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Road compact doubles on 'bents - what shifter?

Posted: 5 Jan 2020, 3:09pm
by UpWrong
So I have a 33/48 road compact double (Stronglight Junior) on the Paseo and a Sora FD to match it. Gear change with the SRAM MRX twist grip was straining my arm so switched to a Dore triple LH trigger shifter. Aargh, forget that the cable pull isn't the right match for a road FD. Have to have a slack cable in 1st position in order for it to ratchet into 2nd. Had some trouble setting the limit screw to stop it over-shifting. And still finding it stiff to get the chain across onto the outer ring. There's no resistance at first (slack wire) then significant resistance after the slack is taken up, then stiff resistance for the final "overshift" to get the chain up on to the ring.

I do have a dura ace bar end and Paul thumbie but whether i mount it in the handlebar end (OC bars) or on the thumbie I still think I am going to get handlebar reaction when making the shift.

Anyhow, will give the Deore trigger a try to see how it goes.

Any other easy shift solutions for a road compact double FD?

Re: Road compact doubles on 'bents - what shifter?

Posted: 5 Jan 2020, 5:30pm
by [XAP]Bob
A double can easily be indexed with any lever - it's just a case of adjusting the stops appropriately.
What style of bars?

Re: Road compact doubles on 'bents - what shifter?

Posted: 5 Jan 2020, 6:18pm
by UpWrong
Open Cockbit bars.

Maybe I should look for an MTB double FD that works with 33/48 rings, if there is such a thing.

Re: Road compact doubles on 'bents - what shifter?

Posted: 5 Jan 2020, 7:22pm
by [XAP]Bob
I would have thought that a thumbie should be operable without steering

Re: Road compact doubles on 'bents - what shifter?

Posted: 5 Jan 2020, 8:51pm
by UpWrong
[XAP]Bob wrote:I would have thought that a thumbie should be operable without steering


I think you are right, if I mount the thumbie underneath the grip, to be operated by my thumb :lol:

It seems you can't get mtn double FDs that can handle a 33/48 double.

Re: Road compact doubles on 'bents - what shifter?

Posted: 5 Jan 2020, 10:28pm
by UpWrong
Ah, looks like Shimano make the SL rapidfire shifters to work with road FDs. I could presumably use the Tiagra SL-4603 triple shifter with the Sora double FD: https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-shifters/shimano-tiagra-sl4603-10-speed-rapidfire-shift-lever-for-flat-bar-triple-left-hand/

Re: Road compact doubles on 'bents - what shifter?

Posted: 6 Jan 2020, 12:08am
by OldBloke
Check out Microshift https://www.microshift.com/en/product-category/road/road-shifters/page/2/, they have some road options that might suit your situation.

OB

Re: Road compact doubles on 'bents - what shifter?

Posted: 10 Jan 2020, 12:08pm
by swscotland bentrider
Ive recently built a Gaucho 28 tour with open cockpit steering. Ive used a compact double (48/34) with SLX shifters mounted under the bars (you can just make them out in the image) the front changer is a Tiagra double and the left shifter a triple. So far seems to work fine.

Re: Road compact doubles on 'bents - what shifter?

Posted: 10 Jan 2020, 9:49pm
by UpWrong
OldBloke wrote:Check out Microshift https://www.microshift.com/en/product-category/road/road-shifters/page/2/, they have some road options that might suit your situation.

OB

I couldn't find any UK sellers of these to find out prices. Thanks anyway.

Re: Road compact doubles on 'bents - what shifter?

Posted: 10 Jan 2020, 9:58pm
by UpWrong
swscotland bentrider wrote:Ive recently built a Gaucho 28 tour with open cockpit steering. Ive used a compact double (48/34) with SLX shifters mounted under the bars (you can just make them out in the image) the front changer is a Tiagra double and the left shifter a triple. So far seems to work fine.

Nice bike, nice build :D . I assume you've adjusted the gear cable so that it's slack with the chain on the small ring, but tightens sufficiently to move the chain across in the first click position.

Re: Road compact doubles on 'bents - what shifter?

Posted: 10 Jan 2020, 10:01pm
by UpWrong
I've ordered an SRAM X5 2x10 FD. Hoping that matches the pull of the Deore shifter. The spec says it's good for 48/32 rings.

Re: Road compact doubles on 'bents - what shifter?

Posted: 11 Jan 2020, 4:47am
by OldBloke
UpWrong wrote:
OldBloke wrote:Check out Microshift https://www.microshift.com/en/product-category/road/road-shifters/page/2/, they have some road options that might suit your situation.

OB

I couldn't find any UK sellers of these to find out prices. Thanks anyway.


Try https://www.moorelarge.co.uk/brands/microshift

Re: Road compact doubles on 'bents - what shifter?

Posted: 11 Jan 2020, 4:19pm
by swscotland bentrider
Yes Upwrong, I used a combination of the limit screws on the mech and the tension of the cable so that it would change cleanly between the two rings. I find that using MTB shifters and a road triple doesn't work nearly as well as the errors accumulate the further you move the cage.

Re: Road compact doubles on 'bents - what shifter?

Posted: 12 Jan 2020, 4:50pm
by UpWrong
I took the bike for a spin today. Changing up on the rings was ok if a little stiff. It sometimes took a second push of the thumb to get there. I might swap the Sora double FD for the X5 double when it arrives.