Shimano 8 speed thumbshifters available?

Sir Ridesalot

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Dec 28, 2011, 8:53:05 PM12/28/11

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I want to get a pair of simple inexpensive Shimano 8 speed indexed
*THUMB SHIFTERS*. I do not want the dual lever shifters that came out
after. Does Shimano still make 8 speed index thumbshifters? I tried
Google but only got links to ridiculously price items.

Thanks and cheers

kolldata

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Dec 28, 2011, 9:07:40 PM12/28/11

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try UNiVERSAL CYCLES IN Portland

Chalo

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Dec 29, 2011, 12:00:47 AM12/29/11

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Shimano never made true 8sp thumbshifters, but the 7sp Deore/Deore XT
thumbshifters had a "secret" seventh click that allowed late-1980s
bike dorks to overhang an 8th sprocket on the rear cluster and have 24
speed bikes ahead of everybody else. They could still be used that
way with unmodified Campagnolo or Sachs 8-speed clusters, or a
Shimano 7 speed cassette on an 8-speed body with an extra sprocket
and spacer thrown on.

Microshift 8-speed thumbshifters should be not too horribly priced, if
you can find any. No friction option, but otherwise a nice-looking
design.

Chalo

AMuzi

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Dec 29, 2011, 12:47:34 PM12/29/11

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IRD shift mounts with Shimano BarCon-8 (SLBS64)

http://interlocracing.com/shifters.html

--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

landotter

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Dec 31, 2011, 10:23:23 AM12/31/11

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The new Microshift thumbies coming on 2012 Surly bikes look great.
Haven't seen them for sale by themselves. If they make an 8 speed
version, I may never want for another shifter.

Chalo

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Dec 31, 2011, 3:43:00 PM12/31/11

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landotter wrote:

>
> Chalo wrote:
> >
> > Microshift 8-speed thumbshifters should be not too horribly priced, if
> > you can find any. No friction option, but otherwise a nice-looking
> > design.
>

> The new Microshift thumbies coming on 2012 Surly bikes look great.
> Haven't seen them for sale by themselves. If they make an 8 speed
> version, I may never want for another shifter.

I have been thinking along the same lines. The Microshift website has
part numbers for 8, 9, and 10-speed versions.

They would be too expensive for me if I have to buy a Pugsley to get a
pair!

Chalo

Hank

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Jan 4, 2012, 4:44:46 PM1/4/12

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Velo-Orange has the same mounts for $20 less:
http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/shifting-freewheels-cassettes/shifters/vo-thumb-shifter-mounts-22-2-23-8.html

Scott Gordo

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Jan 6, 2012, 9:43:52 AM1/6/12

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Huh. So my old 7sp Deore LXs might index with 8 sp?

Time to party like it's 1994!

Scott Gordo

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Jan 6, 2012, 10:14:46 AM1/6/12

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Wait a second.... How can a 7sp index work with 8sp index, spacing-
wise?

Message has been deleted

andre...@aol.com

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Jan 6, 2012, 11:54:30 AM1/6/12

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On Dec 28 2011, 6:53 pm, Sir Ridesalot <i_am_cycle_pat...@yahoo.ca>
wrote:

ebay for sure. google shopping too.

Scott Gordo

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Jan 6, 2012, 1:16:54 PM1/6/12

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On Jan 6, 11:36 am, Phil W Lee <p...@lee-family.me.uk> wrote:
> Scott Gordo <blubberp...@gmail.com> considered Fri, 6 Jan 2012

> If you are talking about the mech, there is no indexing in it.
> The indexing comes from the shifter, and the mech simply converts
> cable pull to sideways movement, at a given "pull ratio" - which is
> conveniently the same for all shimano rear systems.

No, I got that.

So the spacing between cogs on a 7sp cassette is the same as spacing
between cogs on an 8 speed cassette? That would be a little
mindblowing.

Message has been deleted

Chalo

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Jan 7, 2012, 1:14:42 AM1/7/12

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Scott Gordo wrote:
>
> So the spacing between cogs on a 7sp cassette is the same as spacing
> between cogs on an 8 speed cassette? That would be a little
> mindblowing.

The intervals in a 7 speed Shimano cassette match those in an 8 speed
Campagnolo cassette or Sachs freewheel. Shimano 8 speed cassettes are
spaced a little bit narrower.

The unintended compatibility between Shimano 7 speed thumbshifters and
Campy 8 speed cassettes would be so much more satisfying to exploit if
Campagnolo 8 speed cassettes weren't twice as expensive as Shimano 8
speed cassettes.

Chalo