Re: [ST] Stupid Question

[Matt Heyer <mattheyer@xxxxxxxxx>]

The reason is correct, but reversed here.  When racing, you set the
gear going into the corner when you are more upright, thus you can get
your foot under the shifter and pull up to downshift.  Once in the
corner, as you drive out, you are still leaned over but need to shift
as you increase speed.  Since you are leaned over, there is no
clearace to get you foot under the shifter - so this way you just have
to press down.

Try it sometime - get into a corner at full lean with your foot under
the shifter - you'll drag/hit your toe/foot on the ground.  With the
way these guys race, that's wasted lean clearance.

Matt Heyer

> 
> On the other hand, I seem to recall someone saying that the primary
> reason that race bikes are 1 up/5 down is so you are lifting the gear
> changer during downshifts, which improves ground clearance in corners.
> When you are upshifting as you drive out of a corner, the bike will be
> more upright, so ground clearance is not an issue.  But that still
> doesn't quite explain why road bikes are the other way.  Maybe it's
> simply been standardized so it's easier to remember for us mere mortals:
> UPshift = lift lever UP, DOWNshift = push lever DOWN.
> 
> Neil
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