Author Topic: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?  (Read 4759 times)

cc93

Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« on: 16 April, 2008, 03:30:51 pm »
For Sundays Chiltern Off-road Audax I borrowed my son's MTB, which has a 'reverse-swing' rear mech (i.e. springs to a lower gear).

After some bouts of frantic twirling I eventually got the hang of it, and discovered I quite liked it. Now since my own mount needs a new mech, I was wondering whether to take the plunge.

What does the team think?

 

tiermat

  • According to Jane, I'm a Unisex SpaceAdmin
Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #1 on: 16 April, 2008, 03:33:46 pm »
My Marin has one of the first of these on it and I never saw the point, all it did was confuse the hell out of me (especially as the other Marin had a "normal" mech on it so swapping between the two caused much merriment wailing and gnashing of teeth)
I feel like Captain Kirk, on a brand new planet every day, a little like King Kong on top of the Empire State

Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #2 on: 16 April, 2008, 03:35:59 pm »
Don't you need a new shifter as well, or of course ignore that fact hat it says 9 when it means 1, etc.

cc93

Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #3 on: 16 April, 2008, 03:45:05 pm »
Don't you need a new shifter as well, or of course ignore that fact hat it says 9 when it means 1, etc.

I don't cos they (dual control shifters) are designed for this fiendish new swinger and they've been lying to me all these years cos I had a 'normal' mech!

Mr Larrington

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Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #4 on: 16 April, 2008, 03:45:58 pm »
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bikenerd

Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #5 on: 16 April, 2008, 03:54:04 pm »
My MTB has "Rapid Rise" and is the only bike, out of 3 geared bikes that does.  I only have it as I got the groupset and wheels cheap from Merlin Cycles.  Erm, I don't find them any more or less confusing than normal gears, they still work.  I guess if you're used to gears working ina specific way then it might confuse you but, probably due to the 3 bikes having different shifters (Ergo, bar end and dual control), I don't seem to get confused.
So: no worse, no better, just different.

Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #6 on: 17 April, 2008, 07:11:29 am »
Gears? An interesting idea, will they catch on?
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Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #7 on: 17 April, 2008, 08:15:34 pm »
Causes no end of upset when someone gets one to fit to a road bike with STI  ;D

Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #8 on: 18 April, 2008, 08:36:50 am »
So aside from any confusion, is there any mechanical advantage in rapid rise? I suppose it might make down shifts a bit slicker(?)
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #9 on: 18 April, 2008, 11:34:53 am »
Sun Tour used to be like that.
Getting there...

Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #10 on: 18 April, 2008, 04:02:09 pm »
I recall the original explanation was it would be more 'logical' to new riders (so both shifters move to an easier gear when released, rather than working opposite ways). Also some MTB racers still like it, as it means you can shift to higher gears faster (with less finger action). Doesn't seem to have caught on though and AFAICT it's become less common in the MTB world.

andym

  • Expat Cyclist
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Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #11 on: 18 April, 2008, 06:22:06 pm »
My MTB are all normal, and my roadbike is still ermmm downtube shifters.
I can imagine rapid downshift being useful, possibly more on a heavily laden touring bike.  My shifters allow to pull up to 4 shifts back (handy when slowing at trafficlights), or release 1 at a time (pressing either with finger or thumb), but would the rapid-rise be the opposite?
AndyM

Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #12 on: 18 April, 2008, 06:44:09 pm »
Dobbin the Tandem has a rapid rise rear mech. Thing1 was most insistent on that when we ordered him, due to having similar shifters and mech on the commuter he was using. Soon after buying Dobbin, Joth converted to fixed for commuting, then bought a bike with a rohloff hub. His old commuter hasn't been ridden for years - in fact, has been half dismantled for quite a while now.
I find it confusing personally, as it works in the opposite sense to very other bike I've ever ridden.

Emma
California Dreaming

Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #13 on: 18 April, 2008, 07:47:10 pm »
Sun Tour used to be like that.

Really? Rear mechs? I know Suntour made a few top-normal front mechs (and there is a point to them, in that they guarantee the downward chainring shift you need in a hurry when you go round a corner and suddenly meet a steep bit), but I didn't think they were daft enough to make a bottom-normal rear.
Profit or planet?

e999sam

Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #14 on: 18 April, 2008, 08:18:19 pm »
I had a bike in the 70's that worked backwards it was made by Benelux. It also had a cassette type hub with the freewheel mechanism in the hub.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #15 on: 19 April, 2008, 12:35:51 pm »
Sun Tour used to be like that.

Really? Rear mechs? I know Suntour made a few top-normal front mechs (and there is a point to them, in that they guarantee the downward chainring shift you need in a hurry when you go round a corner and suddenly meet a steep bit), but I didn't think they were daft enough to make a bottom-normal rear.

Yup.  My mate Mac had one, and I came a cropper on a Sheffield hill with it :-[
Getting there...

thing1

  • aka Joth
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Re: Shimano mechs - which way do you swing?
« Reply #16 on: 20 April, 2008, 09:44:45 am »
I find it confusing personally, as it works in the opposite sense to very other bike I've ever ridden.


I find it works because all bikes I've ridden with rapid fire / trigger levers also have rapid rise mech. The symmetry works for me (thumbs = faster; first fingers = frigging big hill time), and I "learnt" rapid fire and rapid rise at the same time, so wasn't confused by any previous bikes.
On the tandem, I certainly do appreciate being able to flip into the low gears easily.