Shimano Ef65 7S Ez-Fire Plus Set Silvr, For V-Brake

Price:


Product Feature
- Precise & consistent shifting performance at a budget
- Visible Optical Gear Display to confirm the gear position at a glance
- EZ FIRE Plus shifting
Product Description
Item Description
- EZ-Fire shifter and brake lever combination
- 2-finger (2A) brake lever compatible with V and mechanical disc brakes (not stocking 4-finger (4A) version for cantilever/roller brakes)
- Above-bar, slide type Optical Gear Display: includes cables and housing
Item Specifications
- model: ST-EF65-7R/L(2A)
- speed: 3x7sp
- F/R: set
- weight: 425g
- color: silver/black
- :
Shimano Ef65 7S Ez-Fire Plus Set Silvr, For V-Brake Review
V-brakes are all the rage right now...I see them on all brands around NYC like: Gary Fisher, Bianchi & Trek. I have taken the bike out for some trail riding over the years and never had an issue with the grip shifts - I have always felt safe while using them. I got the V-brake combo because my grip shifts (original to the bike) started to slip and I wanted to see what all the rage was about. Also, I trusted that if, for some reason, I hated them Amazon would come to the rescue.Product:
The description from the seller is laughable. It reads, "EF65 7S EZ-FIRE PLUS SET "...so I crossed my fingers and purchased them hoping I would be getting two of what I saw in the picture plus some cables and connectors. Good news - that is exactly what came...silly me for doubting. Constructions seems simple enough, I took off the cover of the shifter to see what was going on in there - it is an intuitive design that I would feel confident trouble shooting any issues should they arise. I cannot speak to the durability as they are brand new to me, but I cannot imagine a scenario that they could get seriously damaged (unless I get door checked by a NYC cabbie). This is mostly due to the way they are installed: at a fairly steep angle toward the ground which makes them flush or even slightly recessed to the top of the handle bars. They are a mix of metal and plastic (mostly plastic) so I guess if you are of the brutish sort you could strip something out, but I'm not too worried because, after all, the worst that could happen is that it is stuck in 21st gear.
Comparison:
My girlfriends bike has the EF50 V-brake system so that is my only real comparison. On first glance there is an obvious change, the EF65 has a wide viewer window (you can see this in the photo). The internal mechanism is different: EF50 cycles the number in a small window and the EF65 slides a indicator bar side-to-side in a larger window. I don't know if this was an improvement over the older model or just an aesthetic change. I have no preference as they both seem to work well for what they are designed to do. They have been fairly responsive to trigger pull/push when shifting. However, on both models, I've found there to be 1/2" free-movement (on the push shifts) before the tension starts and about a 1/4" free-movement on the pull shifts. This only serves as an annoyance to me & it is very possible that you can tweak these tolerances yourself to improve performance.
Installation:
With the right tools and some previous experience with this kind of work it took about an hour to do it myself. I thought there might be an issue with my current derailer and/or chain, but with some minor adjustments to the set screws it seems to be working just like before so I didn't have to spring for the one listed on Shimano's site (noted to work with this EZ Fire EF65 V-Brake mechanism) Shimano RD-M 310 DL Rear Derailleur. The bike came with plenty of cable and cable covers (shifter cables are already attached inside the housing) for my 21" frame. Also included are: (4) Metal end caps and (4) wire end crimps (I think that they could have put more than 4/ea of the metal end caps in the package but they do cover you with a plastic version (see extra cable cover ends).
Brakes:
I have cantilever brakes (not dual pivot brakes). I don't know if there would be an issue there for anyone else but I've found that the brakes do not feel the same. I figured that because they felt so tight that they would lock up on me straight away. This is not the case, I have messed around with the tension nut and the actual cable quite a bit now and I cannot seem to replicate that old feeling the brakes once had. I can deal with it though...it is not a show stopper.
Overall:
Cheap shifter/brake combo made overseas from a little bit of metal and a lot of plastic. Great for daily commuter - probably not what you want for trail riding and the like. The tolerances could be a tweaked a little for performance sake, but over all they work well.
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