Coolwall - Thumbshifters

[Neil]

Agree but too many people use them to be cool

Not that I necessarily buy into exclusivity==cool, mind, but I'm wondering whether you may have a point, there.

I think when everybody started running rapidfire and newer, seeing the occasional, classy bike with 'em on looked truly cool, though.

 

[fingers]

Its a gear lever!

but for some reason, is cool...

 

[andrewl]

Agree, very cool.
I see however that 4 people have votes uncool, but none of them has dared to leave an explanation why. Come on, fill us in guys.

I was one of those people who voted uncool, but due to the time zone thing I decided to go to sleep rather than I try and construct a convincing(?) argument...

To thumbshifters...

I have several sets of thumbshifters, XT, Deore and XC Pro and they all work quite ok, with the Shimano versions much better than the Suntour offering. They aren't my shifter of choice by a long way but if you are doing a period build, its thumbies or nothing is some respects.

But good function has nothing to do with cool... In a lot of respects all Shimano products work too well to be cool.

To me XT thumbies etc are just far too common to be cool its as simple as that, and the lesser ones are just not special enough to be considered cool.

 

[MikeD]

XT thumbies etc are just far too common to be cool

That rather depends on your frame of reference. In RetroWorld, pretty common. In the wider world of bikes, practically invisible. Head to a trail centre on a summer weekend and see how many thumbies you can spot ;-)

 

[Easy_Rider]

Agree, very cool.
I see however that 4 people have votes uncool, but none of them has dared to leave an explanation why. Come on, fill us in guys.

I did on the end of page 1

If any component captured retro and is accepted across the board it would have to be thumbies, cool

Agree but too many people use them to be cool

 

[Corduroyboy]

So what the 'uncool' voters are saying is that exclusivity breeds cool. To me, the question of whether thumbies are cool or not is the same question as whether Retrobike is cool (or not!), since thumbies are inexorably linked with Retrobike.
Is Retrobike cool?
Yes, else I wouldn't be here.
Ergo, thumbies are cool.
MikeD has nailed it - thumbies are scarce in the world of cycling. Retrobikers are scarce in the world of cycling - a kind of accidental exclusivity - through choice, not exclusion I might add.

 

[Neil]

XT thumbies etc are just far too common to be cool

That rather depends on your frame of reference. In RetroWorld, pretty common. In the wider world of bikes, practically invisible. Head to a trail centre on a summer weekend and see how many thumbies you can spot ;-)

In fairness, the cool wall is here, and he was likely talking about here.

 

[andrewl]

So what the 'uncool' voters are saying is that exclusivity breeds cool.

I can't speak for the other 5 people, but in my opinion being a little less common helps in the cool factor although there are examples of plenty of high production cool items in the world.

 

[The Ken]

To me, the question of whether thumbies are cool or not is the same question as whether Retrobike is cool (or not!), since thumbies are inexorably linked with Retrobike.
Is Retrobike cool?
Yes, else I wouldn't be here.
Ergo, thumbies are cool.

I think Retrobike (and thumbies) are cool, but my wife and a few pals think it is sad geeky nonsense that I get far too excited about. Each to their own, but is because I am cool and they are not ...another poll for the wall

 

[andrewl]

That rather depends on your frame of reference. In RetroWorld, pretty common. In the wider world of bikes, practically invisible. Head to a trail centre on a summer weekend and see how many thumbies you can spot ;-)

XTs are very common here on retrobike, in fact you'd have to say they are the thumbshifter of choice for the retrobiker.

We don't have trail centres here so I can't comment on that fact, but there are lots of old bikes pressed into commuter action here and thumbies are the shifter of choice.

Thumbies are definitely retro, simple and functional but I just don't consider them cool in the same way I don't look at a build and go "XTR cassette, wow thats cool".

The only other thing I'll add is that when I take my retro thumbshifter equiped bikes out lots of people stop and comment on their respective coolness, however I've never once heard anyone remark on how cool the thumbshifters are. Yes they get a good mention but never called cool. And really its as simple as that.