[Closed] MTB Shifters on Road Drop Bars?

bar diameter will be wrong (too fat).

best you could do is bar end shifters on the end.

I thought that I had seen some shifters in the past that had hinged type clamps rather than the slide-on type. I have a lathe so could machine the clamp to a larger diameter to suit the wider road bar.

If you want shifters on the tops, I'm guessing that means you spend a lot of your time on the tops for some reason? If so, could you just fit flats and save the hassle?

+1 for bar end shifters - You might need a beard though

Options are:

#1. Normal bar-end shifters - (ime) they are reliable and work fine.
They are my shifter of choice, as the Shimano one give you friction shifting too, which is ideal if you like to mix 8/9/10 spd stuff. (an' yeah I have a [long] beard / often ride in sandals) 😉

#2. You can get bar-con thumbies with a hinged clamp, for use on the flats of road bars - SJS have an assortment of them [url= http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/paul-road-thumbies-bar-end-gear-lever-shifter-mounts-260-mm-band-on-per-pair-prod20973/ ]26mm bars[/url], [url= http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/paul-mountain-thumbies-bar-end-gear-lever-shifter-mounts-318-mm-band-on-shimano-version-black-prod29975/ ]31.8mm bars[/url], and [url= http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/paul-mountain-thumbies-bar-end-gear-lever-shifter-mounts-222-mm-band-on-shimano-version-prod24619/ ]22.2mm bars[/url] (for your BMX I 'spose 😉 ) - you'll still need the bar-end shifters to go on them tho'.

#3. Retroshift brifters: Probably best if you look on [url= http://www.retroshift.com/ ]their website[/url] - but they are a kinda STI hack involving road levers and thumb shifters.

You may have brake-cable pull length issues with Retroshift levers and standard road calipers tho', as I seem to think their brake lever is for longer pull brakes (V's and disks [i]et cetera[/i]) - standard road calipers need less pull, so you might find you come up hard a bit too quick in terms of lever travel vs brake actuating travel with road calipers.

I remember bodging some thumbies on about 20yrs ago like this

[img] [/img]

However, Retroshift looks interesting

[img] [/img]

If you want shifters on the tops, I'm guessing that means you spend a lot of your time on the tops for some reason? If so, could you just fit flats and save the hassle?

No, it's not that. My daughter has a best bike with SRAM double tap which she likes. She also has a commuting bike with flat bars that she would like to convert to drops but the cheapest SRAM Apex double tap levers are around £180 plus the new derailleur makes the conversion too expensive.

I was just investigating if she could fit drops but with a cheaper option of fitting an MTB shifter on top of the bars. Se runs 1x10 already on the commuter bike by the way so only needs the RH shifter.

Keep your eye on ebay for 2nd hand sram shifters. Often one of the pair will break leaving someone with an odd lever that they need to sell

Just buy a single STI then?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-105-5700-double-10-speed-sti-lever/rp-prod50464

Edit - duh SRAM, sorry

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, plenty to think about there and several options worth considering.

You can buy a single apex lever from CRC

The geometry of a flat-barred bike will likely make drop bars an uncomfortable reach

Or, heres a bargain http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40091&t=12944722

Google is my friend. 😀

http://forums.mtbr.com/drivetrain-shifters-derailleurs-cranks/done-mtb-rapidfire-shifters-drop-bar-728258.html