I miss downtube shifters.  I miss them in the same way I miss the days before the widespread use of race radios, when races were less choreographed and more unpredictable.  Racing on downtube shifters, a rider had to be seated and take one hand off the bars to shift.  Shifting had to be planned into race tactics.  These days, we can enter a hairpin bend in one gear and exit out of the saddle in another all while never moving our fingers off the brakes.  We can shift into any gear we want while mashing the pedals up a steep incline.  With downtube shifters, a rider had to plan for corners and enter the turns in the gear they planned to exit it in; they had to commit to the gear they were going to sprint in.  If they were in the wrong gear when an attack went, they had to stay (or get) seated, reach down and feather the derailleur into the proper gear – overshifting slightly and easing the chain back into the cog.  Similarly, a rider planning to attack had to choose a gear before launching themselves up the road.  A far cry from today’s bar mounted shifters.  Besides, downtube shifters were beautiful: simple, elegant, and light.

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The shifter is powered by a removable lithium ion battery, which requires a 90-minute charge every 1,250 miles or so. Even an amateur bike rider will be able to feel the difference between Shimano electronic gears and those on a standard road bike. The super sensitive shifter only requires a light press to move the chain in the front or rear derailleur and find the perfect gear. Unlike the traditional lever shifter, the electronic variety uses a motorized derailleur to move the chain from cog to cog. Many aspiring Lance Armstrongs will tell you that the future of bike technology is all about electronic gear-shifting. If $8,000 is in the ballpark, then Shimano-powered electronic shifters may be in your future. The handlebar controls move both the front and the rear gears, giving the rider enhanced control over the ride with minimal effort. Shifting on your next road bike.

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