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I'm a skilless pootler running 3x10 and have just replaced my old brake levers with the newer M7100 that have an extra contact point that pushes the clamp a couple of inches away from the grips. This puts the shifters in very much an awkward position.
The obvious solution is to move the shifters inboard, but I can only do this by removing the indicators (blanking plates on order).
I've always used gear indicators and, being a numpty, need them to remind me what gear I'm in. If I lose them will I develop a sixth sense or shall I forever flounder?
I suspect I'll need to start noting what gear I set off in
Nope. But it's doesn’t actually matter, I've either got one more or not.
Even in the good old days of 3x it's really wasn't a problem because I'd a vague idea (exactly as I do on the road bike) of whether I'm to middle of bottom of the cassette. It doesn't matter if that was largest or two shifts away so long as it wasn't smallest or vice versa.
I don't run indicators, they're useless off road anyway because you don't have time to take your eyes off the trail. I know when I'm in the little ring or middle ring (I run 2x on my bikes). I can tell when I reach the largest sprocket on the back because the shift feels different. It doesn't really matter about the smallest sprocket, you just keep shifting up until you run out of gears and then you spin as fast as you can. An indicator's not going to change that.
I generally know which ring I'm in at the front, and I can normally tell if I'm shifting into 1 away, or the extreme, of either end of the cassette.
Like the total amateur that I am I never know/remember unless it’s 1 or 12. I do now have an AXS system that very handily tells me on my computer though so I can keep on being a total amateur. 😎
I've probably still got some 3x9 gear indicators sat in a drawer somewhere. I didn't miss them when they came off, there's plenty of overlap between each front ring and you shouldn't be running to the end of the cassette in granny or big ring so it's pretty straightforward.
If you're concerned try sticking some leccy tape over the current shifter windows for a ride or two before taking them off.
Yes, but no. I can tell roughly what gear on the cassette I'm in but I tend to know if I've got another gear to change up or down to. I don't know the exact gear and don't tend to care as I prefer knowing I can still turn the pedals and get moving.
I know if I'm near the top or the bottom of the cassette, when I hit a hill I have look down to see how many easy gears I have left so I can 'pace' my gear changes. When going down I just click away until the pedalling feels right or I have none left....
Never used an indicator and alwys used to remove them when I had shifters with them.
Completely unnecessary. Back in the day didn't we all run friction shifters anyway?
I don't see the point of indicators, surely it's just as easy or easier to glance at your chain, rather than trying to make sense of two little indicators under the bars?
Or, if you need an easier gear, try shifting? If it doesn't shift, you have your answer.
I can't remember when I last used indicators, I do remember that you used to get a blanking plate with shifters so that you could take the indicator off, which I did, along with the wheel reflectors and cassette/spoke guard.
If I need to know what gear I'm in - I never have, I'll glance at the cassette.
No, often have to glance at the cassette. Sometimes I'm happily surprised, sometimes disappointed in myself.
Recently changed tyres to some faster rolling ones. Was evidently travelling faster than I thought (for the same effort) on the flat because when I came to an uphill I has more of a struggle - because i was in a higher gear than I thought.
One of my bikes has a pinion gearbox with trigger shifters. Literally no way of knowing.
Can roughly tell where in the cassette am on a 50-10 cassette though.
One of the pluses of electronic shifting is that my headunit can let me know, as I generally get it wrong. Find it helpful in different situations when I want to titrate my effort. Even use it in cross races; remember to shift to x gear before the very steep hill etc.
sometimes disappointed in myself
That seems a bit too self-flagellating, it's not like golf and you have to hand in a score-card at the end of a ride.
No, even if I think I do. Back in the olden days with 3X and not wanting to ‘cross chain’ I obviously looked down at my cassette a lot because as soon as I rode in the dark and couldn’t see the gears I was a bit lost
it’s not like golf and you have to hand in a score-card at the end of a ride.
STRAVA!
In the days of 3x9, a quick glance at the crankset and listening for chain rub on the front derailleur was all that's needed.
With 1x, it's just whatever feels right... until I run out at either end.
I just feel what the right gear is most of the time and dont care what actual number I am in. Of course on steep hills on the road, and especially on my single-speed, I look for more gears.
I don't mean to sound condescending OP but I've just had this conversation with my 7 and 9 year olds this weekend.
If your pedals are spinning out going downhill, click. If you're straining to pedal uphill, you've left it far too late to read the trail.
One of the best bits of advice I overheard from a trail god some time back was when facing a hill climb, try and anticipate which gear you'll need at the top and shift into it before climbing. Sure, you'll spin for a few metres but after that, you should be climbing relatively easily without straining the chain or requiring a danger shift.
Not always true but a handy hint to reduce looking at the bars
In almost 30 years of mountain biking i have never, ever, looked at indicators. You only have 4 options, none of which require you to know in advance where you are on the cassette.
1) This feels fine - No click
2) This feels (or will feel) too hard - Click
3) This feels (or will feel) too easy - Click
4) Either 2 or 3 but no clicks left - No click
You are massively overthinking it OP
That seems a bit too self-flagellating, it’s not like golf and you have to hand in a score-card at the end of a ride.
Only score card that worries me is keeping pace with friends - and in a friendly way so we all get the best enjoyment out of our ride.
I do (free) strava but only to look at my maps and other's pictures.
another one who doesn't know here
tbh I'm still slightly suspicious of indexed shifters, but I'm sure I'll get over it
I must be the odd one then as I instinctively know what gear I'm in, my brain just automatically counts up or down! Have done since being on 3x8 and it's just transferred across to 2x and 1x drivetrains. I thought everyone was the same!
Has come in handy when I was given a split box truck when on an agency job, had it sussed out in seconds and a few minutes later I was happily block changing across the split too.
Never had indicators. I try to 'brain index' by always starting a ride in the same gear and then counting clicks up or down from there. Helps that I'm only 1 x 9 or 1 x 10 on my bikes, and that I usually shift in clumps of two gears at a time (if anyone ever releases a wide range 5 speed drivetrain I'm all over it!).
When I moved away from indicators, I did miss them. But now, I tend to remember what gear I in and shift accordingly. It means that I sometimes need to glance down and check - normally when I’m on a smooth section. But I have to say that it’s never been an issue in the several years since I moved away from them. Running 1x obviously makes things much easier.
I'm in the not really more than a vague idea and it doesn't matter camp. Have always just glanced down at the cassette if I feel I need to know, I think even when I had indicators I still looked at the cassette.
Can think of two instances I look. I'm grinding up a climb and want to know if I have any bail out capacity (or if I'm thinking ahead just as I start a draggy climb making sure I don't shift too low to start). And as I slowing at the bottom of the hill from home I check I'm in a good gear for pulling off to cross the busy road. That is probably any junction on the road but I don't do or care for road riding.
I recall getting my first "mountain bike" as a kid. Suburban kid transportation rather than mtbing as a sport, which I only discovered as an adult.
Bloke in Halfords explained to not think of it as a 21 gear bike, but think of it as 7 hill climing gears, 7 cruising around gears and 7 going fast on the road gears.
I think this basic concept (with some tweaking) stuck with me through 2x10 road and 3x10 MTB until 1x became a thing.
So I guess this stopped me getting into a complete mess on a multi ring set up but still go by the basic premise of this (or these) button for faster, this (or these) button for easier.
Do you instinctively know what gear you’re in?
Generally yeah, because if I'm in shorts, I can feel a bit more wind around me legs. Trousers will block that wind.
Same with tops to be fair. Short sleeves I can tell I'm wearing due to the ventilation aspect.
I don't generally know specifically what gear I'm in, maybe where I am roughly in the overall range and if it feels a bit too high or low, I've never found gear indicators useful TBH.
Bloke in Halfords explained to not think of it as a 21 gear bike, but think of it as 7 hill climing gears, 7 cruising around gears and 7 going fast on the road gears.
The horror! You don't cross the block like that. It was 3 climbing, 3 cruising and 3 fast.
Have got a rough idea, know when there is more either end 99%of the time. However keep forgetting that I'm not in the middle (default) chain ring on my 3x hybrid until chain noise reminds me to check!
The indicators on shifters are totally pointless especially off road so learned long to never look at them and glance at chainrings and cassette instead.
Think I had at least one shifter where the indicator stopped working.
👆 very much what sirromj says
Have got a rough idea .......and glance at chainrings and cassette instead.
obvs cassette only on 1x (tho I did get a buttercup stuck between crankarm and chainring today and that was a distraction), and mostly cassette only on the road bike as mostly know big or small at the front - unless I'm losing the plot on a looong day, and then things can get out of whack
It’s an interesting question
Off road I can mainly do it on auto pilot. Very easy on 1x not much harder in 2x
Occasionally I’ll blow out by failing to shift down after a steep down into an up. Again slightly worse if you forget in 2x. Ok I can think of twice this has happened in my current bikes
But in easier terrain I look at the chain loads. Particularly up hill. Judging how many gears I have left
Generally yes - 2x road and gravel.
The one instance where I did have a couple of unintentional shifts was when i was using a rental bike with SRAM eTap where (on drop bars 2x) you shift the front mech by pressing both shift paddles together. No matter what chainring you're in, that will automatically initiate a shift to the other.
On Shimano, you don't have that issue - if you're in small ring and try to shift using the downshift paddle, nothing happens, it's as simple as that. On SRAM, it doesn't matter what ring you're in, if you operate both shift lever simultaneously, it shifts the front mech.
That one left me going from small to big (and then stalling on a hill) a couple of times until I got used to it.
Quite often after getting 12spd I ended up in a majorly wrong gear, I think it was just having so much range on one shifter.
Now although I still don't know which gear I'm in, I've got better at being in roughly the right one. I think I used to have a habit of shifting down when needed, rather than pre-emptively always being in the right gear to put power down.
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-weight: bold; background-color: #f3f3f3;">Do you instinctively know what gear you’re in?</span>
TBH I don't instinctively know which decade I'm in.
2:1 singlespeed
3:1 fixed (82”)