Want to move bar end shifter to mounts

[Roberta]

I have Shimano bar end shifters (friction) on my A Homer Hilsen that work fantastically, but I've never liked placement as bar ends, because of me knocking them out of gear with my knee, hand, ooops bike just leaned on a wall ...  So I asked my much loved and trusted bike shop, Keystone Bikes, for options and received this response:  "...The only drawback is that the part is pricy. The Paul Thumbie is the tool for the job, but $127. The Velo Orange Equivalent is cheaper but unavailable.  Installation would be recabling the both shifters and setting the thumb mounts up."

I'm not against paying the $$, but before I do, I wanted to get some opinions on this mount, setup, placement, suggestions,  things I don't know to ask about,  "gotchas."  I know Paul components are high quality and I'm at a point in my life that I want to do things right and do it just once. 

Thanks for the input.

Roberta

[David Ross]

What speed are you running? The problem with the Paul mount is that you can get a new shifter for less money. I have one of the blingy Uno shifters but I also have two bikes with Microshift and it works just as well. There isn’t too much you can do to engineer a significantly better friction shifter which is one of the great things about friction shifters. 

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[Roberta]

Dross,

Thanks for the speedie reply.

8 speed? 9?  Dunno.  I'm not looking to replace the shifters, just move them to a thumbie mount.  Do you think they meant replacing the shifters?  This is the web page they sent me:  https://www.paulcomp.com/shop/components/drivetrain/shifting/shimanothumbies/  Would moving the shifters to a thumbie mount change their fantastic and smooth as butta' shifting?

I'm sorta like Leah, bicycle bell ding ding...  I just like to get on and ride. I know to pump air in my tires and lube the chain.   I just know I don't like the placement of the current shifter.

Roberta

[Gordon Stam]

I mounted Rivendell Thumbies on the stem of my Clem. Maybe not universally appealing but it's an option. And not particularly cheap, but what is these days.

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[Gordon Stam]

Upside down pic but maybe you get the idea. Red is the cassette, black is the chainrings.

[Doug H.]

Roberta,

The Rivendell Silver thumb shifter mounts seem to be Shimano compatible. Here is the link: https://www.rivbike.com/products/z558mz-cnv-oialk

Doug

[Sally Bidleman]

Hi Roberta,

I hesitate to chime in due to my embarrassing ignorance compared to the vast majority of Riv owners; however, my great LBS just changed me over to friction shifting for the Platypus with a Paul Thumbie and a Dura-Ace shifter. So much smoother!! And more purple, too:)

Good Luck with your decision!

Sally

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[Will Boericke]

I may (will?) get hate mail for this, but there is an AliExpress knockoff of the thumbie mount that is reasonably-priced.  
(Ducking head to avoid thrown tomatoes).

Will near Boston

[David Ross]

Yeah, the Paul thing is just the pod to which your mount the shifter. It doesn’t include the actual shift mechanism. I swapped the pod on my Uno shifter and it was easy but I had to modify it a bit to make it work. I think you’re looking for a part that you can have mounted at a bike shop. I’m unaware of a pod other than the Paul component pod. They make great stuff if you can stomach the price. If not, I’d go with something like this:

https://www.microshift.com/us/models/sl-t09/

Can you post a photo of your shifters? 

If you have the Rivendell silver shifters, Rivendell sells a bar mount conversion  

https://www.rivbike.com/products/z558mz-cnv-oialk

Send a pic and I’ll be able to give you a better idea. 

Unless they’re Dura Ace thumb shifters, it’s probably not with spending that much to mount them to the bars versus just replacing the whole shifter. 

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[Roberta]

What a great group. Sally, love the purple and the Platy. I have a Platy too. 

Thanks for the note on the Riv mounts. I’ll ask bike shop to look at them too. 

Yes, I’m just looking to move the placement not change the friction shifting.   

I’ll be retiring soon and have been wanting to do this for a while.   I might as well do it now.

[Michael Baquerizo]

others mileage may vary, but i recently started using a set of microshift thumbies on a new to me bike.

i also have shimano on another bike (as you have) and silver! on another. all set up friction.

of the three, the microshift has felt the best. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124833117848?epid=9024683600&itmmeta=01J1V7F30B9KENRB255JF84DAW&hash=item1d10a23698:g:X2EAAOSwk8pmO9yC&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4NcfUZomssn1t7VI%2Fpf%2BBKOv24CsVKs3Fj%2FzcrSCP3qzd2wrvDOpTNYN4ZDRwgW1oCvrMn7UYZ%2FNJWI2Sq8Hoe6IUuCa5s1b3mxiqab38P7ZICw30vNdRH%2FpGEKJbFfYPVfModc%2Fztu9pUge5ErDdmyqFKcAZa4e3D3cbUm%2Flyewy4IFcgSZ%2F8WjV%2Bw1M6Zit%2Bb61dPHzd1spElNNX6ubNhEPf2ZWqfNmA5xAohvxNwAd%2Fj91TZe1fM7JApHtpIHj9fac7AY5e1B2CYWtS1Q4PvTZJSnxbr88vUvZg5jH45p%7Ctkp%3ABFBMjrG8545k

at their price, it would be cheaper to just get a set of them, and retire your shimano, or switch those to another bike (if necessary) or just parts bin them.

not what you asked, but owning paul thumb mounts, i would rather just buy these. they look pretty too. 

[Bill Lindsay]

Roberta

With the information given so far, there is one big "gotcha".  What clamp diameter do you need?  There are no fewer than five possibilities for what you need, and Paul Thumbies only are made in two of those five sizes.  Can you share a photo of your bike?  

The five possible sizes are:

22.2mm

23.8mm

25.4mm

26.0mm

31.8mm

Do you have albatross bars?  Or drop bars?  Albastache?  

If you have Albatross bars, those take a 22.2mm clamp, and Paul Thumbies can go "anywhere" along those bars.  Also, many of the complete shifters folks have recommended would also fit because they all have 22.2mm clamps.  Drop bars and Albastache will want 23.8mm clamps which is trickier.  If you want to clamp on the sleeve near the stem, you may need 25.4mm or 26.0mm, which no longer are made in Paul Thumbies (but they used to be).  31.8mm is the clamp diameter for modern drop bars on the bulge near the stem.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Roberta]

Wow, seems like Microshift are very well liked. I’ll ask my bike shop about them and other options. I’m not against changing the shifter as long as they works well . 

I have an albatross handlebar.  

Roberta

[David Ross]

They work very well. They’re not quite as beautiful as a silver shifter or dura ace, but they shift incredibly well. I have a pair on a vintage Stumpjumper that I ride on fairly extreme off road rides and they have been smooth, yet bulletproof. 

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[Ted Durant]

On Tuesday, July 2, 2024 at 6:04:46 PM UTC-5 Roberta wrote:

I have Shimano bar end shifters (friction) on my A Homer Hilsen that work fantastically, but I've never liked placement as bar ends, because of me knocking them out of gear with my knee, hand, ooops bike just leaned on a wall .

If your bike has downtube shifter mounts you can mount them there.

Ted Durant 

[JAS]

Roberta,

I have Microshift units on my Clem and Rivendell Silver shifters/levers on the Platypus.  I like them both,  but Microshift shifts better.  Good luck with your decision!  There's lots of good advice in this thread.

RivSisters,

Joyce

[chintan jadwani]

There is a budget option from the UK - https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-spares/jtek-special-thumb-shifter-brackets-for-222-mm-bars-black/?geoc=IN

You will need barrel adjusters - not too hard to find. There is a shipping cost but SJS has a lot of good stuff you can add to your order from the money you'll save :) plus the VAT is deducted for products shipped out of the country so it may work out well.

[Bill Lindsay]

"I have an albatross handlebar.  "

Excellent.  That makes it very simple.  Regarding that lustily endorsed Microshift product: I have one that you can have for cheap.  Old friend Doug handed me a box of parts to sell, because he can't be bothered with selling stuff.  I told him what everything was worth and paid him, minus my "commission".  

Or, if you like, I'd be willing to test-fit a Shimano bar-con onto that Microshift base, and send you photos.  That would be a cool thing for you to know: that you could buy those Micro-shift shifters for ~$70 and try them and still have the option to put your Shimano shifters onto the base part.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Eric Daume]

Do the Microshift shifters have that soft detent feel in friction mode? RIvendell used to spec something like this on the Clem. It wasn't a very good shifter, at least in friction mode.

Eric

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[Roberta]

Well, I cannot say no to an offer like that, especially if I know either shifter would fit onto that base!  Thanks Bill!

I don't care which shifters I use, as long as they are friction and shift well.  I did forget to count my cogs.  I'll send you my cog count and address tonight.  The check will be in the mail!  :)

What a great group! 

Roberta

[Bill Lindsay]

" I'll send you my cog count and address tonight.  The check will be in the mail!  :)"

I didn't even state a price beyond "cheap" for this single left-side shifter.  If you want just a single shifter to play with, cool.  $25 shipped for one left side Micro shift thumb shifter.

I did the test-fit and the Shimano left side Bar Con shifter does fit onto the Micro Shift base -BUT- the cable slot does not line up well with the barrel adjuster, so I don't personally recommend using it in that configuration.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Roberta]

I'd trust that any price you'd quote would be fair, and I'd pay right away.

Let me speak with Keystone Bike about these options and I'll contact you off line (PM).  Thanks, everyone!!!!

BTW, I came to Riv because my last bike had too long a reach and was hurting my neck.  I had no idea that I could swap a handle bar or stem!  Now look at me saying things like "COGS" and "shifters."

[Bill Lindsay]

"I'd trust that any price you'd quote would be fair, and I'd pay right away."

In that case... ONE BILLION DOLLARS!  Muahaha!

Bill "dr evil" Lindsay

EC, CA