boy scout 161

Looking for some feedback / advice:

I really dislike the Shimano 2300 STI levers on my Trek 1.1. I am toying with the idea of replacing them with an Ultegra bar end shifter / Paul Thumbies setup and Crane Creek SCR-5 brake levers.

I use this bike for pleasure riding.

So, pro’s and con’s to this set up?

Thanks for your help.

Phil_gretz

May I ask what about the 2300's you don't like? Is it having to reach the thumb lever from the drops? Or is it the idea of integral brake lever and shifter mounts in general (e.g., reaching to shift and pulling back accidentally, causing unintended braking, etc.)? Is it the way that it feels when it shifts, or something about the quality of the shifting?

The reason I ask is that the change to bar ends and standard aero brake levers, while it will work fine, is in some ways a step downward from STI. At least, to some.

PROS: Might address the complaint you have about the 2300s. Reliable as all heck, simple. Easy change to accomplish.
CONS: May be an unnecessary change. Having to reach to the bar end when riding in a group or in traffic requires good concentration and balance, producing a bit less control than with STIs. Bar ends look funny on a non-utilitarian non-touring bike.

I use bar end shifters on my touring bike and love them. All shifter types are really fine once you adjust to them. My wife has the 9-speed DuraAce bar ends on her touring bike and she has no problems at all with this set up.

boy scout 161

Basically, yes to all the above. I really dislike the thumb lever. It's in the way ergo wise and shifts rough. The overall shifting quality is subpar in my opinion as well. I thought about upgrading to a 105 shifter, but since this is pleasure bike I didn't want to put that kind of money into it.

Thanks for your input.

Camilo

I have bikes with Sora (similar to 2300?), Tiagra, Ultegra, Sram Red, and with brake levers w/ bar end shifters.

The bar end shifters are absolutely fine, especially if you buy brake levers that fit your hands and handlebars comfortably. In fact, if I only had that option, I'd never be unhappy. So if that's what you really want to do, no problem. That said, to me, having ridden downtube and bar end shfters for 30 years, integrated/shifter brakes are a great progression in technology. And if you tally the cost of decent bar end shifters and levers, you might be approaching the cost of the inexpensive integrated lever options.

Don't give up on integrated levers just because 105 is a fairly expensive upgrade (I wouldn't do it on that bike either). There are cheaper alternatives that work just fine.

Your current system is 8 speed (correct me if I'm wrong). Your easiest and cheapest switch would be to stick with an 8 speed system, and I believe that other than Shimano 2300, and maybe Sora (same type of lever though), Microshift is the only system that offers 8 speed. I've read pretty good reviews on Microshift stuff lately, but have never tried it myself. I think that if you look online you can find the shifters for ~$100 or less and they are probably compatable with your other components (double check on that).

Going to 9 or 10 speed is also an option and the lowest level Shimano (Tiagra - still available in 9?) and Sram (Apex - 10 only) and the 9 or 10 speed versions of Microshift will probably all work perfectly for you. Don't think that you'd have to go with Shimano 105 or Sram Rival to get a decent upgrade from what you have. Unless you are already 9 speed, you'd you'd have to change cassette and chain either way (9 or 10), I'd go with 10 speed, althought, to me, 9 speed has plenty of gears. If you're already a 9 speed system, I'd look for some current or used Tiagra 9 speed shifters or Microshift 9 speed shifters.

If it were my bike, I'd give the Microshift a try just because it is probably the cheapest and easiest, and I've always been curious! You can get a few bucks for working shifters on the bay to reduce your net cost too.

Icculus21

I'm planning a flat-to-drop bar conversion and was going to purchase Shimano STI 2300's (3x8)... However, after reading your comments I'll take a look into Microshift, I was previously not familiar with that brand.

Like you said, 8-speeds for some reason are hard to come by, and the 2300's are a good price.

boy scout 161

Thanks Camilo, good info, I'll check out the Microshift system.

hybridbkrdr

What about the R500? https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=13638

Icculus21

The R500's are about twice the cost of 2300's. I guess you get what you pay for... it's way outside my budget!

Camilo

My message wasn't intended to discourage 2300/Sora type of levers - the OP had already decided on that. I've used 2300 and Sora and they really work fine, I actually didn't mind them at all - except for shifting from the drops. My wife rented a Sora bike last year and actually prefers them to her Tiagara because the thumb shifter just makes sense to her and is easier for her to use. Like I said, I'd go w/ Microshift mainly out of curiousity, not because of dislike of Sora / 2300.

boy scout 161

Camilo - Did a little research and it appears that the microSHIFT might be what I want. It appears the SB-R482 would work. Now to find a dealer here in the U.S. Couldn't find a SB-R482 on eBay. Sent an email to microSHIFT. Thanks for your advice.

mprelaw

I have Microshift R-82 shifters on my bike (8 speed cassette). I'm very pleased with them so far. Easy to shift off the drops, and no accidental braking/downshifting. It does use a thumb button to upshift, but it's easily reachable from the drops. The downshift lever has a long-ish throw, but you get used to it.

Going from small to big ring on the front, one click of the lever trims, the second moves the chain. If you move the chain with one throw of the lever, you'll hear rub in almost every gear, so you trim it with one push of the thumb button.

I think they're way more user-friendly than either 2300 or Sora. We'll see about how durable they are. So far, they haven't missed a beat.