Shifters for hamster bars

[belgiangoth]

The bike came with twist-grip shifters which I found hard to turn and generally uncomfortable. I also got a pair of trigger shifters by microSHIFT, so I tried one on the front gear. It might be that the front derailleur is not set up properly, but I am finding it really hard to change gears (I have to push hard on the gear levers). I wonder whether the shifters might not be that good and I could do with a different set of rear shifters anyway.
What is the panel's thoughts on shifters on hamster bars in general? Any experience with microshift and trigger shifters?

Thanks

[Cyril Haearn]

Are hamster bars the same as butterfly bars, could we have a picture? Merci

Going out on my new bike with b-bars today, they have a lot of adjustment

I just resurrected a thread about bbs, btw

[[XAP]Bob]

Very much not...

I have a twist shifter on mine, which works for me. I did wonder about putting a trigger shifter on the tiller though, along with my brake levers (the M5 under tiller ones).

Keep the arrowhead clean.

[squeaker]

Very much not...

I have a twist shifter on mine, which works for me.

+1. Cheap gripshifters feel just that: better ones give easy flick of the wrist changes. The only twister I didn't like was the Rohloff, and that was more to do with the twin cable arrangement and it's inherent micro-slack.

YMMV, of course!

[belgiangoth]

Looks like this:

Obvuiously not got round to bar tape or grips
I'm considering take-offs as my hands gravitate to sitting on top of the brake levers's hydraulic bit thingy. I liked the idea of microshift as you could change up and down gears with your thumbs, so could keep that hand position, but they are a bit sticky - not sure that this isn't a cable tension issue though.

[Cyril Haearn]

Diolch

Could you show a picture of the whole bike, and bike with rider? I still don't quite know what hamster bars are, I guess you put your hands on them in a hamster-like position

[belgiangoth]

seen some ideas here
http://www.recumbents.com/forums/topic. ... IC_ID=4867
I think I'm torn between trigger shifters and something like paul thumbies.

[pjclinch]

Diolch

Could you show a picture of the whole bike, and bike with rider? I still don't quite know what hamster bars are, I guess you put your hands on them in a hamster-like position

Think of a hamster/gerbil with a nut... These are also known as tiller bars. Your alternative animal analogy is the scorpion bar, aka aero aka superman bars, like so...

[pjclinch]

Very much not...

I have a twist shifter on mine, which works for me.

+1. Cheap gripshifters feel just that: better ones give easy flick of the wrist changes. The only twister I didn't like was the Rohloff, and that was more to do with the twin cable arrangement and it's inherent micro-slack.

YMMV, of course!

Perhaps worth trying the existing shifters with new cables. If they've got a bit frazzled over time it can make quite a difference. The worst gripshifters I've come across have been cheaper-than-cheap on kids' BSOs and I could hardly move them, but I've no problem with the ones on my 8-Freight or Moulton.

Pete.

[StephenW]

I think it's good that your shifters have an indicator showing which gear you are in. Mine don't, and I find this a nuisance. It's easy to shift to the small chainring when coming to a stop, but not realising that the rear derailiuer is in a very small gear. It's then a pain trying to get moving again from this gear.

I've been thinking that some kind of lever shifters, either bar-end or thumb-shifters, might be a good idea. That way, you can know what gear you are in by touching the lever, so you don't need to look at anything.

[pjclinch]

I think it's good that your shifters have an indicator showing which gear you are in. Mine don't, and I find this a nuisance. It's easy to shift to the small chainring when coming to a stop, but not realising that the rear derailiuer is in a very small gear. It's then a pain trying to get moving again from this gear.

While not all trigger shifters have a gearometer, many do (indeed, it's been a while since I saw one that didn't). I agree it's handy, especially having gone without for many years.

I've been thinking that some kind of lever shifters, either bar-end or thumb-shifters, might be a good idea. That way, you can know what gear you are in by touching the lever, so you don't need to look at anything.[/quote]

Bar ends work brilliantly well on underseat steering: they're immediately where you want them and you get a visual and tactile sense of what gear you're in. But on overseat steering you'd just be moving the controls away from your immediate reach, which may be something of an own goal. Thumb shifters would be fine, I suppose, though it's been a while since I saw any. Are good ones still a Thing?

Pete.

[hercule]

You can fit bar end shifters on special mounts to turn them into thumb shifters ... though I’m not sure of the ergonomics


I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my wobbly bog brush using hovercraft full of eels

[recumbentpanda]

I replaced the twist grips on my ‘not-quite-but-nearly-hamster-bars’ because I found operating them gave unwanted steering inputs! (Probably just me!) I fitted sram xo triggers - pricey, but you can set the thumb lever to start and finish its ‘throw’ exactly where you want it. Very happy with the result.