Cycling: shifting systems?

Full XT, I have never used GS or other brands on MTB's but shimano has always performed flawlessly for me so i've never been tempted to looked elsewhere.

 

Got Chorus Ergo's on the road bike and XT thumb shifters on the MTB

 

Voted for Rapidfire but on my recumbents bar-end shifters can't be beat, Ultegra preferably

 

since were talking about drivetrains, can I plug my favourite new product?

Finesse grease buster -

http://www.wadescycles.co.uk/shop/a...ers&Desc=FINESSE+GREASE+BUSTER+-+500ml&Brand=

3.99 from wiggle with foc postage.

I like to think of it as a combination of a degreaser and a jet hose.

clean your drivetrain with soapy water, and then blast it at 200mph with this jet powered aerosol degreaser, then wipe with a cloth.

Best degreaser Ive used yet.

Cheers
Chris

 

Dumb question, but once that's done, do you still have to put 3in1 or what-have-you on it? My drivetrain could do with a clean

 

Just out of interest, does it say it shouldn't be used anywhere near bearings, especially non-sealed ones? Nowt worse than degreasing them!
I clean my chain with something like THIS, and clean my cassette and front chain rings with a toothbrush covered with GT85 or WD40.. I take the jockey wheels apart every 6 months or so and give them a scrub too...
And as for 3-in-1, only use it if you like collecting mud.
I use GT85 for all lubing - mainly cos it's £1.99 from a cheapo car parts shop (and at least £2.99 in bike shops!). Good lightweight silicone lube that doesn't pick up dirt..

I shall have to clean my MTB urgently, as I went down the downhill for next weeks MSS race (http://www.pearcecycles.co.uk/Racing/MSSRound5RiderInfo.doc) yesterday - very scary indeed with steep muddy switchbacks, and unexpected 10 foot vertical drops! My dogs managed it quicker than I could!

 

my my my that sounds like a lot of hard work and effort - a quick spritz with a degreaser, sluce with water and dash of lube and mine's fighting fit. that's when i can be arsed to do it that is.
anyone tried the waxy 'dry' lubes?
cheers


julian.

 

timely thread. I've SRAM grip-shift on my day bike. I am considering updating a Le Jeune tandem which currently has front drops with changer on the frame - and I now want to be more upright than I was in my yoof. So new front bar and all for me.

(I'l keep the old stuff in case someone wants to own a classic - which it was/is.)

 

GT85 is a fine lube in summer. It's not up to winter riding though, so I use finish line teflon chain lube for drivetrain. This is a "waxy" dry lube and it works very well.

 

I use GT85 summer and winter - I just have to clean the bike more often in winter!
But then I'm mean.

 

I have SRAM X0 gripshift on my titanium hardtail mtb, and X9 triggers on my full sus. Very pleased with SRAM, the X0 rear mechs are fantastic, and the 1:1 pull ratio makes them less prone to the indexing going out.

 

I'd like an X.0 mech.... but at that price they should be fantastic! Makes XTR look cheap...

 

I could never get on with grip shifts, I must admit though this was some 10 years ago. You had to wear gloves otherwise when sweating you couldn't turn the grip and yes I frequently changed gear without wanting too, most annoying.

Anyway this has put me off them, I have the ones with a thumb below and one above, I find this is generally the best for me. I remember however I have another bike at my parents that I could scab some gear off.

In all my years on earth I have not had one piece of Shimano gear go wrong, from the very first Releigh Mustang (I believe they first came out with the whit/red/black frame then the next one was the purply number) to XT gearing I had on a Kurt Manetou frame.

My mountain bike has LX on it, but I must say it seems to have gone Bling Bling really big and out there, don't get me wrong it works faultlessly, but still seems a but ugly. My old bike has the older LX gearing, do you think that would pass over OK?

 

I really want to get on my bike now!

 

gary the grip shift on mine has a slightly triangular profile so it's easy to grip even when sweating like betty. i seem to remember grifter grip shifts being the whole grip rather than just a subby part was this the case on the one's you didn;t like 10 years ago? i'm slowly getting to grips with the grip shift on mine now however the clipless pedals are a different story - fell off again today when trying to stop to talk to someone, silly thing is i knew i was going to fall off about 5 seconds before i did - if i'd just kept pedaling to keep my speed up while i unclipped my other foot i'd have been ok. soft eejit that i am.
cheers


julian.

 

I want gear shifter like my old Chopper, but they've banned them, bloody H&S spoil sports! They rocked!
I don't think I'd even attemped clipless pedals, I would not be confident enough with them, I'll stick with the clips.

 

Choppers rule! You never told me you had one back in the day! Did you know GTA San Andreas has Choppers? I had one in my garage until I broke the game yesterday trying to update it with that new patch - well I guess it DOES fix bugs if it stops the game working totally - grrrrrr!

I know you get better efficiency, but the whole concept of locking myself into my pedals puts me off - in your recent experience, would you have been hurt more if you'd stayed locked to your bike???

 

in most speed falls there's enough force to 'unclip' you - you're only held in by springs after all it's low speed wobbles and stops that get you so learning to use them is perilous. both times i've come a cropper it's been down to loss of concentration at low speeds - either talking or trying to do too many unfamiliar things at once, was realy paranoid about unclipping this morning though so no accidents today.

 

oh ya I had a chopper back when I was about 11-12 ish, great bike, loads of fun, the new one bares not resembalance to the original, the H&S Lobby have been let loose on it, waste of time. I mean if your going to injure youself on a bike there are plenty of objects to inflict injury, cross bar, handle bar, pedals, hell why don't they just ban bikes all together, I mean there obvioulsy far too dangerous, but now if they could make pavements out of rubber now that would be a good thing :lol:

I don't know dom, I don't think it would have made much differece, but I think it would be a problem, like Julian says, in low speed accidents, I wouldn't feel comfortable using them.

 

Isaac, if you buy via the US then they're not that bad - Jenson USA charge about £60, compared to £150 list in the UK, or about £120 mail order discount shops.