Reverse rear mech

[Jonathan Schneider]

I popped into the local shop yesterday to have a look at a bike a
friend is eyeing up. A Ridgeback Panorama. The thing that lept out at
me was the reverse rear mech. That is pulling its cable caused it to
shift to smaller cogs / higher gears.

A friend on this morning's ride says these mechs are meant for twist
shifts. Is that true ? What's the story with reverse mechs ?

Any other thoughts on that bike ?

Jon

 

[Tim Dunne]

Jonathan Schneider wrote:

> A friend on this morning's ride says these mechs are meant for twist
> shifts. Is that true ? What's the story with reverse mechs ?

No, rapid rise, as it's called, is used with STI's too. It's said that it
was designed to regulate the shifting force on more lightly designed
cassettes.

Someone (Simon, I think) will be along in a minute to tell you how **** they
are however, I've had a deore version fitted on my tourer since new -
nearly three years - and had no trouble at all.

HTH

Tim

--
Sent from Birmingham, UK... all about me at www.nervouscyclist.org
'Now some people say that you shouldn't tempt fate, and for them I
cannot disagree - but I never learned nothing by playing it safe - I
say fate should not tempt me.' - Mary Chapin Carpenter

 

[Mark T]

> What's the story with reverse mechs ?

Quicker, smoother shifts onto a bigger sprocket. Good for riders that
change gears going up hills but want to ease off the power as little as
possible - racers wot go up hill, basically. Prolly good for trundlies on
hills too - the only time they'd need a quick gear change to keep power
going through is halfway up a hill and it's run out of puff and walk up; or
attempt gear change, fluff it, stall and walk up[1].


[1] Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything <cough>

 

[Paul Boyd]

On 13/01/2008 15:00, Jonathan Schneider said,

> A friend on this morning's ride says these mechs are meant for twist
> shifts. Is that true ? What's the story with reverse mechs ?

I think you mean Shimano Rapid Rise, and they were designed to work with
Dual Control levers. I notice that the Ridgeback Panorama has the road
equivalent of dual-control levers (STI, I think it is)

However, I use a low-normal rear derailleur on my MTB with normal Deore
LX trigger levers, and it feels more natural to me. I'm not sure why
though! I do know that when I briefly put flat bars on my commuter, it
caused no end of confusion to have the two bikes' rear mechs working in
different directions!

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[Jon Schneider]

> Quicker, smoother shifts onto a bigger sprocket.

How can that be ?

On my low-end Campag setup I can change down three cogs with one long
push of the lever.

Jon

 

[Mark T]

>> Quicker, smoother shifts onto a bigger sprocket.
>
> How can that be ?
>
> On my low-end Campag setup I can change down three cogs with one long
> push of the lever.

I didn't explain it well, but it's quicker, smoother shifts under load when
changing down a gear (as opposed to high-normal, wot where it's up a gear).
The advantage being that you don't have to slacken off so much when
changing to a lower gear. The disadvantage is, as you've noted, that you
need to flick the lever a few times to change down multiple gears.

 

[Steve Watkin]

Got one on my straight bar tourer with Alivio trigger shifters and it works
fine. In fact it's rather nice 'cos both shifters (front and rear) work in
the same "sense".

 

[Paul Boyd]

Mark T said the following on 14/01/2008 11:25:
> The disadvantage is, as you've noted, that you
> need to flick the lever a few times to change down multiple gears.

....which I don't really find a disadvantage. It just means a few small
twitches of a finger instead of having to move the finger through a long
sweep - not always easy at death-grip moments

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[Dave]

"Paul Boyd" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 13/01/2008 15:00, Jonathan Schneider said,
>
>> A friend on this morning's ride says these mechs are meant for twist
>> shifts. Is that true ? What's the story with reverse mechs ?
>
> I think you mean Shimano Rapid Rise, and they were designed to work with
> Dual Control levers. I notice that the Ridgeback Panorama has the road
> equivalent of dual-control levers (STI, I think it is)
>
> However, I use a low-normal rear derailleur on my MTB with normal Deore LX
> trigger levers, and it feels more natural to me. I'm not sure why though!
> I do know that when I briefly put flat bars on my commuter, it caused no
> end of confusion to have the two bikes' rear mechs working in different
> directions!
>

It is also reconned that should your gear cable snap (never had it happen)
ans don't have a spare at least the gears are stuck in one that you can
pedal on uphills rather than on a small cog that you may not be able to.

Of course providing the cable ever snaps.

Dave

 

[Paul Boyd]

Dave said the following on 14/01/2008 11:49:

> It is also reconned that should your gear cable snap (never had it happen)
> ans don't have a spare at least the gears are stuck in one that you can
> pedal on uphills rather than on a small cog that you may not be able to.

You could actually choose an appropriate gear with a top-normal though,
so that's not necessarily an advantage to low-normal! With either mech,
you use a short piece of cable to hold the mech in one specific gear.
You do have a handy short piece of cable with your bike, don't you?

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[Matthew Haigh]

Paul Boyd wrote:
> Dave said the following on 14/01/2008 11:49:
>
>> It is also reconned that should your gear cable snap (never had it
>> happen) ans don't have a spare at least the gears are stuck in one
>> that you can pedal on uphills rather than on a small cog that you may
>> not be able to.
>
> You could actually choose an appropriate gear with a top-normal though,
> so that's not necessarily an advantage to low-normal! With either mech,
> you use a short piece of cable to hold the mech in one specific gear.
> You do have a handy short piece of cable with your bike, don't you?
>

If your cable has snapped you now have two short cables already on your
bike!

 

[Paul Boyd]

Matthew Haigh said the following on 14/01/2008 12:08:

> If your cable has snapped you now have two short cables already on your
> bike!

Aye, but probably a bit too much to be flapping about near the back wheel!

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[[email protected]]

On Jan 14, 11:33 am, "Steve Watkin" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> Got one on my straight bar tourer with Alivio trigger shifters and it works
> fine. In fact it's rather nice 'cos both shifters (front and rear) work in
> the same "sense".

Indeed. I thought that was the reason behind them to try to make dual
derailleur systems more intuitive. I have one on a cheap ridgeback.
It has always been a bit crappy. I can't adjust it for good
upshifting /and/ downshifting

best wishes
james

 

[POHB]

"Paul Boyd" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> caused no end of confusion to have the two bikes' rear mechs working in
> different directions!

I've been suffering that issue and kept meaning to put the two bikes side by
side to work out what was going on. Thanks for the explanation folks, I
don't mind now I know there's a reason for it, but that doesn't stop me from
changing the wrong way at difficult moments.

 

[David Martin]

On Jan 13, 3:07 pm, "Tim Dunne" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Someone (Simon, I think) will be along in a minute to tell you how **** they
> are however, I've had a deore version fitted on my tourer since new -
> nearly three years - and had no trouble at all.

Lucky man. I had one once. It started to misbehave after 1 week of
commuting.
Binned. Never getting another one.

The force required to shift to a smaller cog is a fraction of that
required to shift to a bigger cog. Any kind of trouble and it goes
pear shaped far quicker than a normal mech. I don't want to be
babysitting my commuting bike - I just want it to work, so it got
binned.

...d