Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

For discussions about bikes and equipment.
chocjohn9
Posts: 300
Joined: 20 Mar 2012, 10:07pm
Location: Sunny Belgium

Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Post by chocjohn9 »

I appear to be picky with my choice of handlebars... I am running a Rohloff on my touring bike and have a Gilles Berthoud shifter. I would like this to sit near the stem, on the handlebar.
I have tried but do not like the Thorn 25.4mm bar (odd shape) or the Van Nicholas split (it creeks.....).
What other choices do I have?
I have lying around a Ritchey Comp with a 128mm drop and the shifter will not go around the bend. gggrrrhhh.
Any suggestions would be most helpful. What are you running? I would really like to have a list of other options.
Thanks
colin54
Posts: 2529
Joined: 24 Sep 2013, 4:34pm

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Post by colin54 »

I've not read through the 12 pages of this thread on the Thorn Forum, but it's called, 'Drop Bars and Rohloff; A dozen different ways.'
So there might be some useful information there, if you haven't already read it.
http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=4049.0
Nu-Fogey
chocjohn9
Posts: 300
Joined: 20 Mar 2012, 10:07pm
Location: Sunny Belgium

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Post by chocjohn9 »

Thanks Colin
I did check this article out and whilst the shifter is mentioned, the appropriate handlebar is not. That said, there is an image of one on a Ritchey bar (?) and all Ritchey bars appear to be 128mm, including mine, but it will not go round the bend - believe you me, I have tried!
LollyKat
Posts: 3250
Joined: 28 May 2011, 11:25pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Post by LollyKat »

I have a standard Rohloff shifter mounted on flat bars with Origin 8 drop bar ends, like this:

Image

It looks a bit industrial but works well.
scottg
Posts: 1218
Joined: 10 Jan 2008, 8:44pm
Location: Highland Heights Kentucky,, USA

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Post by scottg »

Add a 2nd handlebar, flat bar and a drop bar,.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/org/thorn-index.html
thorn.jpg
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-AG
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
freeflow
Posts: 1636
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 1:54pm

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Post by freeflow »

You will need deep pockets

https://cinq.de/en/shifting-technology/
pwa
Posts: 17366
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Post by pwa »

It was my understanding that inside the Berthoud shifters are some sort of split spacers that enable the body to be slid round bends in the bars. Presumably the split spacers / shims come out when that happens, and goes round the bend before the main body. Are you saying that doesn't work on some bars?

https://berthoudcycles.fr/en/288-twiste ... black.html

The twister goes round the bend in three separate pieces, the snuggest being split to allow a little expansion on the bend. If that doesn't actually work, the whole point of this alternative to the standard Rohloff unit goes out the window. I think I would be trying to introduce some sort of wedge into the gap in the spacer to keep it wide as it goes round the bend. But I can see how that would be fiddly.
Tiberius
Posts: 799
Joined: 31 Dec 2014, 8:45am
Location: North East England

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Post by Tiberius »

I've been through all this myself and decided that this was the best solution.

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-shifte ... hub-50014/

Not cheap but it's so well made and works perfectly - currently fitted to Ritchey drop bars (not sure of exact model)

Recommended.
hufty
Posts: 571
Joined: 28 Jan 2011, 7:24pm

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Post by hufty »

I have the shifter on a cut down Thorn accessory bar that replaced a couple of steering spacers. I have it just under the bars usually at 5 o'clock ish if the bars are at 9 and 3. You grab it to change gear like you're getting the lid off a jar of olives. It's simple it's cheap, it doesn't use up any handlebar real estate. It's probably easier for your hand to fall to it there than get to it if it was central on the drop bars.
Please do not use this post in Cycle magazine
User avatar
[XAP]Bob
Posts: 19793
Joined: 26 Sep 2008, 4:12pm

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Post by [XAP]Bob »

chocjohn9 wrote: 10 Nov 2021, 8:39pm Thanks Colin
I did check this article out and whilst the shifter is mentioned, the appropriate handlebar is not. That said, there is an image of one on a Ritchey bar (?) and all Ritchey bars appear to be 128mm, including mine, but it will not go round the bend - believe you me, I have tried!
How much have you dismantled it?
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
KM2
Posts: 1324
Joined: 23 Oct 2008, 5:38pm

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Post by KM2 »

I have a bike Friday splittable drop bar, which, I would think takes a rohloff shifter. Not 31.8 though.
Perhaps that’s a cheaper option.
steve browne
Posts: 155
Joined: 8 Oct 2009, 12:30pm

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Post by steve browne »

I’ve got a Rohbox with modified brifters. Wasn’t sure if I was going to get on with this setup but I really like it. You can’t change five gears all in one go but it’s no great bother to do a few taps on the lever in quick succession. One side for up changes, the other side for down.
Sid Aluminium
Posts: 255
Joined: 26 Feb 2019, 7:38pm
Location: Beyond the edge of the wild

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Post by Sid Aluminium »

I put my Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter on Nitto Randonneur bars. Went right on; nothing memorable about the fitment.
chocjohn9
Posts: 300
Joined: 20 Mar 2012, 10:07pm
Location: Sunny Belgium

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Post by chocjohn9 »

Update - I have asked Gilles if they have a list of handlebars that their shifter fits, or at least the specification of what would work.
I have also e-mailed Van Nicholas about the the cracking noise to see if there is a remedy here too. After all, I have this part already :D
Anyone else out there who has this bar and has experienced the same thing? Thorn often use it in their builds (and this is for a Mercury, BTW)

Thank you Sid - I will look at the specs.
Bob - I looked up the instructions and took it apart as far as I could. It splits in two and only just does not make it around the bend.
Thanks to everyone else for their suggestions. If my "easier" options fail, I might need to look more broadly.
I will revert back soon.
slowster
Moderator
Posts: 4629
Joined: 7 Jul 2017, 10:37am

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Post by slowster »

Given the wide range of radii in the curves of different bars, it does not surprise me that a Gilles Berthoud shifter might not be compatible with some of them, especially bars with a smaller radius curve like the so called 'compact bar' shape.

Image
Post Reply