I'm in the process of converting a drop bar road bike to flat bar for my fathers birthday - do I need to get the proper shimano flat bar shifters to do this?
I've read that the rear should be fine but the front is a different chainring spacing for MTB and road - is this right?
Final question if I do need the proper one's anyone know the cheapest place to get them?
TIA
Matt
If you want it to work as it should then you need specific flat bar road shifters and a matching front mech. Something like SLR440 with an FDR440 mech if it is 9 speed or SLR770 and FDR770 if it is ten speed.
Drat!
Not going to be as cheap as I thought....
Is there a cheap bodge?
Cheers
[url= http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=microshoft+flat+bar+shiofters&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7ADRA_en&redir_esc=&ei=VVsITqekO4u1hAfi7-iwDQ#sclient=psy&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb%3AIE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7ADRA_en&source=hp&q=microshift+flat+bar+shifters&aq=f&aqi=&aql=f&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=2b4aed84f9315d78&biw=1100&bih=876 ]Microshift[/url] make a 9 and 10-spd flat bar shifters. Lot cheaper than shimano and supposed to be quite good.
I've bought a pair for my missus flat-bar road-bike, but haven't actually built it yet (not bad a fora christmas present...)
but out of the box, they seem ok.
Got this LH 3 speed shifter still for sale if that helps £15 posted
[url] http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-clearout-with-pics-7 [/url]
Got a full set of Shimano 9spd shifters and mechs in the spares box. With cables... They'll be cheap 🙂
Mail me, we could do some business my friend, eh;)
rear is fine, as you say. MTB RH shifter will work with road rear mech.
front shifter needs to be flat bar specific (SLR440), although you [u]can[/u] get a mtb shifter to work as long as you run just two rings, by setting the limit screw to reduce the overshift onto the small ring.
If you do run the SLR440 LH shifter then you can use either the flat bar front mech (440) or indeed a std road mech.
Cheers for the replies all,
Rich - I've sent you an email.
Theboatman - will drop you a mail if the stuff with Rich doesn't work out (appreciate the offer though).
[url= http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/9-spd-shimano-dura-ace-sl-bs77-bar-end-gear-levers-prod386/ ]Bar-end[/url] shifters on "[url= http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/paul-mountain-thumbies-bar-end-gear-lever-shifter-mounts-222-mm-band-on-per-pair-prod24619/ ]thumbies[/url]"?
I've done this as a way of getting shifters to fit sensibly on H-bars and it works really well - plus you have the friction option too as a way of getting home if the indexing goes out (err, or for use though choice (like I do)).