Do I really "need" Sram Etap?

[m4rk540]

Originally Posted by bob ross

you know how i know you've never worked on a car with an automatic transmission?

fify

As for performance and experience, if there were a performance gain no pro would risk using mechanical as no pro risks riding alloy wheels. If there were a qualitative or experiential difference, you wouldn't be shifting from the hoods or bars with your fingers, you'd be actuating a shift through a voice command or by wiggling a toe. The chain is the chain; the cassette is the cassette.

[choke]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

Having indexed shifters integrated into where your hands already are makes using one's gears less of an "event" and more of an intuitive part of riding. And having >9 speeds makes every shift less of a *clunky* "event" and more of a smooth, incremental, gradual transition to one's desired gear ratio.

In other words, DT friction shifters and 7sp cassettes aren't as much fun for me as more modern groupsets, because the older stuff necessitates an interruption of one's focus.

Thanks for your thoughts. I'm pretty much the opposite of you in that regard....since I've been spending more time on vintage bikes with DT shifters I've found that I tend to prefer them to Ergos.

[R3awak3n]

all this talk about etap and how backwards it is and how hard it is to adapt to...

I just rode my shimano bike on sunday (I have maybe been on it 3 days since I built it, used to be campy). Throughout the week I rode my campy bike... Then this week back to the campy bike and man, that was a mind ****, I kept trying to push the brake lever in to shift...

Etap I adapted easily going from campy but now going to shimano back to campy it is a lot "harder"... I mean 20 minutes into the ride I was back at not making mistakes but it came through my mind, its much harder going from campy>shimano>campy than campy>sram>campy

[soulspinner]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

all this talk about etap and how backwards it is and how hard it is to adapt to...

I just rode my shimano bike on sunday (I have maybe been on it 3 days since I built it, used to be campy). Throughout the week I rode my campy bike... Then this week back to the campy bike and man, that was a mind ****, I kept trying to push the brake lever in to shift...

Etap I adapted easily going from campy but now going to shimano back to campy it is a lot "harder"... I mean 20 minutes into the ride I was back at not making mistakes but it came through my mind, its much harder going from campy>shimano>campy than campy>sram>campy

First world bike problem. Good for you to have them all.

[R3awak3n]

Hahah indeed. Now i want to try mech sram, di2 and eps.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

Etap I adapted easily going from campy but now going to shimano back to campy it is a lot "harder"... I mean 20 minutes into the ride I was back at not making mistakes but it came through my mind, its much harder going from campy>shimano>campy than campy>sram>campy

I feel yer pain [/billclintonvoice]

I have four bikes, one each with eTap, Campy Record, Shimano Ultegra, and Suntour DT friction shifters. Every time I get on a bike I have to recalibrate my personal muscle memory.

I like to tell myself that I'm helping forge new neural pathways to stave off age-related dementia ...but meanwhile I'm biffing a shift like a newb at least once on every ride!

[ikecycke]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

Hahah indeed. Now i want to try mech sram, di2 and eps.

Skip the Sram mechanical...

[simonov]

Originally Posted by ikecycke

Skip the Sram mechanical...

Or not. The 11 speed stuff is great.