[Closed] What really light and easy to shift shifters?

Grip Shift?

Braze on style thumb shifters? Can shift with heel of your hand that way.

Thumbies all the way.
IMHO.

[IMG] [/IMG]

Love 'em.

I like thumbies, but think thumbwise, no different to clicky shifters. Gore cables are good and would help.

Suppose the new XTR Di2 is out of the price range...

Would a rapid rise rear mech help? Never used one but I'd guess they might offer lighter shifting as the spring is pulling the chain up the block.

Wow, that was quick - thanks all! I've wondered about thumbshifters - can you still buy them or is it just a case of looking for old ones on eBay? I don't know about rapid rise - good suggestion!

I assume the stiffness is also a function of the front and rear mechs - presumably SRAM are a bit better than Shimano because of the extra cable pull. I think part of my trouble is the wide range across my chainrings, I seem to remember I had trouble sourcing an appropriate front mech. But perhaps I could deal with that by going to a double at the front and putting a wider range cassette on.

XTR Di2 is out of the price range really, although if it's my only option I'll see if I can stretch to it. But I assume it'll have a fairly narrow range for the chainrings and won't cover a 30-42-52 triple anyway.

Are hub gears any better? No idea but its another avenue. I know the feeling. After my broken wrist I really struggled to change gear on the front changer.

Thanks nickjb. I have wondered about that - does anyone know if Rohloff or Alfine are easier to shift?

If XTR Di2 won't do the range, do they not do Di2 in one of their top end touring/hybrid groupsets? Sure I remember reading about it....

Still not going to be a cheap option mind, but might be the only way if you need to get the range. I'm guessing the issue's mainly the front mech?

Thanks IA - you're right! I just checked and there is an Alfine Di2 available - could be good, but I just don't think it'll have the range to get me up hills with full panniers when touring. I can just about manage it with the current 30 front/34 rear combo, but if I ran a small enough chainring up front to get away with that on an Alfine I'd be spinning out much of the rest of the time...

Does anyone have experience of [url= https://www.sram.com/sram/road/products/doubletap-10-flat-bar-road-shifters ]SRAM double-tap[/url]? Perhaps a combo of that, SRAM front and rear mechs, and Gore cables will be good enough...

I can just about manage it with the current 30 front/34 rear combo,

If rapidfires are ok, and that's the low end you need, what about an 11speed setup? Rear mechs tend to take less force on the shifter.

You could have a 10-42 on the back, and then 36 on the front keeps you with the same as a 30/34 combo at the low end - but you'd lose a lot of high end. Might be an acceptable sacrifice though? Something to think about.

Cables are the biggest part of this. Use full length sp41 and 1.1mm inner cables and you'll be glad you didn't spend more.

My kids lacked the strength to do paddle shifters but Sram x0 9 speed grip shifters are pretty light and easy to use

Gripshift is fairly light. I find xt shifters particularly light as well (will need new mech and changer though). Also make sure cables and outers are good, don't grease cable since it makes it stickier in the outer.

Double tap flat bars are excellent v light action

You can adjust the paddle to optimise the thumb position

Used a 9 speed set before switching rear hubs for a nuvinci

Many thanks IA. I'm just back from a 2-day touring trip during which I spent most of the time on the middle chainring, but had to drop down to the small ring on the steep hills. The trouble is that I need the low end to get up the hills fully laden when touring, but need the high end to go fast on the flat when I'm using it as a commuter. Perhaps I just need another bike 🙂

Other than another bike (which I really can't justify!) it doesn't look as if there's any magic solution staring at me here, but it also sounds as if there are several options that will be better than what I have. I guess the cheapest place to start is Gore or SP41 cables, and if that's not enough I'll probably switch to SRAM - possibly X0 gripshift, possibly double tap. Decisions decisions...

Thanks again everyone for your very helpful advice!

Thumbies are by microshift. Have a Google. They're quite light action, but they do require you to move your finger and thumb a bit further to use the extremes.

What about drop bars and bar end shifters? If you're touring already... You're using more of your hand to shift, you can spread the load, use different fingers, the heel of your hand.

XTR cable set

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-xtr-gear-cable-set-ptfe-coated/rp-prod67788?gs=1&gclid=CJ2K-IW908QCFWbKtAodOTcAww&gclsrc=aw.ds

perhaps using these inners with full SP41 outers?

Good suggestion to try drop bars nedrapier but I just can't get on with them. You have, however, set me off wondering about bar end shifters and Mary bars....

Thanks for the link Dickyboy - may well give that a go!

The current xt shifters are lighter and have a shorter throw than slx/deore.
But cables cables cables. SP41 outers and the PTFE shimano inners.

Dual controls, you don't need to run them as rapid rise

XT shifters and clean cables are very light... my 11 year old used to struggle with Deore, which were OK but needed a push especially once the cables were dirty. XT sorted it... so now my bikes have XT shifters too.

I use Gripshift on my commuter, but 10sp XTR shifters (M980) are the lightest action triggers I've experienced, noticeably more so than even the XT, as they have four sets of ball bearing races versus the two in XT, and nylon bushings in SLX and below. In fact I prefer XT for MTB duties, as I find the XTR so light that I tend to overshift. They come with SP41 outers and Teflon coated inners, and can be had for about the cost of XT at the moment if you shop around as the new XTR 11sp has made them obsolete. Also, use a conventional mech rather than a clutch one, as the clutch does add tension to the shift to larger sprockets.

I was wondering whether thumbies were the/an answer.

Mine are [url= http://www.paulcomp.com/thumbies.html ]Paul Component Engineering[/url] with Dura-Ace bar-con shifters, always used in friction mode.

I think perhaps the advantage for a touring/town bike (I can't get on with them on a mountain bike really) is that you really have to move your hand on the bar really to use them, so giving the thing a wallop with the heel of your hand or whatever if you've a sore thumb is fine. Also, friction mode is fine - the chain usually lands neatly on a sprocket without any bother.

Agreed that XTR shifters are pretty light though.

🙂

Thanks again all.

SP41 outers seem to be getting more votes than Gore, so that's where I'll start...

SP41 £15 for 10m on fatbirds last time I checked.

Not sure if I'd want bar end shifters on alt bars - pretty good chance of snagging them on things, shifting with trees, leant up on a wall etc.

Thanks for the tip on the SP41!

I wasn't entirely serious about the bar end shifters, I just like the idea of trying something that nerdy 🙂

Fair enough! And after I just went to find these from the monstercross thread:

Ison Genetic Digest Bars

now you're talking...

Running X0 9 speed gripshift and they are nice and light, and seem to pop up cheap every now and then as NOS. They were really good with those cables you built up with liners and beads (can't remember what they are called).

If you wanted to stay mainstream, XTR shifters are going to be worth the extra. They are brilliant, I like them more than GS but I'm too tight to pay for them.
Standard cables changed regularly would be fine with them I reckon, as my XT/LX are noticeably easier after the bi annual service.

thanks brassneck. I had been leaning towards SRAM on the basis that the extra cable pull per shift relative to Shimano should make them lighter to operate, but there seems to be a strong consensus emerging in favour of XTR so that's probably the way to go.

the lightest-action rapidfire setup I've built are M980XTR (or Saint) shifters, full-length SP41 outers, XTR cables, and a XTR mech. Effortless.

I've been gripshift uer for years. Quartz plasma 9 speed shifter have the lightest action of any I've used including sram rocket, xo, xx 9/10 speed.

Could you get / make a longer upshift lever for an xtr shifter. It shouldn't be too hard but it would solve your problem wouldn't it?

Could you use drop bars? Ultegra shifters are very easy to shift, the length gives a lot of leverage.

Superficial - good idea, but it might actually make it worse if the extra throw means more thumb movement.

jkomo - I'm afraid I just can't get on with drops, I've never liked them, so that's not an option.

Thanks again all. I reckon I'll go and take a look at some full XTR kit now...

Aside from getting clean cables / well-lubed etc I don't think you're going to get a significant difference in shift effort without going to Di2. I think spending money on (non-Di2) XTR is probably a waste for you, unfortunately.

Superficial - good idea, but it might actually make it worse if the extra throw means more thumb movement.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/myles-rockwells-1998-cannondale-fulcrum-video.html

Thanks Superficial - looks cool!

Does it have to be 10 speed? Maybe 9 speed dual control shifters would do the job?

Sorry to be a numpty but what's dual control? 9 speed is fine!

Dual control mtb shifters use the brake levers in an up an down motion like drop bar sti ones

They didn't catch on and shimano dropped them as a product several years ago ( I really liked them, they are a love or hate product) were available for cable or hydraulic disc brakes

If you want to try some double taps my 9 speed set are sitting unused in the garage

Thanks T1000 - how much do you want for the double taps? My email address is in my profile...

Does it have to be 10 speed? Maybe 9 speed dual control shifters would do the job?

I was just going to suggest the same, if you can get hold of some second hand they'd be ideal (IMO) as you don't use your thumbs to change.

A battered dual shifter (first photo I found on google image search):
[img] [/img]

The whole brake unit hinges up/down when you push on the brake lever from above or below.

[quote=lorax ]Thanks IA - you're right! I just checked and there is an Alfine Di2 available - could be good, but I just don't think it'll have the range to get me up hills with full panniers when touring. I can just about manage it with the current 30 front/34 rear combo, but if I ran a small enough chainring up front to get away with that on an Alfine I'd be spinning out much of the rest of the time...There's no reason you can't run a double ring up front and an Alfine rear.

Or - I have a set of XT 760 Dual Control shifters if you want to try them. Not sure how (if) they would work with your Magura Brakes but they both use mineral oil so it's a possibility.

Thanks Mogrim and scotroutes. I hadn't thought about the brake problem with dual control, but having just done some quick searching it looks as if the two systems are incompatible (one is open and the other is closed), and I really can't give up on the HS33s. The bike is a Roberts Roughstuff so I can't fit disc brakes to it without major modifications, and while it's currently a pain to change gears after a long days riding I can at least do so, whereas on my old v-brakes I was ending up finding it hard to stop when going downhill because of losing grip.

I'm going to get new cables and outers all round, and a new left hand trigger shifter (in place of my old SRAM Rocket) which it seems [url= http://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/859488-converting-drops-flats-shifter-question.html ]should be a Shimano R441[/url] to go with my [url= http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/derailers-front.html ]Shimano R453[/url]. I need the R453 front mech as it has the range to go with my Ultegra triple, and allows trimming - I'd forgotten about that until just now.

If I can buy T1000's double taps I'll give them a go as well. If none of that helps I'll take a closer look at my Di2 options, but it's crazy money so I'll avoid that if I can 🙂

How about £25 +postage I'll email over some pictures etc (they are in excellent condition)

T1000 - sorry, I've been away and offline. That sounds great thanks! Could you email me with your details please, my address is under my profile. Thanks.