Rohloff and drop bars bodge

[speedsixdave]

Hi all,

Am building up the new bike even as we speak (with pauses only for obligatory kitchen DIY) and am quite proud of my Rohloff bodge, so I thought I'd record it here for posterity.

Problem: Rohloff shifter and drop bars. The twistgrip shifter is a 22.2mm fit for flat bars, but drop bars are almost universally 23.8mm diameter. Therefore the shifter will not normally fit.

Solutions: Best (?) is the Mittelmeyershifter, engineered to do the job. 89 Euro. I would like to have one of these on order but they do not seem to respond to emails. So long-term this may be best, but currently I don't have one.

Then there's the splittable drop bar (can't find an example at the moment) in 22.2mm diameter, round about £100. Rather a lot and you have no choice in the shape of your drops.

Then there's the Hubbubadaptor, which fits into the end of a normal pair of drops and takes the Rohloff shifter. About £40, which still seems a lot for a bodge.

Then there are custom stem-fitting adaptors like this, bodge yourself or contact your local framebuilder.

Or the Speedsixdave Spinaci Bodge, courtesy of your bits box and/or ebay.

You need a pair (actually only one) of Cinelli Spinaci mini-aero-bars:




These have sat in my bits box since they were last fashionable, about 1997. The useful thing is that the clamp is 23.8mm at the drop bar end, and 22.2mm at the aero-bar end. Aha!

So you could just fit the shifter to the far end, or saw a bit off and put the shifter on the curve parallel to the brake lever hood.

But I had also an old pair of flat bars from my long-nicked and still-missed Kona. I chopped these down to a suitable size, and inserted them into the Spinaci clamp:



And then the Rohloff shifter just slides on and clamps there:



Et voila! How well it works I don't really know yet, I shall report back henceforth. But I'm quite chuffed with it anyway.

And the bars are old Scott Drop-Ins, (last fashionable 1991) that I found in a bits bin on my last trip to the States. Apart from being a little bit deep they're excellent. This is my second pair. And if you don't think you'd ever use the drop-in position, just think how much extra room there is for lights and computers!

[lauriematt]

looks prettty good!!!

im impressed!!

****ps im a bodger too!!!****

[Mick F]

Well done! Excellent bodge!

All that would be needed is for Rohloff to get off their fat bums and do something to keep us Road Bike fanciers happy. Just produce the shifters in a wider fitting!

(Also closer ratios - but that's a different subject!!!)

[PH]

Very neat, but you may find the shifter easier to use facing towards you. I need to get a better grip than that seems to offer to change more than one gear at a time.
Those handlebars look great, I'll start looking for a set. The Hubbub converter on the lower part would place the shifter in an ideal position.

[thirdcrank]

I think the moral of this story is never throw anything away.

It seems amazing to me the prices people can charge for stuff. All that is needed here is a bit of handlebar of the right diameter and a means of fastening to a pair of handlebars, as you have done. To me another obvious style of fastening is the same way / ways that brakehood type levers are attached. The Mafac Racer type of collar might be ideal Shape one end of the length of bar to fit the handlebars in the same way brake levers fit. Use some sort of nut to hold it on.

[reohn2]

I like the bodge too.
For those who don't have any spinache bars Acor make an accessory bar that would take the Rohloff shifter,I've been trying to find a picture of one on the net with no luck,so if I'll post a pic of mine when I get time, they are quite neat.
It was SSD's spinache bodge that gave me the idea

[hubgearfreak]

there is at least one other method.
whether it's genius or insanity, i'll let you decide

http://sheldonbrown.org/thorn/index.html

[reohn2]

Here is the Acor accessory bar (£10 LBS) which would take the Rohloff twist grip as the bar is 22mm (note high tech carbon fibre bar )

PS I use the bar for carring two Cat Eye 530HL's and find it better than a spacebar due to its slim fitting whilst using a small Topeak bar bag,

[ciuffolotto]

I use a neat little T piece from SJS cycles that clamps onto the steerer as a spacer and positions the shifter under the bars. I cut the T off leaving a stub which works perfectly, it even has a slight angle down to make a little more room.

[CJ]

there is at least one other method.
whether it's genius or insanity, i'll let you decide

Unusual brickwork: not just the angle, but five rows of stretcher bond to one of flemish. Nice.

[reohn2]

there is at least one other method.
whether it's genius or insanity, i'll let you decide

Unusual brickwork: not just the angle, but five rows of stretcher bond to one of flemish. Nice.

I think its called Suffolk bond but I'll check.
BTW the photo is American so could be one of their own bonds.

And, ahem, they're courses not rows .

[thirdcrank]

r2

I think you may have the edge over Sheldon Brown on this one (by about 5 miles)

[hubgearfreak]

the photo is American so could be one of their own bonds.

it's not written in my book of brickwork (English universities press 1944) so i suspect it is unique to the USA

[reohn2]

the photo is American so could be one of their own bonds.

it's not written in my book of brickwork (English universities press 1944) so i suspect it is unique to the USA

Yep I think you're right, I can't find it either or in the American texts,It could even be just local to Sheldon's neck of the woods or bricks in this case.

[anothereye]

Hi speedsixdave,
where can I get the Spinaci clamp?

thanks