Heel or Toe?
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 513
Likes: 560
From: Fentress County
I find that I have more dexterity doing upshifts with my toe. Stomping down as mentioned is more likely with me, because in order for me to upshift with the heel, my foot needs to hang in the breeze unsupported. Finding neutral for me is made easier by downshifting with my toe to first and then tap it with my heel to the neutral position.
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 304
Likes: 57
From: Jax Beach, Florida
I started riding with toe shifter only, always took the heel shifter off. Tried it a few times and got used to heel shifting and have never looked back. I keep the heel shifter on the new bikes now and use it religiously. Now for the question no one has asked yet. . . how often have you heel shifters had a brain fart and downshifted when you meant to upshift?
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,328
Likes: 2,410
From: Jackson, OH
It's akin to asking why somebody likes coffee. It's an acquired taste, and anyone with a heel shifter knows they can live without it just fine. Some of us just like that bit of old-school H-D feel associated with h-t shifting. I can't defend it as being one bit better than toe-only...except for me, I actually miss fewer upshifts using my heel. And I have one more piece of billet to polish. Heck, sometimes I just tell people I'm a Sole Man.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,537
Likes: 727
From: Michigan
Heel-toe for a number of years. I don't need to shift quickly as I'm not racing anyone, and my hiking boots that I use for riding stay spiffy.
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Road Master
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 791
Likes: 386
From: New York
^^^
This when I had my bagger. Great to use finding neutral. Otherwise I just couldn't get down with it. I found myself "forcing" myself to remember to keep trying it.
This when I had my bagger. Great to use finding neutral. Otherwise I just couldn't get down with it. I found myself "forcing" myself to remember to keep trying it.