bringing out a model called Mono DX which has this shifter (11-34 teeth 8 speed). This
model is being recommended as the replacement for the 2003 Melbourne which was the bike I was
wanting to buy, but which is going out of production on the new catalogue. The Melbourne
interested me on account of its Shimano Nexus 7 shifter. The claim being made by my bicycle
merchant is that the DualDrive has all the same advantages and more, with none of the
disadvantages.
I looked on the web-site of SRAM. They seem to be claiming there that the DualDrive makes it
possible to access _any_ gear at a standstill or under load. Is that true, or is it only the three
front gears that can be changed standing still? If you're on your highest gear on the back
derailleur and have to slam to a stop at a traffic light, can you get all the way down to the
lowest or is it a matter of compromising on the highest back with the lowest front? I have never
used a front shifter before - my supermarket bike just has a 5-speed back derailleur. How would
the DualDrive compare (in ease of use, maintenance freedom, and range of terrains that can be
comfortably ridden) to the Nexus 7 or to the much more expensive 14 gear Rohloff SpeedHub, which
sounds so attractive to me I'm almost thinking of having a bike built around it, and sod the
cost!...
Elisa Francesca Roselli Ile de France
