Index shifting for dummies

Janet K said:

As a rather expensive birthday present to me, I just purchased a new
bicycle. Having ridden a circa 1981 Team Miyata for twenty some years,
I've been transported to the era of carbon forks, integral headsets and
last but not least brake lever shifting. I took the little monster out
for it's virgin spin last evening. So far, so good
- I quickly got used to shifting the freewheel gear, but found myself
climbing several hills on the largest chain wheel instead of
downshifting to the smallest. I tried various combinations of brake
lever and shift lever and only by accident changed gears - not always
in the direction I wished to go. The rear shifter seems intuitive, but
I'm not sure of the front. I'm sure the bike shop will help, but I
don't plan on returning there before I ride again.
Is there a website that shows an illustrated step by step instruction of
front derailleur shifting? The component group is Ultegra (obviously
with triple chainwheel. Thanks in advance for any help.
Janet K.

<http://bike.shimano.com/product_images/ST/si_images/ST_6510_SI.pdf>

Adobe Acrobat reader required. You will need to print it and/or magnify
it on screen to see it.

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<snip>

Quoted message said:

Is there a website that shows an illustrated step by step instruction
of front derailleur shifting? The component group is Ultegra
(obviously with triple chainwheel. Thanks in advance for any help.

Janet K.

The easiest way to remember (till you've got it intuitively) is that the big
lever moves the chain to physically bigger gears, the smaller lever moves the
chain to physically smaller gears.

In the front that means the big lever moves the chain to the outer/big ring and
the small lever brings it back down.

HTH,

M

(janet k) said:

As a rather expensive birthday present to me, I just purchased a new
bicycle. Having ridden a circa 1981 Team Miyata for twenty some
years, I've been transported to the era of carbon forks, integral
headsets and last but not least brake lever shifting. I took the
little monster out for it's virgin spin last evening. So far, so good
- I quickly got used to shifting the freewheel gear, but found myself
climbing several hills on the largest chain wheel instead of
downshifting to the smallest. I tried various combinations of brake
lever and shift lever and only by accident changed gears - not always
in the direction I wished to go. The rear shifter seems intuitive,
but I'm not sure of the front. I'm sure the bike shop will help, but
I don't plan on returning there before I ride again.

Is there a website that shows an illustrated step by step instruction
of front derailleur shifting? The component group is Ultegra
(obviously with triple chainwheel. Thanks in advance for any help.

Janet K.

Dear Janet,

"Someone must have been spreading lies about Janet K., for
without having done anything wrong her shifting was arrested one
morning."

These new-fangled brifters do introduce a Kafkaesque dimension to
bicycling, don't they? For riders comfortable with down-tube
shifters, it's a bit like waking up as a helpless cockroach.

SDMike's point about the larger levers moving the chain to the
larger gears and the smaller levers moving the chain to the
smaller gears is a good one.

For those of us still struggling to remember which side of the
handlebars handles which end of the chain, one piece of yellow
tape next to the front derailleur's brifter and another at the
front end of the frame tube can be helpful.

Sympathetically,

Carl Fogel

daveornee <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Janet K wrote:

snippage

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Is there a website that shows an illustrated step by step instruction of
front derailleur shifting? The component group is Ultegra (obviously
with triple chainwheel. Thanks in advance for any help.
Janet K.

<http://bike.shimano.com/product_images/ST/si_images/ST_6510_SI.pdf>

Adobe Acrobat reader required. You will need to print it and/or magnify
it on screen to see it.

Aha! Thanks for the link---I've been basically doing it right but
according to this instruction sheet--they don't always shift on the
first whack. I guess the answer is "whack it again" My dainty little
paws probably aren't pushing through the full stroke. I'll try it
again tonight, by Sunday I'll be a shifting machine.

Janet K.

Janet K said:

daveornee <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Janet K wrote:

snippage

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Is there a website that shows an illustrated step by step
instruction of front derailleur shifting? The component group is
Ultegra (obviously with triple chainwheel. Thanks in advance for
any help. Janet K.

<http://bike.shimano.com/product_images/ST/si_images/ST_6-
http://bike.shimano.com/product_images/ST/si_images/ST_6- 510_SI.pdf>

Adobe Acrobat reader required. You will need to print it and/or
magnify it on screen to see it.

Aha! Thanks for the link---I've been basically doing it right but
according to this instruction sheet--they don't always shift on the
first whack. I guess the answer is "whack it again" My dainty little
paws probably aren't pushing through the full stroke. I'll try it again
tonight, by Sunday I'll be a shifting machine.
Janet K.

Push fully over while continuing to pedal. You will get the feel of it.
Your bi-feedback mechanism will kick in soon.

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