Grip Shifters

"Chuck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:Syzwe.11316$gm6.4441@trnddc05...

Quoted message said:

On 2005-06-29, di <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

The *old fashioned* thumbshifters? Not the rapidfire type.

What's the deal with Suntour anyway?

My last bike had (c.1992) had these funky Suntour index shifters. They were
"butterfly" type levers, black polycarbonate and made a VERY satisfying
"clack!" when shifted to each new index.

FWIW, the bike had drop-style handle bars and these shifters were mounted
just inboard of the brakes. Easy to shift with your hands resting on the
litte "cones" above the brake levers or in the drops.

I read somewhere that Suntour basically died because they couldn't get
indexed shifting right or they couldn't complete with Shimano's patented
gear design with the little dents that helped shifting...?

<shrug>

Chuck said:

I'm close to taking the 7speed Deore
thumbshifters off another bike and just using them in friction mode.

That would work just fine for road use actually, but if you want to throw
some good money at this problem, you could get some Shimano bar end
shifters for around $60 or so. Then you have to figure out where to mount
them. You could either switch to drop bars, or if you're really creative,
try to find some bar-ends with an inside diameter large enough to
accomodate the shifters--now that would be slick!

maxo said:

Chuck said:

I'm close to taking the 7speed Deore
thumbshifters off another bike and just using them in friction mode.

That would work just fine for road use actually, but if you want to throw
some good money at this problem, you could get some Shimano bar end
shifters for around $60 or so. Then you have to figure out where to mount
them. You could either switch to drop bars, or if you're really creative,
try to find some bar-ends with an inside diameter large enough to
accomodate the shifters--now that would be slick!

This bike hardly ever sees the road. 99% of the time it's on a smooth
dirt trail running 28c tires. If I do sink any money into the bike, I
think I would go the bar end shifter/drop bar route.

Chuck said:

maxo said:

Chuck said:

I'm close to taking the 7speed Deore
thumbshifters off another bike and just using them in friction mode.

That would work just fine for road use actually, but if you want to
throw some good money at this problem, you could get some Shimano bar
end shifters for around $60 or so. Then you have to figure out where to
mount them. You could either switch to drop bars, or if you're really
creative, try to find some bar-ends with an inside diameter large enough
to accomodate the shifters--now that would be slick!

This bike hardly ever sees the road. 99% of the time it's on a smooth dirt
trail running 28c tires. If I do sink any money into the bike, I think I
would go the bar end shifter/drop bar route.

Nashbar's got their wannabe "moustache" bar on sale for fifteen clams,
it's got a MTB clamp diameter of 25.4mm:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=92&subcategory=1049&brand=&sku=13586&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

You'd need to add some road levers and bar end shifters, and you're ready
to rumble:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile_moreimages.cfm?category=104&subcategory=1194&sku=12434&brand=
Spendy shifters though, you might want to try eBay.

Nashbar levers are on sale for a tenner (they're decent Tektros from what
I recall:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=12401&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

I'd probably try looking for regular drop bars with a 25.4 clamp diameter,
but the Nashbar bars could be fun to try, especially for the price.

"Chuck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:Syzwe.11316$gm6.4441@trnddc05...

Quoted message said:

di said:

"Chuck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:vuvwe.6477$Iv6.3179@trnddc03...

Quoted message said:

>
> So spending 3 bucks on new covers ain't gonna work for you?
>
>:-D
>
I'd break down and buy new shifters in a minute if I could find some 9
speed Deore thumb shifters. I'm close to taking the 7speed Deore
thumbshifters off another bike and just using them in friction mode.

As somebody said earlier in the tread, grip shifters suck. I've had so
many accidental shifts with these things, I can't see putting any more
money into them than the $.97 friction tape.
>

9-speed thumb shifters are available everywhere, are you sure you want a
fix?

The *old fashioned* thumbshifters? Not the rapidfire type.

I thought you wanted 9-speed, were any of the "old fashioned" shifters
designed for 9-speed? If you indeed want 9-speed, what's wrong with
rapidfire type?

di said:

If you indeed want 9-speed, what's wrong with
rapidfire type

It's the whole inelegance of the thing imho. Levers>buttons in my personal
world YMMV :P

di said:

"Chuck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:Syzwe.11316$gm6.4441@trnddc05...

Quoted message said:

di said:

"Chuck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:vuvwe.6477$Iv6.3179@trnddc03...
>>
>> So spending 3 bucks on new covers ain't gonna work for you?
>>
>>:-D
>>
> I'd break down and buy new shifters in a minute if I could find some 9
> speed Deore thumb shifters. I'm close to taking the 7speed Deore
> thumbshifters off another bike and just using them in friction mode.
>
> As somebody said earlier in the tread, grip shifters suck. I've had so
> many accidental shifts with these things, I can't see putting any more
> money into them than the $.97 friction tape.
>>

9-speed thumb shifters are available everywhere, are you sure you want a
fix?

The *old fashioned* thumbshifters? Not the rapidfire type.

I thought you wanted 9-speed, were any of the "old fashioned" shifters
designed for 9-speed? If you indeed want 9-speed, what's wrong with
rapidfire type?

I guess nothing is wrong with rapidfire. It's that I'm still [censored] that
the bicycle industry rammed tham down our throat when the thumb shifters
were just as good. Heck, for the kind of miles I put in, a 7-speed
system would be fine. I just needed off the 26" wheels.

"Chuck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:iuPwe.13323$zp6.1392@trnddc08...

Quoted message said:

di said:

I guess nothing is wrong with rapidfire. It's that I'm still [censored] that
the bicycle industry rammed tham down our throat when the thumb shifters
were just as good. Heck, for the kind of miles I put in, a 7-speed
system would be fine. I just needed off the 26" wheels

7-speed components are still available if you look for them.