illdthedj

please forgive me if this is a stupid question....but as the title says:
possible to use front shift lever for rear derailleur?

forgive my ignorance with derailleurs, i come from a singlespeed knowledge base....

specifics:

obtained older centurion road frame, built up a 1x9 bike (just 9 speeds in the back).
used a Paul Thumbie and one rear dura ace barend shifter (FYI, the thumbie is a bracket to attach a barend shifter to convert barend shifter to a thumb shifter.) did this for preference, and because using barend brake levers.

i wanted a 1x9 with a track crankset up front, so bought thumbies and shifters used cheapo style on ebay, both came in the obvious pairs (left and right side, front and rear)

SOOOO that left me with a left side paul thumbie and a front dura ace barend shifter not being used.

I also have another road bike i want to do something similar, make it into a 1x8.

NOW FOR THE QUESTION lol: is it at all possible to use the left over paul thumbie and front barend shifter to shift the rear gears?? Part of me is thinking no way, but another part of me thinks it could maybe work by thru friction...well, lets just say i remember reading (more like skimming) info on derailleurs about indexed shifters and friction shifters...

so yes, any and all info is greatly appreciated.
please dont give me any grief about not wanting a front derailleur ;p


oh and just for the heck of it, here is the 1x9 build i was talking about earlier....

LesterOfPuppets

All the front DT shifters I've seen have been friction, but I haven't seen 'em all. If your front DT shifter is friction or has a friction mode, then it would probably work as long as you don't mind having it on the left side of your bars. I doubt Paul's adapters are reversible.

illdthedj

oh i have no problem with it being on the left side. im left handed and like doing things backwards lol

but wait....when you say "DT" do you mean down tube?
My front shifter isn't a down tube shifter, its a bar end shifter....i remember reading that most (or was it all?) old school down tube shifters were friction, but this is a relatively new dura ace shifter....this one in fact:



basically im not sure if its friction or not for the front lever....

Jeff Wills

All Shimano left-side bar-end shifters are friction-only. There may be a slight detent at the middle of its travel, but that's more of a reference than a index point.

What you are planning will work fine and is perfectly practical. Left on!

Kimmo

Cool bike.

IMO a minimalist machine like that could use a single-pivot rear brake though ; )

LesterOfPuppets

Oh no, now I'm tempted to nitpick. A blue or silver stem cap would be nice, silver chainring and maybe some blue or clear Ourys...

OK, now I'm gonna go way too far. Shorter valvestem on the front wheel.

Kimmo

Shimano pedals.

LesterOfPuppets

If you mean pedals like these, then I second that emotion:

mr.smith.pdx

The valve stem in the front is fine, as long as it s within 5mm of the rear valve stem.

IMO: You need to lose the OUry rips. This bike is SCREAMING for some blue and yellow, harlequin bar tape. Like this. (only Blue...and yellow)

By the way, if that stem can't be used to open beer bottles, it needs to go.

LesterOfPuppets

Yeah, if it was mine I'd run tape up to the tops, too. Dunno if I'm talented enough to do the harlequin action, tho.

Long valvestems on relatively low profile rims just kinda bug me. I mean I've run 'em before but I didn't like it much from an aesthetic point of view.

illdthedj

LOL at you nit pickers!
haha i do it too on other people's bikes. well lets just say opinions are like...well, you know what they're like ;p

i like the black chainring and top cap, works with the black of the saddle and pedal straps and tires and headset and brake levers and lights.
the ourys was kind of a joke, because over in singlespeed/fixed gear we had a "tarck style road bike" thread that i was inspired by (tarck being hipster track bike pretty much only ridden on streets...you know, fixies.)
but i actually really like the ourys there! super grippy. harlequin tape is just not my style. and the cinelli alter is one of my favorite stems ever! still looking for one of the pin up girl covers lol

but im sure you all would do something different, and it would look great to you, just like how im totally satisfied with mine ;p


but now i know i can use the front lever for the back gears! thanks!