Shifters for Trekking bars?

[sbooder]

Hi All,
I am going to try Trekking bars for a while and wondered which shifters would be best? I doubt I could use my STi drop shifters on them.

Thanks.

[PH]

I like Thumbies, simple and reliable. friction on the front allows all sorts of possibilities that indexed doesn't, and the option of indexed on the rear can be useful.

[Bonefishblues]

I was looking at these but they seemed disproportionately expensive - I suspect I've missed some cheaper options though?

[PH]

I was looking at these but they seemed disproportionately expensive - I suspect I've missed some cheaper options though?

Mine are IRD bought for around £60 a few years ago. The Shimano ones are around £100, it's a fairly expensive bar end shifter plus a bar mount that is probably only made in small quantities.
There's a cheaper alternative from Sunrace -£36 - the rear has no friction option and I have no experience of them
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-shifte ... ight-hand/
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-shifte ... left-hand/

[Nigel]

Hi All,
I am going to try Trekking bars for a while and wondered which shifters would be best? I doubt I could use my STi drop shifters on them.

Depending on your exact road-bike components, there are often "flat-bar" options for gear shifters. They look like Mountain-Bike trigger shifters, but have cable-movement for the road gear parts. My partner's bike was built with them (2 rings at front, 11 cogs at back).

Price varies, depending on gear model / year / number of ratios. I'd expect German suppliers to have a bigger range of options.


- Nigel

[Brucey]

it might help if you say what kind of mechs/cassette/chainrings etc you are using, whether you want/need indexed shifting at the front and/or the rear or not.

BTW if you mount some bar ends (climbing pegs) near the middle of the handlebar, you can (with a but of fiddling around) often use 'road' STIs attached to those, or perhaps to the ends of the trekking bars themselves. Interrupter brake levers (crosstops) can of course give you a second brake lever position.

cheers

[Bonefishblues]

I was looking at these but they seemed disproportionately expensive - I suspect I've missed some cheaper options though?

Mine are IRD bought for around £60 a few years ago. The Shimano ones are around £100, it's a fairly expensive bar end shifter plus a bar mount that is probably only made in small quantities.
There's a cheaper alternative from Sunrace -£36 - the rear has no friction option and I have no experience of them
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-shifte ... ight-hand/
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-shifte ... left-hand/

[meic]

I assume that by trekking bars you mean what I call butterflies.

Among the advantages of butterflies is that they free you from the restrictions of drop bar STIs.
So you can fit cheap adjustable brake levers that give loads of pull, have adjustment and can work any type of brake at the other end. You can also fit any old cheap gear shifter as a separate and they work as well or better than the expensive STIs on the drops.

Here is my butterfly set up, slightly updated since a "rapid fire" on the left and a Tourney on the right to work 6 (then 7 now) on the front. They are positioned exactly right to give the buttons at my fingertips.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=56407&p=471925&hilit=butterfly#p472033

You would, I assume, have to replace your front derailleur with an MTB one or fit an unindexed thumbie as linked by PH.

I doubt that "combined" flat bar brake/shifters would be of any use.

[sbooder]

it might help if you say what kind of mechs/cassette/chainrings etc you are using, whether you want/need indexed shifting at the front and/or the rear or not.

BTW if you mount some bar ends (climbing pegs) near the middle of the handlebar, you can (with a but of fiddling around) often use 'road' STIs attached to those, or perhaps to the ends of the trekking bars themselves. Interrupter brake levers (crosstops) can of course give you a second brake lever position.

cheers

Quite right Brucey, I should have given spec..it's below. I will add, that both front and rear cables go via down tube barrel adjusters, thread adjuster on front and click adjuster on the rear.

Ridgeback
World Voyage

Shimano 2300 Dual Control STI
Shimano Deore
Shimano Sora
Shimano Alivio 48/38/28
Shimano
HG50
Shimano Cassette 11-32 8sp
Shimano RM70
Alex ACE-19 36h
Stainless Steel
Continental Contact 700 x 32c
Tektro 992AG
Shimano STI with Tektro 570 top levers

[gregoryoftours]

You haven't stated which of your mechs is deore and which sora, but if your front mech is deore you could use any shimano mtb 8sp shifters only seem to be the acera ones sold new these days. You would have to get canti pull levers to go with the pods. If your front mech is sora you could use these -
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shim ... prod112069. The cable pull ratio on these is adjustable for cantis. These are actually pretty good value as you also get shimano cables and outers included.

[meic]

As he has dropbar STIs then the Sora must be the front derailleur and the Deore therefor the rear.

[sbooder]

As he has dropbar STIs then the Sora must be the front derailleur and the Deore therefor the rear.

Sorry yes, Deore rear with drop STIs.

[PH]

While you're changing the bars and levers, you may as well look into changing the brakes to Vs.