In a message dated 5/12/04 11:39:50 AM, Chris writes:
>Wes Oishi's comment about his trainee being scared to use a bike with
>down-tube shifters really cracks me up. And actually, as a rider with a
>dozen bikes with dt shifters, I routinely hear this "concern"
>semi-regularly about taking the hands off the bars to shift. But
>hello!? Don't we take our hands off the bars to reach for a water
>bottle or into a jersey pocket? Seems obvious to me, but I figure it's
>just another example of how cyclists are, by and large, absolutely
>brain-washed by the marketing and hype associated with racing and with
>selling bikes and bike stuff.
Not at all... as a rider with both systems, I can testify to the fact that there's no valid comparison between reaching for a bottle or snack (a few times per ride, and those occasions are usually selected by the rider for convenience and lack of traffic), and shifting (dozens of times per ride, and not at one's convenience, but dictated by wind, terrain and speed). I do much of my riding in an urban environment and being able to shift without having to remove a hand from the handlebars is FAR safer (to say notiing of faster and more convenient).
Bob Hovey
Columbus, GA