Discontinuous mechanical advantage front shifting for bicycles

A bicycle gear shifting system comprising:

• a shift actuator rotatable about a first axis of rotation;
• a gear change device;
• and
• a control cable having a first end operatively connected to said shift actuator and a second end operatively connected to said gear change device such that during a portion of the rotation of said shift actuator in a first direction a perpendicular offset to said cable from the first axis of rotation will discontinuously decrease, and during a portion of the rotation of said shift actuator in a second direction the perpendicular offset of said cable from the first axis of rotation will discontinuously increase.

A bicycle gear shifting system comprising:

• a shift actuator rotatable about a first axis of rotation;
• a gear change device rotatable about a second axis of rotation;
• and
• a control cable having a first end operatively connected to said shift actuator and a second end operatively connected to said gear change device such that during a portion of the rotation of said shift actuator in a first direction a perpendicular offset of said cable from the second axis of rotation will discontinuously increase, and during a portion of the rotation of said shift actuator in a second direction the perpendicular offset of said cable from the second axis of rotation will discontinuously decrease.

A method of gear shifting for a bicycle comprising the steps of:

• operatively connecting a first end of a control cable to a shift actuator and operatively connecting a second end of a control cable to a gear change device;
• rotating the shift actuator in a first direction about a first axis of rotation of induce a deflection of the gear change device in a first direction;
• further rotating the shift actuator in the first direction while simultaneously discontinuously decreasing a perpendicular offset of the control cable from the first axis of rotation to induce the continued deflection of the gear change device in the first direction;
• and
• rotating the shift actuator in a second direction while simultaneously discontinuously increasing the perpendicular offset of the control cable from the first axis of rotation to induce deflection of the gear change device in a second direction.

A method of gear shifting for a bicycle comprising the steps of:

• operatively connecting to a first end of a control cable to a shift actuator rotatable about a first axis of rotation and operatively connecting a second end of a control cable to a gear change device rotatable about a second axis of rotation;
• rotating the shift actuator in a first direction about the first axis of rotation to induce a deflection of the gear change device in a first direction;
• further rotating the shift actuator in the first direction while simultaneously discontinuously increasing a perpendicular offset of the control cable from the second axis of rotation to induce the continued deflection of the gear change device in the first direction;
• and
• rotating the shift actuator in a second direction while simultaneously discontinuously decreasing the perpendicular offset of the control cable from the second axis of rotation to induce deflection of the gear change device in a second direction.