Thumb Shifter Recommendations

[Doug Williams]

Hi Riv fans,

I have been happily riding my 650b Homer with Albatross Bars and Silver friction bar end shifters (8 gears in the rear, triple ring up front) for several years. But I want to try out the Bosco Bars that I have lying around. I'll just use the Silver Bar ends at first, but I anticipate that I will want to go to Thumb Shifters after I bump my knees enough times on the Silvers.

So...given that I'm a friction fan and using 8 in the back and 3 in the front, does anybody have recommendations on the best thumb shifters for my (soon to be Bosco) Hilsen?

Does anyone have any knowledge of the new, supposedly soon to be released Silver Shifters? Will they come in a thumb version? What are the supposed improvements over the old Silver Shifters? Should I just bang my knees on the bar ends until the new Silvers are available in a thumb version?

Doug

[Joe Bernard]

The new Silvers are thumbshifters first. I don't believe they're intended to replace the current bar-end version, although that shape may work well for it.

The Microshift 9-speed thumbies Riv specs on completes are nice for what you want to do. As normally installed the right/rear is indexed, left/front is power ratchet friction. But whatcha do is swap 'em so now the power ratchet is on the inside of the right grip, and the indexed one gets put in pure friction mode (no ratchet) on the left. It's perfect.

[Bob K.]

Until the new Silvers are available, here are some from IRD via Soma. Riv is out of stock at the moment: https://store.somafab.com/ird-power-ratchet-friction-thumb-shifter-set.html

If those don’t fit the bill, I’ve had success with older Shimano thumbshifters (Deerhead or otherwise) for friction shifting. I believe they are 6 or 7-speed, but I’ve shifted friction across 8 without issue.

Bob K. in Baltimore

[phil k]

The IRD ones are good. Also the microshifter thumbies are very good as well. They come indexed but can be friction too.

[Brian Campbell]

I have used Shimano bar ends, on Paul mounts, Suntour ratchet, IRD Power ratchet Shimano Deerhead and these:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-XT-Thumb-Shifter-6-7-Indexed-8-Speed-Friction/254049006379?hash=item3b2680332b:g:36cAAOSwYPNcK6Iy

 are far and away my favorite even in friction or index mode.