Actually Shimano came out with index shifting in 1980. It was their 7 speed Dura-Ace AX-7300
The bicycle zenith
- Thread starter rydabent
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Actually Shimano came out with index shifting in 1980. It was their 7 speed Dura-Ace AX-7300
Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
They were certainly on the hybrid I bought, and it wasn't a high end machine, it cost £350 from Freewheel, just after the shop opened in Cardiff.
But while I remembered it as being around 1987, Freewheel didn't start opening stores until around 1990, so it must have been a bit later.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
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- Inside my skull
Like I said introduced not many years before that, and it takes longer for that to become the norm. We have now had 12 speed for a few years, but you would not call it the norm. These things take time.
Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
The reason I was suggesting it was the norm was that a mid-range hybrid had it (and so did most of the other bikes I looked at when choosing). I was just wrong about the date when I bought that bike. I thought it was late 80's, when it must have been early 90s.
Even then, it may not have been the norm in road bikes though.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Not till mid to late 90s did it become the norm. Up to that point there was a mix of friction and indexed with friction still being in the vast majority. Something being introduced does not make it the norm. There always a delay before something gets adopted by enough people to become the norm.
Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
I fully agree that something being introduced does not make kit the norm.
But I would have thought that it being the default on most low to mid range new bikes does make it the norm.
I accept I was wrong about the dates, and it was not late 80's but rather early 90's when I bought a fairly low end bike which had indexed gears (with thumb shifters, not STI levers, those definitely did not become the norm until fairly late 90's, only being first introduced in 1990).
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
I would take the norm to be what the majority still use to shift and friction still dominated into the 1990s. Like I said above, introducing something on new bikes doesn’t make it the norm. To be the norm it needs mass adoption. Just like electric cars are not the norm for cars on the road, even if they are the latest and greatest thing being sold new.
Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
Thank you for your agreement.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
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- Inside my skull
That’s not agreement , they were not the norm, just the new thing on the block. Entirely seperate things.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Glad you agree you were wrong and are not digging your hole any deeper 😂
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
I think the market is ready for wireless friction shifting. A variable resistor in the down tube shifter controls the movement of the motors in the gear mechanism via bluetooth. Solar powered, natch.
Techno retro hipster chic.
Techno retro hipster chic.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Not sure that’s necessary. Friction shifting works flawlessly, and some would say even better the more gears. It does not eat cables, it does not need charging, it does not need indexing or tweaking after fitting a new cable, it does not need an app. It is lighter and cheaper than any of the other shifter options. It just works and very well indeed.
Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
I did that several posts previously.
Why do you have to be so stupid about it?
I have often been accused (with reason) of being pedantic, but you take it to complete new level.
Punkawallah
Über Member
I like the cut of your jib, sir!
matticus
Guru
Sign me up ... assuming I can get the App on my Android phone ..
Feature Request:
As your shifter reaches the next index position, could the app make a loud (yet satisfying) "CLUNK" please?
This would need setup/calibration - not everyone has nice carbon rims like mine, so their CLUNK would need to be quieter.
