Bicycle Mechanics - who makes the shifter part that fits on the inside of brake levers?

The best I can explain it is they attach on the inside of road brake lever.
They work in a rocker motion for shifting. You keep your hands on the hoods and shift with your
thumbs.

Kelly Take-Offs

Kelly Take-Offs
Thanks, I will try to Google them to see how they work

Also the Suntour ones, Suntour Command shifters I think. They had two levers opposing each other. Mounted inside of a drop bar brake lever.

http://tandem-fahren.de/Mitglieder/Christoph_Timm/SuntourCommand.jpg

Yep, those are the two primary versions, although WTB made a mount that allowed you to mount Shimano thumb shifters in the same spot. But they cost an awful lot now.

I think the Take-Offs are the best option, since they are still produced.

Add Paul Thumbies to the list as well.

http://www.paulcomp.com/thumbshifters.html

The best thing about Kelly Take-offs is that they accept any model downtube shifter so they work with anything from 5-speed friction to 10-speed indexing by Shimano, Campy or SRAM.

I have a set on one of my older bikes using 8-speed Shimano dt levers and they work quite well. They aren't as convenient as STI/Ergo brifters but are far more accessible than any dt or barend shifter.

Also the Suntour ones, Suntour Command shifters I think. They had two levers opposing each other. Mounted inside of a drop bar brake lever.

http://tandem-fahren.de/Mitglieder/Christoph_Timm/SuntourCommand.jpg

That is it. The one I was thinking about. Never seen them for sale. Being Sunture however, guess they will not work with Shamino stuff

Yep, those are the two primary versions, although WTB made a mount that allowed you to mount Shimano thumb shifters in the same spot. But they cost an awful lot now.

I think the Take-Offs are the best option, since they are still produced.

I am interested in the 'WTB' version. Anybody have a line on them?

Check the ebay for the Suntour stuff: http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=suntour+command&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=

That is it. The one I was thinking about. Never seen them for sale. Being Sunture however, guess they will not work with Shamino stuff

Yeah, I dont know about "Shamino Stuff", but they should work with Shimano stuff since they are Shimano compatable:P

Yeah, I dont know about "Shamino Stuff", but they should work with Shimano stuff since they are Shimano compatable:P


Typos aside, Command Shifters don't really have a friction mode, and only index with suntour freewheels. They can work Shimano cassettes, but not well. If you want, you can de-index them, there was a thread in C&V recently about it.

As far as the WTB, they were sold under the name "Multi-mount." google finds lots of things, although no really good photos, enough so you get an idea though. They show up on ebay once and a while, and sell for hundreds.

Paul Thumbies mount shifters at the top part of a bar, and while they might be adaptable to inside of the hoods, it would be a kludge at best, and an expensive kludge at that.

Typos aside, Command Shifters don't really have a friction mode, and only index with suntour freewheels. They can work Shimano cassettes, but not well. If you want, you can de-index them, there was a thread in C&V recently about it.

As far as the WTB, they were sold under the name "Multi-mount." google finds lots of things, although no really good photos, enough so you get an idea though. They show up on ebay once and a while, and sell for hundreds.

Paul Thumbies mount shifters at the top part of a bar, and while they might be adaptable to inside of the hoods, it would be a kludge at best, and an expensive kludge at that.
Good info.

Simple answer to the OP's original question: Kelly Take Offs are available, reasonably priced, work with any make or model braze-on downtube shifter and are the next best thing to STI/Ergo brifters. There is no attractive alternative.