I quite liked the idea of using a gear shifter for a remote dropper post – like this:

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/article/trail-tech-clever-levers-37844/

With 1x drivetrains there’s plenty of room for it and I think that the ergonomics of a thumb shift lever on a rapid fire or similar would be better than the levers that are out there.

Anyone doing it?

(and if anyone has a spare, cheap LH shifter I’d be interested)

I have been thinking about this. My biggest problem is that I use an I-Spec RH shifter so would want a matching one and I dont even know if they sell these.

Got an xo grip shift sitting in my toolbox waiting for me to get around to bodging it into a dropper remote

With a grip shift could you not just remove the spring from the shifter and the use it as the remote
Only might be a bit odd as it would not move far

The problem with using a gripshift is that you need it to rotate freely in both directions I can’t see how it would rotate itself backwards after you have pulled the cable. With a normal shifter you just remove the ratchet and the small lever and leave it sprung.

My mate is using a XO trigger with his KS post

Wanted to add to this.

I got an SLX shifter today for this purpose, seems a shame to butcher a brand new shifter but hey ho.

I took out the ratchet, the 2/3 ring selector and knocked out the rivet for the downshift lever. It was bloody fiddly but I am pretty sure I have done it successfully. It feels nice and smooth with a good strong return spring so should do a much better job than the original specialized remote and as a bonus wont get in the way.

Mid way through disassembly.

All ready to fit.

Nice. I don’t think I can quite do that to a brand new one though 🙂 I’d love something like a ’96 XT one which were really neat.

I wanted an i-spec shifter to match my other one and it was reduced so I thought I may as well.

I did feel a bit guilty tearing it apart but I like bodging and this seems to have worked quite well so far. Just got to fit it tonight and try it out. I hope it works, I can’t see why it wouldnt.

Cable pull would be the only possible issue but most dropper remotes seem to pull a similar amount to shifters.

Yea thats what I am worried about. It has the full sweep for the cable pull and thats a reasonable amount on a front shifter so hopefully it will be ok.

I Ache, How did the SLX shifter work out? What dropper post are you using it with? I ordered the same one, with plans to convert it for a Gravity Dropper Turbo SL. The GD connects the cable end to the post, so I would need to figure out how to connect an open end of the cable to the shifter. Any thoughts?

Have you had any issues with the lever function after removing all of those parts?

Thanks

Yes I’ve got a fox doss with an older style slx shifter…works well.

I quite like the idea of using a slimmer LH gripshift to operate my dropper.

The current crank bros lever is OK but a “twist back to drop” move could work quite nicely IMO…

I am trying to do this mod with my XT shifter, for a life of me cannot figure out how to take it apart. Removing cover is all I can do:

Any suggestions?
Thanks!

Any suggestions?

I’m running a slx shifter with a ks dropper with no problem.
I took off the shifter backplate and took a mini angle grinder tot he ratchet.
It was a bit of a faff but I love it and it no longer gets blocked up like the original remote.

I used to use an x9 shifter for this it was so much easier than the original remote.
X9,s are easy to take apart as well! Can’t show pics as sold the bike!

I’ve been using an x9 shifter for this on my LEV, 10 mins with the Dremel and worked really, really well. Much better ergonomically than the standard KS remote and the Reverb prodder on my other bike. Combined with Avid brakes plus matchmakers it was about as tidy as you could get. Only downside is that the shifter unit feels a bit bulky for what it’s actually doing.

Have since binned the Avoids so splashed out on a Southpaw which is, if in honest, a better solution if you don’t have a shifter to cannibalise already. It’s smaller, lighter and just as neat a solution.

If anyone wants an x9 shifter ready modded give me a shout.

Yeah, i did the same sort of thing recently with an SLX lever (generously donated by Vorlich, of this parish, to whom I still owe a bottle of wine). I dodn’t take photos, but it works really well. Ergonomics are spot on!

Basically, you (carefully) take the shifter to bits, and when the springs all come pinging out you’re done cos you don’t want them anyway. vtje – I think the other side of the lever might have some allen screws that will be the next stage, there might be a cap to prise off the central one, at the other end of where that flat spring is held.

I took out the downshift lever, to leave just the cable pull mechanism and return springs (which are a pig to get back in). The central bolt through the mechanism seemed to have a tapered thread to hold it all together – a bit of aggro and a vice solved that, but I threadlocked it when it went back together.

In short, if you’ve got or can get an old shifter, there’s nothing to lose by trying!

I took an old XT shifter, removed the unnecessary internals and it’s working brilliantly for my xfusion dropper.

I took off the shifter backplate and took a mini angle grinder tot he ratchet.

I’m sure that’d work but it’s not really necessary – just remove the trigger lever and the ratchet pawl that locks the thumb lever ratchet normally.

I worked out how to take my spare slx shifter apart a couple of months ago. Normally I’m really good at taking photos of complicated stuff to work out how to put it back together, but this time I’ve got a box of shifter parts and no idea how to put it back together. 🙁

Anyone got any photos or an exploded diagram?