UK and Europe · Public discussion

Reverse rear mech

Started by Jonathan Schneider · · Last activity · 15 posts · 647 views

This thread is locked and is currently read-only.

Thread navigation

Jump through the discussion

Go to the original post, the replies on this page, or the latest preserved contribution.

Thread details

What we know about this thread

Original section
UK and Europe
Published
13 January 2008
Last activity
15 January 2008
Original author
Jonathan Schneider
Posts
15
Discussion status
Public discussion
Total views
647
Views / 30 days
0

The navigation and discussion metadata provide context. Posts remain in their original chronological order.

Showing posts 1–15 of 15
Posts remain in their original chronological order.

Text size
  1. I popped into the local shop yesterday to have a look at a bike a
    friend is eyeing up. A Ridgeback Panorama. The thing that lept out at
    me was the reverse rear mech. That is pulling its cable caused it to
    shift to smaller cogs / higher gears.

    A friend on this morning's ride says these mechs are meant for twist
    shifts. Is that true ? What's the story with reverse mechs ?

    Any other thoughts on that bike ?

    Jon

  2. Jonathan Schneider said:

    A friend on this morning's ride says these mechs are meant for twist
    shifts. Is that true ? What's the story with reverse mechs ?

    No, rapid rise, as it's called, is used with STI's too. It's said that it
    was designed to regulate the shifting force on more lightly designed
    cassettes.

    Someone (Simon, I think) will be along in a minute to tell you how [censored] they
    are :-) however, I've had a deore version fitted on my tourer since new -
    nearly three years - and had no trouble at all.

    HTH

    Tim

    --
    Sent from Birmingham, UK... all about me at www.nervouscyclist.org
    'Now some people say that you shouldn't tempt fate, and for them I
    cannot disagree - but I never learned nothing by playing it safe - I
    say fate should not tempt me.' - Mary Chapin Carpenter

  3. Quoted message said:

    What's the story with reverse mechs ?

    Quicker, smoother shifts onto a bigger sprocket. Good for riders that
    change gears going up hills but want to ease off the power as little as
    possible - racers wot go up hill, basically. Prolly good for trundlies on
    hills too - the only time they'd need a quick gear change to keep power
    going through is halfway up a hill and it's run out of puff and walk up; or
    attempt gear change, fluff it, stall and walk up[1].

    [1] Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything <cough>

  4. On 13/01/2008 15:00, Jonathan Schneider said,

    Quoted message said:

    A friend on this morning's ride says these mechs are meant for twist
    shifts. Is that true ? What's the story with reverse mechs ?

    I think you mean Shimano Rapid Rise, and they were designed to work with
    Dual Control levers. I notice that the Ridgeback Panorama has the road
    equivalent of dual-control levers (STI, I think it is)

    However, I use a low-normal rear derailleur on my MTB with normal Deore
    LX trigger levers, and it feels more natural to me. I'm not sure why
    though! I do know that when I briefly put flat bars on my commuter, it
    caused no end of confusion to have the two bikes' rear mechs working in
    different directions!

    --
    Paul Boyd
    http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

  5. Quoted message said:

    Quicker, smoother shifts onto a bigger sprocket.

    How can that be ?

    On my low-end Campag setup I can change down three cogs with one long
    push of the lever.

    Jon

  6. Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Quicker, smoother shifts onto a bigger sprocket.

    How can that be ?

    On my low-end Campag setup I can change down three cogs with one long
    push of the lever.

    I didn't explain it well, but it's quicker, smoother shifts under load when
    changing down a gear (as opposed to high-normal, wot where it's up a gear).
    The advantage being that you don't have to slacken off so much when
    changing to a lower gear. The disadvantage is, as you've noted, that you
    need to flick the lever a few times to change down multiple gears.

  7. Got one on my straight bar tourer with Alivio trigger shifters and it works
    fine. In fact it's rather nice 'cos both shifters (front and rear) work in
    the same "sense".

  8. Mark T said the following on 14/01/2008 11:25:

    Quoted message said:

    The disadvantage is, as you've noted, that you
    need to flick the lever a few times to change down multiple gears.

    ....which I don't really find a disadvantage. It just means a few small
    twitches of a finger instead of having to move the finger through a long
    sweep - not always easy at death-grip moments :-)

    --
    Paul Boyd
    http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

  9. "Paul Boyd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    On 13/01/2008 15:00, Jonathan Schneider said,

    Quoted message said:

    A friend on this morning's ride says these mechs are meant for twist
    shifts. Is that true ? What's the story with reverse mechs ?

    I think you mean Shimano Rapid Rise, and they were designed to work with
    Dual Control levers. I notice that the Ridgeback Panorama has the road
    equivalent of dual-control levers (STI, I think it is)

    However, I use a low-normal rear derailleur on my MTB with normal Deore LX
    trigger levers, and it feels more natural to me. I'm not sure why though!
    I do know that when I briefly put flat bars on my commuter, it caused no
    end of confusion to have the two bikes' rear mechs working in different
    directions!

    It is also reconned that should your gear cable snap (never had it happen)
    ans don't have a spare at least the gears are stuck in one that you can
    pedal on uphills rather than on a small cog that you may not be able to.

    Of course providing the cable ever snaps.

    Dave

  10. Dave said the following on 14/01/2008 11:49:

    Quoted message said:

    It is also reconned that should your gear cable snap (never had it happen)
    ans don't have a spare at least the gears are stuck in one that you can
    pedal on uphills rather than on a small cog that you may not be able to.

    You could actually choose an appropriate gear with a top-normal though,
    so that's not necessarily an advantage to low-normal! With either mech,
    you use a short piece of cable to hold the mech in one specific gear.
    You do have a handy short piece of cable with your bike, don't you? :-)

    --
    Paul Boyd
    http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

  11. Paul Boyd said:

    Dave said the following on 14/01/2008 11:49:

    Quoted message said:

    It is also reconned that should your gear cable snap (never had it
    happen) ans don't have a spare at least the gears are stuck in one
    that you can pedal on uphills rather than on a small cog that you may
    not be able to.

    You could actually choose an appropriate gear with a top-normal though,
    so that's not necessarily an advantage to low-normal! With either mech,
    you use a short piece of cable to hold the mech in one specific gear.
    You do have a handy short piece of cable with your bike, don't you? :-)

    If your cable has snapped you now have two short cables already on your
    bike!

  12. Matthew Haigh said the following on 14/01/2008 12:08:

    Quoted message said:

    If your cable has snapped you now have two short cables already on your
    bike!

    Aye, but probably a bit too much to be flapping about near the back wheel!

    --
    Paul Boyd
    http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

  13. On Jan 14, 11:33 am, "Steve Watkin" <[email hidden]>

    Quoted message said:

    Got one on my straight bar tourer with Alivio trigger shifters and it works
    fine. In fact it's rather nice 'cos both shifters (front and rear) work in
    the same "sense".

    Indeed. I thought that was the reason behind them to try to make dual
    derailleur systems more intuitive. I have one on a cheap ridgeback.
    It has always been a bit crappy. I can't adjust it for good
    upshifting /and/ downshifting

    best wishes
    james

  14. "Paul Boyd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

    Quoted message said:

    caused no end of confusion to have the two bikes' rear mechs working in
    different directions!

    I've been suffering that issue and kept meaning to put the two bikes side by
    side to work out what was going on. Thanks for the explanation folks, I
    don't mind now I know there's a reason for it, but that doesn't stop me from
    changing the wrong way at difficult moments.

  15. Tim Dunne said:

    Someone (Simon, I think) will be along in a minute to tell you how [censored] they
    are :-) however, I've had a deore version fitted on my tourer since new -
    nearly three years - and had no trouble at all.

    Lucky man. I had one once. It started to misbehave after 1 week of
    commuting.
    Binned. Never getting another one.

    The force required to shift to a smaller cog is a fraction of that
    required to shift to a bigger cog. Any kind of trouble and it goes
    pear shaped far quicker than a normal mech. I don't want to be
    babysitting my commuting bike - I just want it to work, so it got
    binned.

    ...d

Active in the last 60 minutes

Active in this thread

0 users · 1 guest ·0 bots ·1 total

No signed-in users are active right now.

No known search crawlers active right now.