Brifters on a touring bike
01-14-17, 12:40 AM
#26
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And while some brifter setups are quite durable, I don't know of any that are either as simple to repair or as dependable as either DT shifters or barends. .
Thats whats great with the Genevalles. The shifter is located on the front of the brake handle right below the hood, and it IS a bar end or downtube style shifter. I will take the bar ends off my bike, and install them on the brake lever. Pretty ingenutive really.
Thats whats great with the Genevalles. The shifter is located on the front of the brake handle right below the hood, and it IS a bar end or downtube style shifter. I will take the bar ends off my bike, and install them on the brake lever. Pretty ingenutive really.
01-14-17, 12:50 AM
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I've got Gevenalle shifters on my CX race bike and I can tell you they're pretty darn durable. I've crashed on pavement and hit with all of my Clydesdale weight right on one of the shifters. The pavement left some deep gouges in the shifter (as well as my elbow, knee and hip), but the shifter was still functioning perfect (and still is several years later). I race regularly in sloppy mud and have never even needed to replace the cables mid-season.
Basically, they're exactly as durable as bar end shifters, because they are bar end shifters. In fact, they might be a little more durable because they aren't hanging off the end of the bar so it's harder to get a solid hit on them. In the crash I described above the lever rotated on the bar, so the shifter itself didn't have to absorb the full force of the impact.
Basically, they're exactly as durable as bar end shifters, because they are bar end shifters. In fact, they might be a little more durable because they aren't hanging off the end of the bar so it's harder to get a solid hit on them. In the crash I described above the lever rotated on the bar, so the shifter itself didn't have to absorb the full force of the impact.
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01-14-17, 07:42 AM
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My problem with the Genevalle is the ergonomics of the hoods otherwise I'd be running a mountain triple on my bike. FWIW, we have 2 different "touring" setups, one with 105 brifters and one with SRAM doubletaps. Knock on wood both have been flawless.
01-14-17, 08:52 AM
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I happen to find them quite comfortable so there is no problem. But, like Shimano and Campy's various style hoods, some riders like them and some don't.
01-14-17, 02:04 PM
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Yeah, the comfort of hood ergonomics is pretty much an individual like or dislike. Genenalle uses standard Tektro R200 (short pull) or R520 (long pull) style brake levers as their base and does some fit-and-finish upgrading.
I happen to find them quite comfortable so there is no problem. But, like Shimano and Campy's various style hoods, some riders like them and some don't.
I happen to find them quite comfortable so there is no problem. But, like Shimano and Campy's various style hoods, some riders like them and some don't.
01-14-17, 06:32 PM
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Do you use the Genevalles around town? I personally find bar ends to be a PITA for Pgh streets and traffic, I commute from the East side of town to the West side of town so deal with a lot of traffic and grade transitions so something snappy and a mountain triple would be awesome.
I also found barends to be a PITA in any hilly area and my only bike with them is limited to relatively flat areas and for occasional rides where I know where every bend and hill is located so I can anticipate every shift.
01-15-17, 08:03 AM
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I use them everywhere; utility riding, daily fitness rides, week long bike tours and everywhere else. I live in the South Hills, and as you are certainly aware, the area is properly named.
I also found barends to be a PITA in any hilly area and my only bike with them is limited to relatively flat areas and for occasional rides where I know where every bend and hill is located so I can anticipate every shift.
I also found barends to be a PITA in any hilly area and my only bike with them is limited to relatively flat areas and for occasional rides where I know where every bend and hill is located so I can anticipate every shift.
I may have to look into a set as I have a set of TT500 bar ends sitting in a box...
01-15-17, 07:56 PM
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Happy New Year! Anyone heard of this company? I am looking to change out the bar shifters on my Trek 520 touring bike, and was considering these Shifters ? Gevenalle. The Audax would work,as I can use my existing shift levers. Or I could go with the CX and maintain indexed shifting for the rear. The other option is to change over to Ultegra STI's, although I am unsure which model to go with for a 3x10 set up. I currently have indexed shifting for the rear, and friction up front. I am running for the last 3 years and XTR rear with an 11-36 cassette, and Ultegra front with 30-39-52. I have full use of all combinations.
I have heard and I have no experience here, that the Ultegra STI's can be finicky, and require some maintenance to keep them smooth operating. I prefer something more on the bombproof side, rather than some fancy name.
The reason for changing from bar ends, is that I want faster, more convenient shifting. I found the bar ends a bit cumbersome for touring, constantly changing hand positions to make a shift, or multiple shifts in a short time span. This is really only an annoyment while cycling all day, every day. Commuting or a couple hour boot, doesn't bother me. But I do enjoy brifters when I rent a bike on vacations. Thanks for your input!
I have heard and I have no experience here, that the Ultegra STI's can be finicky, and require some maintenance to keep them smooth operating. I prefer something more on the bombproof side, rather than some fancy name.
The reason for changing from bar ends, is that I want faster, more convenient shifting. I found the bar ends a bit cumbersome for touring, constantly changing hand positions to make a shift, or multiple shifts in a short time span. This is really only an annoyment while cycling all day, every day. Commuting or a couple hour boot, doesn't bother me. But I do enjoy brifters when I rent a bike on vacations. Thanks for your input!
The shifters you linked to look to be a great compromise between bar end shifters and pure Brifters or Ergos.
Cheers
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01-15-17, 09:19 PM
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In some ways I like my Campagnolo Mirage 9-speed Ergos (circa 2001) a LOT better than I do bar end shifters. #1 is that I can shift whilst climbing and gripping the hoods and thus I shift more often which save energy over a long day of riding. #2. There's no worry about the bar end shifter getting bumped out of gear if the bar end shifter hits the top tube whilst the bike is parked.
The shifters you linked to look to be a great compromise between bar end shifters and pure Brifters or Ergos.
Cheers
The shifters you linked to look to be a great compromise between bar end shifters and pure Brifters or Ergos.
Cheers
I agree a lot and it's why most all my drop bar bikes have Ergo on them. But since I ran bar end levers for 20+ years in my formative years they are no big deal for me. Andy.
01-16-17, 08:55 PM
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File me as a fan of Gevenalle Shifters. I've had no issues with the pair i've had for a couple years. I've crashed on a previous road bike with brifters and busted one pretty easily. Gev's do it for me..
09-11-17, 09:08 PM
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OK, sorry for dredging this thread up, but I've been looking in to these off and on for a possible new build. Would it be possible in some way to route the majority of the cables under the bar tape, or would doing so create too drastic of a bend (resulting in sloppy shifting and/or excessive wear)? I can't find any images or mentions of this being done, but I thought I'd ask more experienced users before committing.
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09-12-17, 08:24 AM
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OK, sorry for dredging this thread up, but I've been looking in to these off and on for a possible new build. Would it be possible in some way to route the majority of the cables under the bar tape, or would doing so create too drastic of a bend (resulting in sloppy shifting and/or excessive wear)? I can't find any images or mentions of this being done, but I thought I'd ask more experienced users before committing.
As a former Shimano STI user this cable routing is just like them and I never found the exposed cables to be a problem. But I've never used a handlebar bag either.
09-12-17, 10:57 AM
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I've looked at doing that and can't find any way that wouldn't create severe bends in the cables. One possibility I've considered but never done is to get a couple of 90º "noodles" from V-brakes and use them to make a tighter radius bend right out of the shifter bracket. That would get the cables more out of the way.
As a former Shimano STI user this cable routing is just like them and I never found the exposed cables to be a problem. But I've never used a handlebar bag either.
As a former Shimano STI user this cable routing is just like them and I never found the exposed cables to be a problem. But I've never used a handlebar bag either.
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