Index shifting for dummies

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Janet K
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.

<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.

<bike.shimano.comST 6Open ↗
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.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Janet K
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.

<bike.shimano.comST 6Open ↗
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.