What kind of shifters are these?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 1,050
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 69 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
What kind of shifters are these?
I'm just beginning to think about the possibility of getting a road bike for longer rides and am trying to learn everything I can about frame geometry, components, and so forth, so please forgive the very basic question.
Can anyone tell me what kind of shifters these are: Soma Fabrications ?
Many thanks.
Can anyone tell me what kind of shifters these are: Soma Fabrications ?
Many thanks.
#2
rebmeM roineS
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Metro Indy, IN
Posts: 16,216
Bikes: Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 653 Post(s)
Liked 347 Times
in
226 Posts
Look like downtube shifters converted to work on the horizontal part of drop bars. Go figure.
__________________
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
#5
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,341
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 152 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6200 Post(s)
Liked 4,200 Times
in
2,357 Posts
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 1,050
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 69 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#7
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,341
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 152 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6200 Post(s)
Liked 4,200 Times
in
2,357 Posts
That's it! I've never seen thumb shifters on drop bars and didn't realize that they were basically bar ends located in a different spot. Thanks! Not sure what to think of this arrangement though. As a kid I had a bike with stem shifters (which I never used!). I wonder if using these is similar, but without the need to move your hands off the bar if you are riding on the tops.
I've used thumb shifters on mountain bikes but those were mounted next to the brakes and could be shifted without moving your hand much. I don't see the appeal of the Thumbies but to each his own. I prefer STI on a road bike because I spend most of my time on the hoods.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#8
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 1,050
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 69 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The shifters in the picture from the Paul site that Jeff Wills posted are actually downtube shifters. They are also friction shifters. Paul Thumbies are retrogrouchy by themselves. Putting friction shifters on them is uberretrogrouchy.
I've used thumb shifters on mountain bikes but those were mounted next to the brakes and could be shifted without moving your hand much. I don't see the appeal of the Thumbies but to each his own. I prefer STI on a road bike because I spend most of my time on the hoods.
I've used thumb shifters on mountain bikes but those were mounted next to the brakes and could be shifted without moving your hand much. I don't see the appeal of the Thumbies but to each his own. I prefer STI on a road bike because I spend most of my time on the hoods.
#9
Banned
There's another Taiwan version too .. Soma (Merry Sales) is An Importer-distributor .. like QBP.
Riv Bike is a retailer .. so is Velo Orange (but some of the VO stuff is bought in wholesale lots and sold by the distributors to shops)
Pauls Thumbies ... not Imported , their CNC machines are in California.
Rohloff grip shifter -- Trekking bars do that, such as on my bike ..
Riv Bike is a retailer .. so is Velo Orange (but some of the VO stuff is bought in wholesale lots and sold by the distributors to shops)
Pauls Thumbies ... not Imported , their CNC machines are in California.
I'm used to having my (grip) shifters and brakes right next to each other
Last edited by fietsbob; 06-22-14 at 12:22 PM.
#10
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,341
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 152 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6200 Post(s)
Liked 4,200 Times
in
2,357 Posts
Gripshift is usually for flatbars. There are ways (not easy) to mount Gripshift on road bars but they never caught on, mostly because Gripshift hasn't really caught on. If you have flat bars, Rapidfire or Sram X series shifters are a better choice than thumbshifters. I used, and liked, thumbshifters about 20 years ago but have to say that shifters like Rapidfire are far superior. My poor tiny handed wife had to suffer through them for a very long time.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Posts: 20,433
Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones
Mentioned: 178 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5887 Post(s)
Liked 3,469 Times
in
2,079 Posts
I still have thumbshifters on some bikes. They're good for winter when wearing thick gloves. Retroshifters look like they'd be an interesting alternative to brifters: Shifters - Gevenalle
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 643 Times
in
364 Posts
Actually, those are similar to the set up I have on my recumbent (which has a short, flat bar). I like them because I never have to move my hands off the grip to reach either the brakes or shifters.
I can't remember why I chose them over Rapid Fire. It might have to do with ergonomics with the high handlebar position and it might have to do with friction shifting the front derailleur. I know I didn't purposely choose them to be retro grouchy, that was just a bonus.
I can't remember why I chose them over Rapid Fire. It might have to do with ergonomics with the high handlebar position and it might have to do with friction shifting the front derailleur. I know I didn't purposely choose them to be retro grouchy, that was just a bonus.
__________________
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
#13
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 1,050
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 69 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Gripshift is usually for flatbars. There are ways (not easy) to mount Gripshift on road bars but they never caught on, mostly because Gripshift hasn't really caught on. If you have flat bars, Rapidfire or Sram X series shifters are a better choice than thumbshifters. I used, and liked, thumbshifters about 20 years ago but have to say that shifters like Rapidfire are far superior. My poor tiny handed wife had to suffer through them for a very long time.
#14
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 1,050
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 69 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I still have thumbshifters on some bikes. They're good for winter when wearing thick gloves. Retroshifters look like they'd be an interesting alternative to brifters: Shifters - Gevenalle
#15
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,341
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 152 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6200 Post(s)
Liked 4,200 Times
in
2,357 Posts
Some things to think about with the Retroshifters is that when you shift, the shift lever will stay in where you move it to. This could make reaching the levers from the hoods difficult depending the gear that you are in. For example, in high gear on the front and low gear on the back, the lever is going to be 90 degrees to the brake lever.
There is also the ergonomics of shifting to consider. Shifting from the low gear to high gear in the front and downshifting from high to low in the back requires you pull up on the lever. This is not a natural action and could cause problems if you have to shift and brake at the same time.
STI is a very natural movement and the lever returns to a neutral position. You can try something like the Thumbies or the Retroshifters but realize that there's a reason the STI and the like are very popular. They work well and feel right when you shift. With the exception of the Retroshifters (they are just too goofy for my taste), I've used every shift system invented for road and mountain bikes in the last 30+ years. It's hard to find anything that is as easy to use and as intuitive as the STI system for road bikes.
There is also the ergonomics of shifting to consider. Shifting from the low gear to high gear in the front and downshifting from high to low in the back requires you pull up on the lever. This is not a natural action and could cause problems if you have to shift and brake at the same time.
STI is a very natural movement and the lever returns to a neutral position. You can try something like the Thumbies or the Retroshifters but realize that there's a reason the STI and the like are very popular. They work well and feel right when you shift. With the exception of the Retroshifters (they are just too goofy for my taste), I've used every shift system invented for road and mountain bikes in the last 30+ years. It's hard to find anything that is as easy to use and as intuitive as the STI system for road bikes.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#16
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 1,050
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 69 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Some things to think about with the Retroshifters is that when you shift, the shift lever will stay in where you move it to. This could make reaching the levers from the hoods difficult depending the gear that you are in. For example, in high gear on the front and low gear on the back, the lever is going to be 90 degrees to the brake lever.
There is also the ergonomics of shifting to consider. Shifting from the low gear to high gear in the front and downshifting from high to low in the back requires you pull up on the lever. This is not a natural action and could cause problems if you have to shift and brake at the same time.
STI is a very natural movement and the lever returns to a neutral position. You can try something like the Thumbies or the Retroshifters but realize that there's a reason the STI and the like are very popular. They work well and feel right when you shift. With the exception of the Retroshifters (they are just too goofy for my taste), I've used every shift system invented for road and mountain bikes in the last 30+ years. It's hard to find anything that is as easy to use and as intuitive as the STI system for road bikes.
There is also the ergonomics of shifting to consider. Shifting from the low gear to high gear in the front and downshifting from high to low in the back requires you pull up on the lever. This is not a natural action and could cause problems if you have to shift and brake at the same time.
STI is a very natural movement and the lever returns to a neutral position. You can try something like the Thumbies or the Retroshifters but realize that there's a reason the STI and the like are very popular. They work well and feel right when you shift. With the exception of the Retroshifters (they are just too goofy for my taste), I've used every shift system invented for road and mountain bikes in the last 30+ years. It's hard to find anything that is as easy to use and as intuitive as the STI system for road bikes.
I do have my reasons for this approach, though: I had really bad experiences with my local shops when I was shopping for my commuter last year. They treated me like an idiot and in some cases answered my questions with false information. It was like they figured they could make up stuff if they didn't know the answer and the silly lady wouldn't know any better. I ended up ordering a bike from an out of town shop and was thrilled with what I got.
In that case I already had very clear ideas about what I wanted and knew what I was talking about. With a road bike, I'm in totally new territory and really don't know my stuff. I don't want to have to trust an LBS to educate me. So, thanks for helping me out here. I'm very grateful and have always been impressed with how generous BFers are with advice to newbies like me.
#17
Senior Member
I never liked thumb shifters on my mountain bike. Too inconvenient to move a lever on top of the bars. Moving the levers to the underside of the bars was much more intelligent, in my view. I'm not sure what the point of the Paul's Thumbies is. Retro while retaining the capability to index modern systems?
#19
Banned
IRD used to be mountain bike building Guys in Selma Oregon, now its a brand-name owned by Merry Sales Of So SF Cal, an importer distributor .
#20
Insane Bicycle Mechanic
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: other Vancouver
Posts: 9,825
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 797 Post(s)
Liked 694 Times
in
371 Posts
__________________
Jeff Wills
Comcast nuked my web page. It will return soon..
Jeff Wills
Comcast nuked my web page. It will return soon..
#24
Insane Bicycle Mechanic
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: other Vancouver
Posts: 9,825
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 797 Post(s)
Liked 694 Times
in
371 Posts
Well... they could have reprogrammed the CNC machines to orient the cable exit 45° or 90° from what they started with, but perhaps they didn't think it necessary for a very small production run.
Here's another variation: Quill Stem Shifter Mount
Here's another variation: Quill Stem Shifter Mount
__________________
Jeff Wills
Comcast nuked my web page. It will return soon..
Jeff Wills
Comcast nuked my web page. It will return soon..
#25
rebmeM roineS
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Metro Indy, IN
Posts: 16,216
Bikes: Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 653 Post(s)
Liked 347 Times
in
226 Posts
Well... they could have reprogrammed the CNC machines to orient the cable exit 45° or 90° from what they started with, but perhaps they didn't think it necessary for a very small production run.
Here's another variation: Quill Stem Shifter Mount
Here's another variation: Quill Stem Shifter Mount
What goes around comes around...................
__________________
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer