Shifter question

[KnottedYet]

If it feels different to you, and you like the feel, go for it!

In the long run of delicious bike love, $75 isn't much.

[SadieKate]

Yes! Shifters make such a huge difference in the long run. Ease of shifting and comfort over the miles will be energy saved and less pain. $75 is peanuts for upgrading shifters.

[madscot13]

I'd like to be able to upgrade AWAY from my down tube shifters.

[KnottedYet]

MadScot - how 'bout moving to bar-end shifters ($25 for bar-end adaptors) or turning your shifters into thumbies like Rivendell sells kits for?
http://www.rivbike.com/search/run?qu...&commit=Search

[Zen]

Excuse the hijack but...Mad, I had no idea you had downtube shifters! maybe you should treat yourself to that new bike

[Bad JuJu]

And if shifting is easier/smoother, you'll be more likely to shift when you should rather than avoiding it until you've waited too long. I've had this experience when I upgraded from downtube shifters to barends on my touring bike and then to Campy integrated brake levers-shifters on my road bike. Now that shifting is so easy, I do it before I have to--much easier on my poor knees!

[VeloVT]

Do shifters really make a bigger difference than derailleurs? I thought it was the other way around. Why do the levers make so much difference? (I'm asking this sincerely -- I really didn't know).

However, switching out to Ultegra shifters for $75 seems like a good deal. You might ask what they would charge to swap out the front derailleur too -- they're not a terribly expensive part to begin with (at least compared to shifters), so it might be worth an extra $35 if you could do it that cheaply...

ETA: FWIW, I have read that Ultegra brakes *are* considerably stronger than 105s. I have never used 105 calipers -- my 105 bike has cantis, so I have no personal opinion on this -- but given your impression, it might be worth googling for some reviews.

Also important to remember that how well the bikes are tuned makes a big difference in how well they shift -- I can remember test-riding an Ultegra bike that had buttery shifting, followed immediately by a Dura-Ace bike that had OK, slightly rattley, slower shifting... Sometime the bikes on the floor aren't kept perfectly tuned (and sometimes the mechanics who put them together do a sloppier job than one would hope the first time).