Shifters for Albatross bars?

[Mike]

So I'm getting ready to convert my Surly Cross Check from drop bars to
Albatross bars. I've had this bike set-up so many different ways over
the years and I think I've finally accepted that I prefer it with bars
other than drops. I previously had Albatross bars on it but it was a
singlespeed. As I get ready to put the Albatross bars back on I'm
trying to decide between using Shimano 9spd bar-end shifters (BES) or
using some of the Rivendell/Silver thumbshifters. I have both kinds of
shifters. The BES are what's on it now. I purchased the Riv shifters
impuslively a few months back.

What do folks think? Anyone tried both shifters on their Albas and
have a preference?

--mike

[Garth]

Thumbshifters for me with Tektro bar end brake levers is the Cats Meow for this Cat :)

I tried the bar end shifters and they're okay and all, but I dislike mtb brake levers with a passion on the Albatross bars because they take too much usable bar space for my hands .  With thumbshifters and bar end brake levers I am free !


http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4073/4860392084_69e20e8533_z.jpg

[Joe Bernard]

I used Silver BES on Albas. Very convenient, but a little crowded when making sharp turns or dismounting. Albas have much sweepback, and BES exacerbates this.

 

Joe Bernard

Vallejo, CA.

[Mike]

On Oct 28, 5:55 pm, Joe Bernard <joerem...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I used Silver BES on Albas. Very convenient, but a little crowded when
> making sharp turns or dismounting. Albas have much sweepback, and BES
> exacerbates this.
>
> Joe Bernard
> Vallejo, CA.

Good point Joe. I have a feeling I'll just go with the thumbshifters
as they're easier to set-up.

Garth, although I haven't tried the BE brake levers, I don't mind
using the mtb levers.

Now I need to figure out which wheel I'm gonna use--9spd XT wheel or
6spd VO FW. Although, I'm really tempted to go SS for the winter...

--mike

[Allingham II, Thomas J]

That is a beautiful bicycle!

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[Allingham II, Thomas J]

I've never tried thumb shifters on my Albatross cockpits, but I concur with whoever said the BES get a little tight with the sweep back on the Alba bars, in tight turns and dismounting. It's the only thing I would change on my Albatross-equipped Atlantis.

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[Jeremy Till]

Garth hinted at one of the points against thumb shifters mounted up in the grip areas....they prevent you from using the full grip area, which IMHO is one of the best features of alba-type bars.  MTB-style brake levers are less of an issue, since (depending on what type of clamp they use), they are often less obtrusive than a shifter, and you can rest your palm over them.  I think grant even posted pictures of Vaughn's(?) Hunqapillar where they had taped over the brake lever clamps. 

[Montclair BobbyB]

Mike:

FRICTION THUMBIES!!!  (Pure joy)

Those mid-80s Suntour XC thumbies (on Garth's bike) and the Shimano Deore polished aluminum shifters from the same era are simply THE BEST...

Nothing made today (even the Paul Thumbies) comes close to those early MTB ratchet shifters... they will last forever.  

Peace,
BB

[Peter Morgano]

Although I dont have them on my Bomba on one of my "racing" bikes from the 70s I have stem mounted shifters. I know they were the mark of low quality bikes back in the day but they give you the whole handlebar. I have mine setup as friction shifters and find it easier to get the right gear than with friction bar ends. I have always hated downtube shifters, I get why they exist, just not my thing.

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[Allingham II, Thomas J]

I have a single stem shifter on a bike with upright bars (Bullmoose Bosco), and I think it’s great.  If I were motivated to change the shifters on my Alba-equipped Atlantis, I’d install the Riv stem shifter mount with Silvers.  Pretty, accessible, but never in the way.

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[Brewster Fong]

On Sunday, October 28, 2012 5:55:35 PM UTC-7, Joe Bernard wrote:

I used Silver BES on Albas. Very convenient, but a little crowded when making sharp turns or dismounting. Albas have much sweepback, and BES exacerbates this.

 

This is interesting. Could something like these Shimano mtb shifters be used instead of bar-ends:

 

http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/mountain/New_Deore_XT/product.-code-SL-M780-I.-type-.sl_mountain.html

 

Or if you're a Campy user, how about something like these Veloce flat bar shifters, could they work with these bars:

 

 http://www.probikekit.com/us/components/gear-levers-shifters/campagnolo-veloce-flat-bar-bicycle-shifters-10-speed.html

 

Good Luck!

[Mike]

I ended up setting the bike up singlespeed. I had it set-up like that before and it worked well. I'll mainly be using it for my daily 4.5 mile commute to work. The Silver shifters are nice. I did set the bars up with the BES and can see what folks mean about bumping the shifter when making tight turns. 

--mike

[IanA]

If you are expecting snow in your winter, you might consider derailleur system. On rare occasion they do need a little nudge because frozen in place and you do have to keep an eye on the drive train, but you also need those low ratios if getting bogged down in the white stuff.  If your winter is mostly rain, single speed would be great.  I have  Suntour XC hubs with 6 speed freewheel and it works great for commuting (there's a foot of snow outside my window as I write this). No front derailleur, but two rings so I can manual shift. If I didn't already have the parts and was buying new, I'd just go with a cassette hub.  Gives more options with gearing.

[Mike]

We don't get a lot of snow here in Portland but it's not uncommon to get one or two snow storms in the winter. Generally they amount to a dusting of snow. A few years back we were hit with "Snowpocolypse 2008" and I commuted on this bike with a SS drivetrain and generally had no problems. I mean, in the places where I had to walk the bike, gears wouldn't have made a difference.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335973@N00/3124575502/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335973@N00/3131672026/in/photostream

--mike