Ergonomics: STI vs DoubleTap
I’ve been switching between DA7800 and bikes on a daily basis, and I think I prefer the ergonomics of Red’s DoubleTap shifters in a race situation. In a sprint, I can very precisely run the chain into higher gears with just the minimal effort at the shifter, from the hoods or the drops. I still occasionally do double downshifts when I intended to make a single shift down, but otherwise the downshifts are almost as fast.
However for riding in traffic with hands on the hoods, you can’t beat Shimano STI. With my middle finger overlapping both inner and outer blades of the STI, I can brake, upshift, or downshift instantly. Also, I can brake and downshift simultaneously, which is great for diving into a turn while choosing a gear to match your exit speed.
SRAM DoubleTap for combat on the open field and Shimano STI for the switchblade melee. I like both SRAM and Shimano shifters on road bikes. However, I just can’t appreciate the ergonomics of SRAM mtb trigger shifters, not when Shimano’s Rapidfire works so well. I’m not sure if I like Shimano’s dual control mtb STI, but I’d take them over SRAM on my mtb.