Putting my new bike together and shifters have the option of being mounted inboard so i thought i’d follow the zeitgiest and give it a go.You have to take the indicator window of which i can live without but it then leaves open holes in the shifter just waiting to be swamped with mud and crap. Is this right or am i mssing something?

Sorry for crap pic, phone used in dark garage

Depending on the shifters you can get the proper covers without the window thing. As for me, I just used gaffer tape to cover over it.

they’re 2011 slx but a quick search hasn’t shown anything up.

bit naff they’re not supplied with spares, not sure about tape think i’ll stick with oldschool outboard.

the blanks are on the bottoms on the units – pop them off and put on other side. there is an online guide somewhere

i have the same shifters !

Not sure about SLX but certainly on XT, when you remove the windows have a look in the underside – there’s a removable plastic cover that fits just nicely :).

edit: just like what iainc said quicker 🙂

If you look on the back of the indicator you removed there is a disk which unscrews and then covers the hole in the top of the shifter quite nicely.

here you go – this is for xt, but slx the same

http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/tech_support/tech_tips.download.-Par50rparsys-0023-downloadFile.html/17)%20Optical%20Gear%20Display%20Removal.pdf

thanks guys you’ve renewed my love of the mighty S

They are awesome for doing that, plus I love moving my shifters inboard. I think this actually explains why SRAM has been so popular with the gnaar brigade for ages, luckily shimano are catching up.

errm, isn’t ‘inboard’ nearer the stem?

Once the indicator is removed you can reposition the XT shifter to sit
outboard of your brake lever. (option)

…..but we knew what he meant !! 😛