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 ?
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
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>
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!
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.
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".
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" <[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.
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? :-)
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!
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
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.
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.