Shimano CI Deck

Hi

I volunteer at a bicycle recycling centre, Wecycle, and came across a Shimano CI deck on a Mongoose the other day. It was on a bike that needed quite a bit of fixing and I had a bit of time to spare so I dragged it home with me, riding the recumbent with one hand and steering the Mongoose bike with the other.  So I did the fixing and even managed to get the CI deck working, however its missing one of the dial needles.

The deck is a questionable bit of kit I reckon!  It tells you what gear you are in, and puts the indicators for front and back gears together, and right in the middle of the handlebars where its easy to see them. But really, I think the whole thing is unnecessary, ride the bike for a few hours and you would probably have what gear you are in worked out. And look down and you can see the front gear anyway.

The bottom  2 photos show some alternatives to CI deck, which are basically "nothing". Firstly on my front wheel drive recumbent its very easy to see the front derailleur and what gear you are in. And the last picture shows another bike ready for a refurb but with shifters with gear markings on them, which you can also see quite easily.

See you out there on the road, but not with a CI deck!

Regards  Steve Nurse