ihm96

Was doing some online window shopping for vintage road bikes and I came across this De Rosa bicycle with these beautiful ornate downtube shifters.

Does anyone here have any favorite or unique designs they love? Would love to see what else is out there , its definitely quite an accessory piece. Would love to find some cool shifters to swap out my boring Shimano 600 ones

Markeologist

Already a thread on this topic…search for “your favorite downtube shifters.”

ihm96

Thank you! I had looked for a thread already on this and had only found one on components. Will do a search for that thread

P!N20

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...some-pics.html

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-see-them.html

ihm96

Mine look just like these ones. I've discovered that the term Pantograph is what describes the style of shifters that are colorful and engraved.

I just found some really neat ones on ebay - eddy merckx shifters sante pogliaghi

I would love to buy the Eddy merckx ones but I'm honestly not sure if thats something that is easy to swap on or not. Not sure if it requires other parts or if its something where I can just swap out my current shift levers and leave everything else the same? Might need to go to a bike shop and ask I guess or if anyone here knows ?

rccardr 

The Panto’d Merckx ones will fit on standard downtube shifter braze-ons (the square ones) using 5mm D ring bolts.
The e-Bay ones are levers only; you will need a set of internal Campagnolo bits to complete the shifting mechanism as well as a pair of mounting plates.
If your levers are clamp or aero base mounted, you’ll likely need one of those as well since earlier Shimano ones tended toward their then-proprietary mount. Suggest you disassemble ro determine whether your clamp will work.

ihm96

Thank you ! Will take a look when I am home from work and see what I am working with and dive in on if it is possible

SurferRosa

None of us would consider Arabesque shifters as "boring." And we all generally like our shifters to match the rest of the group, as yours do.

Instead of focusing on shifters, put your funds into new bar tape (like Fizik)and new tires (like Panaracer Paselas). If you're serious about your hobby, you may want to do like the rest of us and buy tools and fully overhaul the bike yourself. After a full overhaul, it'll ride like it's brand new.

Your misaligned wheel could simply be the wheel itself, not the frame. Check the dish.

ihm96

Thank you for the advice, will definitely check the wheels. Already planning on getting new grip tape asap and learing how to wrap the bars . The tape started peeling up as I was riding the other day since its a bit old. The tires are pretty new, my dad had them put on before he gave it to me 3-4 years ago and theyve barely been ridden. Will have to see what brand they are but they felt pretty good riding around.

The arabesque ones aren't necessarily bad , I just really dig the style of the more colorful options. I do overall like the way they shift while riding

I do want to start to get tools and do more work myself eventually but I think I may pay for the initial tune up to be done at a shop just to make sure everything is kosher and safe and to get me riding regularly and then start to pick up the skills as I find things needing replaced.

Strawbunyan

I am offended......

My boring shifters.
there are a couple of ways you could make these more colorful if you chose to. Does the bike have a full arabesque group or just the shifters?

ihm96

Hahaha no offense intended, after all thats what i have as well. It has the full arabesque group as far as I am aware it is all still original components aside from the tires and grip tape

JohnDThompson 

Here's some you don't often see. Zeus "Cosmos" retrofriction shift levers: