Suntour Thumb Shifters - Opionions?

[Bob]

One of my vintage rides uses a GB touring bar (about halfway between a
flat bar and a North Road touring) with weinmann tourist levers. The
derailleurs are Simplex super LJ's shifting a 7speed and a double
front. I've been using a set of Simplex bar-ends but they don't
really have a good feel or accuracy anywhere near a set of
retro-friction downtube shifters - even though they are obviously a
lot more convenient than downtubes with the non-drop bar.

I'm considering trying a set of Suntour friction thumb shifters, but I
know nothing about them other than they look like they would be
convenient. Opinions and thoughts on this setup?

 

[Hank Wirtz]

On Apr 28, 9:09 pm, Bob <[email protected]> wrote:
> One of my vintage rides uses a GB touring bar (about halfway between a
> flat bar and a North Road touring) with weinmann tourist levers. The
> derailleurs are Simplex super LJ's shifting a 7speed and a double
> front. I've been using a set of Simplex bar-ends but they don't
> really have a good feel or accuracy anywhere near a set of
> retro-friction downtube shifters - even though they are obviously a
> lot more convenient than downtubes with the non-drop bar.
>
> I'm considering trying a set of Suntour friction thumb shifters, but I
> know nothing about them other than they look like they would be
> convenient. Opinions and thoughts on this setup?

I used to have a set of the last pre-index XC thumbshifters. An
elegant clamp, and effortless shifting. When I switched that bike to
indexing, I went with XCD6000 'cause it was the first indexed group to
use that power ratchet mechanism for the left shifter, IIRC.

 

[Ozark Bicycle]

On Apr 28, 11:09 pm, Bob <[email protected]> wrote:
> One of my vintage rides uses a GB touring bar (about halfway between a
> flat bar and a North Road touring) with weinmann tourist levers. The
> derailleurs are Simplex super LJ's shifting a 7speed and a double
> front. I've been using a set of Simplex bar-ends but they don't
> really have a good feel or accuracy anywhere near a set of
> retro-friction downtube shifters - even though they are obviously a
> lot more convenient than downtubes with the non-drop bar.
>
> I'm considering trying a set of Suntour friction thumb shifters, but I
> know nothing about them other than they look like they would be
> convenient. Opinions and thoughts on this setup?

Are you sure the blame for the lack of "good feel [and] accuracy" lies
with the bar-end levers and not with the cable routing and/or the
cable and housing itself?

 

[A Muzi]

Bob wrote:
> One of my vintage rides uses a GB touring bar (about halfway between a
> flat bar and a North Road touring) with weinmann tourist levers. The
> derailleurs are Simplex super LJ's shifting a 7speed and a double
> front. I've been using a set of Simplex bar-ends but they don't
> really have a good feel or accuracy anywhere near a set of
> retro-friction downtube shifters - even though they are obviously a
> lot more convenient than downtubes with the non-drop bar.
>
> I'm considering trying a set of Suntour friction thumb shifters, but I
> know nothing about them other than they look like they would be
> convenient. Opinions and thoughts on this setup?
>
>
Yeah that would work, or any top shifter; all personal taste.

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

 

[g]

I'm thinking;

Check for slopply worn derailleur pulleys.
You say that the ride is vintage, simplex -
Your shifting will crisp up if you change out those old
worn out pulleys for new ones.
"Bob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> One of my vintage rides uses a GB touring bar (about halfway between a
> flat bar and a North Road touring) with weinmann tourist levers. The
> derailleurs are Simplex super LJ's shifting a 7speed and a double
> front. I've been using a set of Simplex bar-ends but they don't
> really have a good feel or accuracy anywhere near a set of
> retro-friction downtube shifters - even though they are obviously a
> lot more convenient than downtubes with the non-drop bar.
>
> I'm considering trying a set of Suntour friction thumb shifters, but I
> know nothing about them other than they look like they would be
> convenient. Opinions and thoughts on this setup?
>
>

 

[Bob]

On 29 Apr 2007 06:00:38 -0700, Ozark Bicycle
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>Are you sure the blame for the lack of "good feel [and] accuracy" lies
>with the bar-end levers and not with the cable routing and/or the
>cable and housing itself?


Yeah... I'm pretty good with cables. With the flatish GB bar, they
actually run a nice smooth arc with less bend than a drop would have.

I think I'm spoiled by feel and accuracy of the retro-friction
downtubes.

 

[Bob]

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 12:32:13 -0700, "g" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I'm thinking;
>
>Check for slopply worn derailleur pulleys.
>You say that the ride is vintage, simplex -
>Your shifting will crisp up if you change out those old
>worn out pulleys for new ones.

I think I swapped these for some of the bearing type huret jubilee
pulleys last year but I will check that.

 

[Sir Ridesalot]

On Apr 29, 12:09 am, Bob <[email protected]> wrote:
> One of my vintage rides uses a GB touring bar (about halfway between a
> flat bar and a North Road touring) with weinmann tourist levers. The
> derailleurs are Simplex super LJ's shifting a 7speed and a double
> front. I've been using a set of Simplex bar-ends but they don't
> really have a good feel or accuracy anywhere near a set of
> retro-friction downtube shifters - even though they are obviously a
> lot more convenient than downtubes with the non-drop bar.
>
> I'm considering trying a set of Suntour friction thumb shifters, but I
> know nothing about them other than they look like they would be
> convenient. Opinions and thoughts on this setup?


Hi there.

When I first went to bar ends before the days of friction shifting I
used both Shimano and Campagnolo bar ends. The Shimano felt better
because the were a ratcheting mechanism whilst the Campagnolo ones
were non-ratcheting.

One thing I do remember was that friction shifting bar ends do not
like tight radius cable bends. Another thing I remember is that the
bar ends were not quite as responsive as the down tube friction
shifters due to the much longer inner cables and outer housings.

I found that on drop bars bar ends shifted much better if the housing
exited the bar tape at the start of the first bend at the bottom of
the hook.
1
2 _)_3

1&2 represent the hook of the bar and 3 represents the cable leaving
the bottom of the flat portion of the hook of the bar.

Cheers from Peter

 

[JeffWills]

On Apr 30, 7:37 pm, Sir Ridesalot <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> When I first went to bar ends before the days of friction shifting I
> used both Shimano and Campagnolo bar ends. The Shimano felt better
> because the were a ratcheting mechanism whilst the Campagnolo ones
> were non-ratcheting.
>

Not to be picky or anything, but Shimano bar-ends back then had a
"balance spring" mechanism. The Suntour bar-ends had the esteemed
"power-ratchet" and were the preferred setup. Suntour outsold Shimano
about 20 to 1 back then.

FWIW: I have a set of Campy friction bar-ends on one bike. They
actually work reasonably well with modern cable and housing.

Jeff