No gear indicator on SRAM shifters on Boardman Performance Hybrid Comp Bike

Marco_Panettone

Avoriaz wrote: »

Which is the middle ring of the front 2 rings?

I take it you mean the smaller of the 2 which would be the middle ring if I also had a granny ring.

Ah! I confused myself with the Apollo. With 2 rings either will do. Anyway, the most important thing to remember with advice about gears is that it's YOUR legs that are doing the work, not mine.

Johnmcl7

glasgowdan wrote: »

You don't need to know what gear you are in really, do you? Your kegs feedback how they feel and you change gear if they start spinning too fast or slow! People are removing indicator windows as they are just unnecessary clutter on the bars, and most good brands sell shifters without them.

I find it useful to know what gear I'm in for a few reasons, it's mainly when I'm doing a quicker technical section and focusing on control of the bike then hit an uphill section I need to make sure I'm in a low gear. A quick glance at the indicator lets me know if I need to jump a lot of gears or if I'm fairly close, the lever can be pushed further for multiple gear shifts so if I've moved quite a bit down the cassette I can flick most of the way up the cassette with a couple of lever presses. If I haven't shifted down much then I know to up shift less so I'm ready to pedal as I hit the hill, if I leave it too late and change to the right gear by feel it's far too late and the bike's stopped. It can be tricky getting it going again on a loose surface with a steep climb.

I found with the SRAM shifters I needed to look at the cassette which is not ideal at speed because it means taking your view away from in front and in darkness not always that easy to get the helmet light to catch the cassette. I also find it handy to remind me which way round the shifter goes rather than finding out by shifting into the wrong gear first, strangely Shimano Alfine/MTB shifters work the opposite way around to each other.

John

custardy

This is quite a recent change
My old Comp has X5 shifters with gear indicators
Colleagues with newer ones have no indicators

If you want to replace them,I would go up to the X7 at least.
much better shifter IMO

zaax

I find my palms get slippery (with sweat) and I have to grip harder to shift gear with grip shift and quite often miss a gear which can fowl the gear change.

Now I am well into cycling I find that my old Apollo gears are too small with the highest not high enough. But I find my Specialized better geared. Though reading all the mags and talking proper cyclists I should now get into building my own bike to suit my cycling.

Avoriaz

Thanks for all your comments.

Yes, I am getting more used to the trigger shifters on the Boardman.

However I have also treated myself to another bike. A Pinnacle Lithium 4 which is Evans own brand I think. It was about six months months old, cost the seller about £500 and I paid £240. It has been ridden a bit but is still in excellent condition

The Boardman is a road orientated hybrid wheres the Pinnacle is more of an MB orientated hybrid.

The Boardman has 28mm tyres that struggle a bit on grass and mud whereas the Pinnacle has 38s which are a lot better off road.

I really like the Pinnacle and that will be my bad weather and winter bike while the Boardman will be my summer bike. I might even sell the Boardman in the spring and just use the Pinnacle. I find the Pinnacle just as good as the Boardman on the road.

The Pinnacle shifters are thumb press and finger pull for up and down which I prefer to the Boardman which is thumb press for all levers. The Pinnacle also has gear indicators which I like too.

The almost black Pinnacle is also probably less of a thief magnet than the white Boardman.

I've really caught the cycling bug and I am out almost every day. It is doing wonders for my fitness which is good as I go skiing in January.