Vilano Tuono Component Review: Shimano A050 SIS Indexed Thumb Shifters
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- Опубликовано: 20 сен 2024
- After 500+ miles of riding, the shifter setup on the Vilano stands out as the one major issue with this bike.
Simply put, thumb shifters are out of place on a road bike. They are too hard to use while in the correct riding position. So why are they there? The Vilano has a 3 x 7-speed setup found on a lower end mountain bike or hybrid bike. Using these mass-produced parts keeps the cost down vs using even the cheapest available road bike components, while still providing decent quality. The 3 x 7 setup also gives a beginning rider more usable gears - especially in hilly areas. But this also means you're stuck using hybrid or mountain bike style shifters (meant for flat handlbars) since there are no cheap 3 x 7 speed shifter setups for road bikes.
Upgrading the Tuono to integrated road-bike shifters won't be easy (or cheap) with the existing 7 speed setup. You would basically need to upgrade multiple parts all at once - the shifters, wheels/hub, crankset, and both derailleurs, in order to use standard 9/10/11 speed road bike components. This will probably run multiple times the actual cost of the Tuono even when using entry-level components.
Thankfully, that's not necessary. You'll get used to the thumb shifters pretty quickly, but it's definitely not an optimal setup and you're not going to find it on many other road bikes. The model above the Tuono, the Shadow, runs about a hundred bucks more and features integrated shifters. But integrated shifters are indexed, so they won't work with the granny-geared triple crank and non-indexed front derailleur setup of the Tuono. Because of this, you lose 7 speeds when moving to a standard double crank + indexed front derailleur. This makes the 14-speed Shadow less attractive to beginning riders that might need those extra 7 gears more than they need fancy shifters.
That's one reason why it's probably best to stick with the Tuono if you're a beginner on a budget. Just know that, for the price and overall performance, it's very easy to forgive the awkward shifting setup on this otherwise excellent beginner's road bike.
I put together a Google site with more info on the Vilano Tuono:
sites.google.c...
Dudee god bless you!!! I'm looking to upgrade my mtb and add a drop bar to it, but in order to shift i would either need one of those expensive shifter/brake ones but this video gave me fate that it is doable. Thank you mate!
That setup worked really well when I was riding upright. Should be a good fit on a mtb.
15to70 yea I've seen some mtbs with drop bars and they look stunning.. i have 29er with 2.10 tires but I rarely ride it off-road, so upgrading to drop bars would be a next step for me!
The road bike I bought in 1988 came with Shimano SIS thumb shifters very similar to those, and it still has them although I haven't ridden in a few years due to knee issues. I'm surprised the SIS setup is still around. I put in a lot of training, touring, and commuter miles on that bike especially the first fifteen years I had it, and I always thought there were pros and cons to the SIS setup for the casual rider/commuter. I guess it comes down to personal preference, but I never had a serious problem or objection to them.
Interesting review, but my experience, which ultimately surprised me, is rather different. Just over a year ago my rather nice Vitus road bike was stolen and, with some confusion over the insurance, I received a very low financial reimbursement. On a pension income and with a reducing level of cycling activity, I didn't feel I needed an expensive bike any more, so bought an entry level road bike which used these palm shifters. Having been using brifters for donkey years, and having seen many adverse comments about the AO 50's I was a bit concerned about them. I began using the bike while at the same time looking around for the cheapest brifter type replacement in case. As I acclimatised to the bike though I became less concerned - at my level of cycling now I'm not looking for split second changes, and having ridden for years with down tube changers I didn't find the 'hands off the bars' a problem. They are a bit clumsy, and they don't look quite the thing to some, perhaps, but that aside, I find, to my surprise, that I actually now prefer them to brifters. They are very precise and, in fact much quicker changes can be made than with brifters, certainly for the rear cluster. Odd to be bucking the trend, I suppose. Anyone any comments?
Shifting from downtube to these thumb shifters today so I'm glad that the transition appears to be pretty straightforward
@@cameosisj6007 The AO50 changer is absolutely fine, and you soon get used to them.
Thanks for this. I restored an old road bike and thought I would enjoy the downtube shifters, but I hate them and want to transition to these, which I find very cool looking.
Excellent. Absolutely spot on with 😂
Just added these with drop bars to a Norco 90s mtb with Tektro long pull levers. It has V brakes and 21 speed. These can shift my front triple giving the bike a huge gear range and work perfectly with the 90s derailleur. I find them very easy to use and reliable.
I can see how these would be a good fit for the geometry of a 90's MTB. Where on the bars did you mount the levers?
Bom dia, gostei muito desse passador, vou instalar nas minhas 2 Caloi 10!!! Parabéns pelo vídeo!!!
+Andrew Vu Yes, I think you can upgrade to ST-A070, but you should search youtube for a how-to or call a bike shop to confirm what all might be required. One issue might be the Tuono's front derailleur which is non-indexed. So you might need a new front derailleur and and you'll also need the 3x7 kit of the A070, not the more common 2x7. And used would be nice, since retail on these parts (not including labor, new cables, etc.) would put the total cost above better bikes (new or used) that already come with integrated shifters and better parts all around.
+15to70 Aight man, thank you so much
I recently purchased a schwinn solara from target nice road bike it has these shifters but I plan on changing them once I receive my tri bars. Thanks for the video
Victor Rivera u like that bike
Another criticism i would keep in mind is that when pedaling out of the saddle, it is not uncommon for me to bump the shifters with my knees on accident. This problem is especially common if you replace he stem with a shorter one
Luckily that never happened to me, but I see how that could be an issue for some people. Do you like the bike otherwise?
One advantage of the Shimano ST A050 shifters that I did not know about until I saw this video, is that you can tell what gear you are in by looking at the shifters, because their position changes when you shift. You can not tell what gear you are in by looking at Shimano STI shifters (105 shifters for example), because the shifters are always in the same position after you finish shifting.
David Gatzen that is true, but unless you're on a climb you don't need to know what gear you are in
David Gatzen
If you are unsure, have a quick look on the chain.
But you shouldn't need to.
After a while you should know your bike and with that knowledge, you know which gear you are using and with that your current speed.
I wonder if these shifters could be a viable replacement for the old Dia-Compe stem-mounted shifters.
I think it depends on how the dia-comps shift? These are indexed rear, non-indexed front. Not positive but I also think the rear would need to be set up almost identically in order to shift properly.
For sure, I wonder would it be a big job to replace them with the proper road bike gears/ brakes. Gonna check it out locally....
Those look great for a mustache bar build focused on long grips with v brake levers. Can it work with friction mode on the right side?
Could I just buy the shimano ST-A070 levers to replace these, or would I need to buy other items in order to install the ST-A070?
15to70, I replaced the Shimano ST A050 to MicroShift Brifters, (USD 50) on my road bike. Retained the other components. I have a double front chain wheel, 2x7 setup. Did the fitting myself, works well. MicroShift has a lineup of Shimano compatible, moderately priced brifters. Check out www.microshift.com.tw/product_road.html
Actually for me its kinda easy to shift with this even on the lower bars. Just have to learn the amount of force to give to shift to a gear like tapping it fast. (Well this just my opinion) and i suggest dont stay on thumb shifter so long. Before i learn it lot of bails and crashes. Thanks for the review
Awesome review!
i use my entire palm to shift, makes it easier for single increments
Excellent idea. I can imagine that would make it easy to push just hard enough to get a single click.
Is this index shifter or friction shifter?...
The front shifter is friction, the rear is indexed.
@@15to70 thanks for informatin dude
I bought an apollo paradox and has the same setup. I hate it..... it's kinda dangerous at times....
I guess it was a fair trade-off considering the price of the bike, but I would not buy a road bike with these shifters again. It's worth paying a little extra $$. The rest of the bike was great for how cheap it was.
Is it still replaceable?
Yes it is.
Its kinda same with trinx R300 but safer because of brakes on the flat
How much it cost if i want to convert to sti?
Depends on what parts you use, where you get them, and if they are new or used. But my rough estimate would probably be about $100 USD if you shop carefully. Much more if you bought new parts all at once, or possibly even free if you could pull the needed parts from throw-away bikes.
how hard is it to change shifters?
it really depends on the shifters you're going to use. The Vilano has an uncommon setup for a road bike, which makes it a harder to upgrade.
Q Tip
It's not hard at all.
It's only a matter of screwing of and screwing on and tighen the cables.
How much does this bike weigh?
About 24 pounds. For how solid and inexpensive this bike is, that's a great weight.
15to70 Thx