My track bike is set up with race shift purely because when it's cranked over on it's ear it's sometimes near impossible for size 10 feet to lift up and around the lever to push up on the gear link. That's why I understood most racers use this 1-up + 5-down shift pattern. It's far easier to push down than pull up. When your pulling - up, (changing down to a lower speed gear) - normally this only happens when your slowing, therefore you have both feet securely positioned enabling you to change down much easier.
Having said that John Reynolds and Chris Walker use a road pattern, they probably have very small feet
My dad told me that apparently the UK standard was race shift pattern, the rest of the world was the other way around. When a 'standard' was agreed more bikes were being made abroad so there's was adopted.
I’m just constantly aware when I’m riding my road bikes that I could potentially go down a gear when I meant to go up and it’s happened which can be exciting without a slipper clutch fitted.
17-May-2006, 16:18 
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