Benefit of STI

rmurphy195
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Benefit of STI

Post by rmurphy195 »

You wouldn't think that STI would give a health benefit, would you?

As a 67-year old who has been using these for the last couple of years, I think they do have a health benefit - here's why.

I have low gearing on my bike (about 20" - 108") and. like many others (ref the "Tendonitus" article in this month's "Cycle" magazine) I use the lower gears to reduce the strain on knees,muscles etc.

I find that with the STI's, compared to the downtube shifters I previously used, I change gear a lot more to keep the pedalling easier. I ride mainly on the hoods, the gearchange is at my fingertips all the time, so I don't have to reach down and remove my hands from the handlebar. So I change gears more often, and in smaller increments, than I used to.

Must be a good thing, surely?
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mjr
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Re: Benefit of STI

Post by mjr »

I find it too easy to shift STIs accidentally and it's a faff keeping them indexed correctly and most time spent faffing is time not spent riding = not exercising as much. If downtube levers become awkward, I'll put the friction levers on the handlebars - some of my other bikes already have the levers there.
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TrevA
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Re: Benefit of STI

Post by TrevA »

I found similar when I first changed over to Campag Ergos, 20 years ago. I found that I changed gear much more often. I don't think I've ever accidentally changed gear when using STIs, though I do agree that keeping them indexed is a bit of a pain. 10 speed are worse than 9 in my experience for going out of tune.

Another advantage of STIs is that you can brake and change gear at the same time. Sometimes useful if you come upon an unexpected gradient or traffic lights change as you get to them.
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mjr
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Re: Benefit of STI

Post by mjr »

TrevA wrote:Another advantage of STIs is that you can brake and change gear at the same time. Sometimes useful if you come upon an unexpected gradient or traffic lights change as you get to them.

I don't agree - if I'm braking, I'm probably not pedalling, so it won't shift until I stop braking, at which point I can use a gear lever. Also, I find friction levers are easier to shift by feeling at low cadence, but of course still lose out to my hub gear bikes in places where traffic lights can cause abrupt stops.
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mercalia
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Re: Benefit of STI

Post by mercalia »

mjr wrote:I find it too easy to shift STIs accidentally and it's a faff keeping them indexed correctly and most time spent faffing is time not spent riding = not exercising as much. If downtube levers become awkward, I'll put the friction levers on the handlebars - some of my other bikes already have the levers there.


not my experience at all. never shift accidently, havent adjused mine in years - last time was when I changed the cables. In the summer when it gets very hot I do have to adjust the outer screw of the front about 1/4 of a turn as my RSX dont have any fine adjustment capability. I agree with the op, getting older, if you are of modest strength then being able to change gear frequently according to the road is very good.
The thing I like the most is being to able jump down 2 or 3 gears at a time should there be an incline that is more than a few yards long. Maybe its just that my RSX sti are the pinnicle of STI and everthing that followed was downhill :wink:
Last edited by mercalia on 5 Oct 2017, 9:45pm, edited 1 time in total.
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mjr
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Re: Benefit of STI

Post by mjr »

mercalia wrote:Maybe its just that my RSX sti are the pinnicle of STI and everthing that followed was downhill :wink:

I looked them up. There seem to be plenty of people still using them and they look more metal and less plastic than most models I've tried... you may not be joking as much as you thought ;)
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reohn2
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Re: Benefit of STI

Post by reohn2 »

mjr wrote:
mercalia wrote:Maybe its just that my RSX sti are the pinnicle of STI and everthing that followed was downhill :wink:

I looked them up. There seem to be plenty of people still using them and they look more metal and less plastic than most models I've tried... you may not be joking as much as you thought ;)

I dont think he is joking and I agree with him the 7 and 8sp triple RSX and 105 STI's were great levers and built to last,70k+ miles on them proved that to me and they were more comfortable than later models too.

As for the OP's post that STI's ddue to their ergonomic action helps by easier gear chamging I totally agree,I was amazed at the change for the better my cycling was when I first used them 20 odd years ago.
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Re: Benefit of STI

Post by Brucey »

if STIs work for you that is great. But

- it works best if you spend most of your time riding on the hoods (I don't and I probably never will; to facilitate this I'd probably have to buy a shorter stem and lose some useful riding positions)
- models of STI vary in their functionality, durability and comfort
- if you wear thick gloves in the winter the paddles seem rather small all of a sudden
- STIs use a cable in that is as long or longer than any other shifter, which makes the condition of the cables more important
- the cables tend to last less long than in other shifters (whether this is increased numbers of shifts or the loads are different is a matter of debate)
- when the cables fail it can cause no end of trouble (varying with the design of the shifter)
- STIs usually make for a heavier braking action (*)
- STIs are a bit heavy
- STIs are easily damaged
- STIs are still very expensive
- if STIs break you may find that repairs are practically impossible and replacement is the only option
-STIs suck you into the vortex of pointless annoyance that is indexed front shifting, from which you may not escape with your patience intact
- once you have your STIs you are pretty much stuck with the gearing options they offer on that bike. Changing the number/spacing of sprockets or chainrings usually involves a lot of faff and/or new STIs
- STIs come with one flavour of brake pull per STI model, two different cable pulls in total (if you include obsolete models) and that is it. This narrows your choice of brakes considerably and/or creates knock ons.
- current (cable brake) STIs work very well with some short reach brake calipers, some cable disc calipers, and er, that is it; really powerful brakes (such as you might need on a loaded touring bike) are very difficult to obtain using current STIs otherwise
- there is (unlike some bar end and DT shifters) no friction mode with STIs that can be used when the indexing goes out of whack
- there are other shifters (that don't have many of the downsides mentioned above) that can be put in easy reach of the hands; STIs are not the only game in town and other options may suit many touring purposes better.

(*) most STIs (all with washing lines) have the gear indexing gubbins forward of the brake lever pivot. This arrangement is way off being mass-balanced, and a spring prevents the brake lever from moving towards the 'brake on' position every time you go over a bump in the road. Shimano have fitted a spring to their levers for years, but the spring in STIs is waaay stronger than in ordinary brake levers. Often you need to exert enough pressure on the brake levers to be actually slowing down appreciably with other brakes, before STI brakes come on at all, the spring is that strong. Users migrating from other systems notice and some complain bitterly that their brakes are no good any more. STIs with hidden cables help with this problem, but replace it with other concerns.

The list of possible downsides to STIs is so lengthy that it surprises me that they are as popular as they are.

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roubaixtuesday
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Re: Benefit of STI

Post by roubaixtuesday »

Wow Brucey, that's quite a list!

Personally I don't recognise many of these as issues at all and it's probably not helpful to go through line by line (seriously though, "very expensive"?? google will give you a pair of Claris or Tiagra for <£100. Separate shifters and brakes aren't really much cheaper).

But in terms of making life more convenient and easier? I've used bikes with downtube shifters, gripshifters, trigger shifters, bar end levers and STIs.
STIs are far and away my favourite. Like the OP, I'm sure I change gear much more often with them.

As you say though, there are other options should you be that way inclined.
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Re: Benefit of STI

Post by PH »

I'm sure I change gear more often with STIs than bar ends, but nothing like as often as I do with a hub gear where ease of use might mean changing gear for a few revolutions and then changing back again. Most noticeable on a long climb with varying gradient, where I'm sure being able to do so without losing as much momentum as with derailleurs more than makes up for being slightly less efficient.
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horizon
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Re: Benefit of STI

Post by horizon »

BrianFox wrote: STIs are far and away my favourite.


I don't see why they shouldn't be - after all, they were designed to be more convenient. I don't have them for all the reasons Brucey mentions but were I to install them or acquire them on a new bike, I too might like them.

I suppose this all comes down to how you want to relate to the bike and its mechanics (and there is a very long thread running on this at the moment). If you use a bike and it works until it's replaced or repaired by a shop and that makes you happy, then STIs are for you. But I want to go beyond this "consumerist" experience and into the "ownership" experience - that is to say, I have some control or influence over the mechanical processes, their replacement and repair. That's a personal preference and I personally wouldn't knock STIs except to say they are not for me. I also get the impression from other forum members that STIs are in fact very reliable and long-lasting.

However in response to the OP, I reckon choice of gears has little to do with shifting but with what gears you have on the bike to start with and I certainly agree with him that lower gears are preferable, howsoever you get to them!
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Re: Benefit of STI

Post by mercalia »

Brucey wrote:if STIs work for you that is great. But . . . . . . . .


I take it you dont like or use sti ? :wink:

"STIs suck you into the vortex of pointless annoyance that is indexed front shifting, from which you may not escape with your patience intact"

what does that mean? cant say I ever get annoyed

many of your other points are "woe is me" Up Pompeii style?
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Re: Benefit of STI

Post by mjr »

mercalia wrote:"STIs suck you into the vortex of pointless annoyance that is indexed front shifting, from which you may not escape with your patience intact"

what does that mean? cant say I ever get annoyed

I think it refers to the tendencies of most STIs (and SIS too) levers to have an indexed front lever instead of just using a ratchet to either release the cable completely (for small ring) or pull it completely taut against the high stop (for big ring), meaning that even on a double, there seems to be an annoying tendency not to shift all the way over to the big ring on the first push, resulting in the chain rubbing the derailleur in higher gears until you push it again... and some STIs seem a bit quick to release the cable tension and easily drop the chain inwards if you shift on a rough surface - there's no gradual tension release like on a lever (even some SIS ones), it's just click and the cable is slack, or as Barry Scott might say: click and the chain is gone.

Plus, if you want to switch from double to triple up front, it's a new lever again, or if you switch from triple to double, you have an extra useless click, or guess what? New lever again :roll:
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Re: Benefit of STI

Post by reohn2 »

mjr wrote:
mercalia wrote:"STIs suck you into the vortex of pointless annoyance that is indexed front shifting, from which you may not escape with your patience intact"

what does that mean? cant say I ever get annoyed

I think it refers to the tendencies of most STIs (and SIS too) levers to have an indexed front lever instead of just using a ratchet to either release the cable completely (for small ring) or pull it completely taut against the high stop (for big ring), meaning that even on a double, there seems to be an annoying tendency not to shift all the way over to the big ring on the first push, resulting in the chain rubbing the derailleur in higher gears until you push it again... and some STIs seem a bit quick to release the cable tension and easily drop the chain inwards if you shift on a rough surface - there's no gradual tension release like on a lever (even some SIS ones), it's just click and the cable is slack, or as Barry Scott might say: click and the chain is gone.

Yet until very recently almost every MTB sold uses STI either douple or triple systems without much complaint.
Plus, if you want to switch from double to triple up front, it's a new lever again, or if you switch from triple to double, you have an extra useless click, or guess what? New lever again :roll:

A minor issue.
I'd rather have one click too many than be one click short of a triple :wink:
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mjr
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Re: Benefit of STI

Post by mjr »

reohn2 wrote:Yet until very recently almost every MTB sold uses STI either douple or triple systems without much complaint.

I thought they were SIS not STI but I might not be up to date with the terminology. For whatever reason, I've only witnessed the extreme cable tension release on brifters. Also, a lot of MTBs have dogtooth chain-catchers but I don't think that's primarily to correct the cable release chain drops.
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