tigat

This is a repeat of a thread I started this morning on the 50+ as "N+1 Solution to Broken Promises ....", which itself was a continuation of "Broken Promises, Feeble Excuses," a thread that describes my crash and broken hip back on July 14, while riding the Triple Bypass here in Colorado.

My fellow old folks thought it would be of at least mild interest to the 41, enough so that I should htfu with regard to the scorn I am due for posting a picture taken before I had a chance to remove all offending guards, reflectors and stickers from a new bike, find a proper white garage, and reflip the stem that my fitter flipped to accommodate the flexibility restrictions on a 57 year old guy 10 weeks out from hip surgery. So here goes.



On Tuesday of this week, I traveled to the Trek factory in Waterloo, Wisconsin to test, get fitted upon and ultimately take home with me the bike pictured here. It is a six series Trek Domane frame, with a liquid red paint scheme in matte finish.

It has a name painted on the top tube--"Bandit", which is the name my brothers call me when we play golf together, and reflects the fact that my left arm has gone missing at the shoulder. They consider any winnings I receive to be an act of theft.

More significantly, the Bandit represents almost a year of research and development by some very wonderful and talented people at Trek and its vendors, SRAM in particular. After many years of doing my own adaptations on various pieces of sporting equipment, I had approached Trek with a challenge: let's see what people who know what they are doing can come up with to create a safer, cleaner, and better performing one hand controlled bicycle. The Bandit is the result.

I'll provide more technical details in response to questions, but in essence, the Trek engineers tweaked the climbing buttons from a Shimano di2 system to provide multiple control points, one on the hood and one on the top bar by the stem. They took apart a SRAM Red hydraulic rim brake lever, installed the di2 buttons they had fabricated, and then SRAM engineered and built a splitter so that the single lever fires both the front and rear hydraulic rim brakes.

The Bandit goes like...a bandit I guess, fleeing the scene of a crime. It shifts with the flick of a finger and without the need to take my hand off the bike. Best of all, it stops--boy does it stop. I lost my arm 39 years ago. This is the first time I have felt truly in control on fast descents.

Although I suspect this is the case for many in the industry, I can personally vouch for the passion Trek has for the bicycles they build and the people who ride them. Now that some major industry players are focused on the issue, I think we are only a few more spins of technology away from a solution that will not require the custom building and testing done here, and can go out to other riders in kit form. Next time someone wants to start a "why does the 41 hate Trek?" thread, I likely won't weigh in, but know that I am smiling and have completely different view.

As for the broken hip, I am healing well, limping only mildly, riding a big boy bike for several weeks now, and threatening to take the Bandit up to finish the Triple Bypass from the point of my crash onward, if the snow doesn't get there first. Since there is no official time limit, my ride report will just be something like this: Distance: 120 miles; Elapsed Time: 93 days, 8 hours, 24 minutes. I promise not to count the miles spent in an ambulance.

jdon

Great story and great support from Trek. I am betting you provide a lot of inspiration for people. Get out there and enjoy the Bandit.

halfspeed

Beautiful bike from a great company. Enjoy.

I appreciate the sense of humor it takes to embrace that nickname.

Homebrew01

flip it






Nice !

RedViola

I am broadly in favor of the whole aero movement in road cycling but, if you don't mind me saying so, I think you've overdone it a bit. While I am happy for you, hopefully the UCI do the right thing and intervene here to level the playing field for the rest of us.

Seriously, brilliant story and thanks for sharing. If you'll oblige us further, I am interested in hearing more about the specifics of the tech involved and its implementation (and closeup pictures, please!!).

tigat

Red Viola. Great take on this. Thanks. Close-ups will come once I get a bit of tech help from one of my boys.

speedwobbles

Nice! That's awesome to hear that Trek was so involved with you. Can you post some close-ups of the bars and the shifter?

rpenmanparker 

I'm thoroughly inspired by the story and excited for you. It doesn't hurt that I had an original Trek 2000 repainted by them in that same color many years ago. Sweet.

I wonder whether development of a super wide range 12 speed rear dI2 derailleur to be used with a single front chainring would have advantages for your situation. Less stuff to crowd onto the single brifter. I see these systems popping up for MTBs though maybe not yet electronic. I guess a 135mm rear OLD frame would be needed.

datlas 

Great story.

Ride it like you stole it, Bandit!!

MajorMantra

That's really neat. Kudos to Trek and SRAM, and to the OP for not letting a pesky missing arm stand in his way.

garciawork

Bernie Mikkelsen, the guy who built my custom steel bike, suffered a stroke a few years back, and never regained the use of his left hand (I believe, my grandpa has the same issue and if I recall it was the left for both). He had a bike set up custom for himself with all of the shifting taking place on the right side, but no electronics so it could not be near as clean and functional as your set up.

That is REALLY cool. One thing to note is the help you received from SRAM, while using mostly Shimano. SRAM isn't my favorite company, but I have to give them props for assisting in a setup that at first glance looks like an amazing advertisement for Shimano!

Ride it like you stole it! (get it? Bandit? har har har)

Nachoman

I'd like to think that I'd be out there cycling with one arm too.
But the truth is, I probably wouldn't.
Very inspiring!

tigat

For those of you requesting more detail on the build, I have pictures.

The first few I took for the 41--white garage, no junk--because you have been kind.

The third is the name, included because its pretty.

The rest show, respectively, the full shifting array on the top tube, placed and programmed to work independently or, by placing my thumb on both upper and lower and holding, changing rings on the front and adding or dropping 3 on the cassette, to minimize the 16 tooth ring change.

The silver buttons on the SRAM hood are a duplicate-primary set of shifters, the one on the side for the front and the one underneath for the rear, same programming.

The splitter SRAM built is the t junction, and it balances hydraulic load front and back from the single piston. Additional variation is possible with the adjustments on the calipers that come with the Hydro Rs. In theory, a similar system will work for disks. Personally, the rim brakes are so strong, I may not go there although others may want to.

Thanks to all for the positive feedback on the Bandit. It has been a great exercise and labor of love for me and many others.

thirdgenbird

Sweet. Did they change the master cylinder so it would provide more fluid to the brakes?

Leinster

That's awesome, and I love the Cylon look of the brake lever.

When are you getting around to sawing off the superfluous left side of the bars? Gotta be a good 100g+ there to be saved.

gixer

How fantastic is that.

Another 1-armed rider here (although technically i have 2 arms it's just the left one is paralysed from the shoulder down)

Been itching to get back on a road bike again but have been unable to find a solution for braking and gear changing on the drops.

Have messed about a fair bit with different designs, ideas and parts this is my current rather clunky setup


On the good side it does allow me to feather each brake depending on conditions, and i am able to control both front and rear gears.
On the downside it's very awkward to change the front gears (the upside down shifter) and the braking takes a fair bit of getting used to.

If i can make a suggestion.

I've found that the Hopey steering damper really helped with the bikes stability


Might be worth taking a look.

Was this just a one off from Trek and SRAM or are they planning a limited run?

tigat

Awfully pretty build.

In addition to the arm amputation, I have a finger issue going on that made a two lever brake solution unworkable. Not as necessary for a road bike, but down the road, there are a few options under consideration to get front, rear or both from a single lever.

Gave some thought to the Hopey steerer. Ultimately decided that the geometry and design of a road bike tracked well enough without it. I've had three in 35 years, and, although the Domane is the best by far, all three have been very stable one or even no handed. The flat bar bikes I've ridden not so much.

The Bandit is, unfortunately, is a one off for now, because of the parts that had to be fabricated. Stayed tuned though--the industry guys are very much looking for something repeatable, and I'm not quitting until there is a way to build and supply these at a reasonable cost.

tigat

Don't think so, but I'll check.

Jed19

Amen.

gixer

Fantastic.

On a road bike i think i'd probably agree and a Hopey would be too much, i do find that off-road though i;m a LOT less fatigued in my good arm with the Hopey dialled in.
Only downside is it's tough to get good consistent resistance out of it.

I'd really appreciate a heads-up if you find a repeatable solution, please update the thread, PM me or i'll happily PM you my email addy.

Great thread, made my night

jayforty

I have adapted two bikes, both MTB in the past to be ridden with my one, right arm. I have stayed away from hydraulic brakes because I thought that a splitter might reduce the power at each brake. Was this T fabricated or is it generally available?

I'm really interested in your mods, because like the other respondent, I have yet to adapt a road bike with drop bars. I feel that the (cable) brakes would be easy sorted with a splitter and whilst I am happy with the modern brake and shift mechanisms, I cant see how to get a trigger for the front derailleur fitted. I have been toying with a ten speed rear instead.

Campag4life

+1

bbeasley

Man what a great story, thanks for sharing!

thirdgenbird

How was the recall handled?

tigat

The t was fabricated by SRAM, but should not be too hard to duplicate. The lever pressure (light), and breaking power (strong), is tons better than the cable alternative. If there is some lost power there, I wouldn't want full power. Re front and rear shifting, I have a total mechanical solution on my Bianchi that works pretty well. The front runs from a bar end shifter on a snubbed off extension tube, mounted on the top bar. The brake runs off the STI, stays single cable through an interrupter or cross lever on the top tube, and then through the splitter. Interrupter works okay, STI lever is a very hard pull. I'll dig up a picture and post.