sysrq

What front shifters are normally used for fast and easy shifting between front chainrings for half-step gearing.
Since half-step gearing requires more frequent shifting for fine tuning than crossover gearing then friction thumb shifters seem to be too ergonomically inconvenient.
Wasn't able to find anything convincing enough about shifters for half-step gearing.

Classtime 

If it is only half step and not with a granny, my Simplex Criterium on my PX-10 was super slick.

The Golden Boy 

I assume you mean the levers for changing gears?

Downtube shifters?

If you're looking for a high quality, accurate, friction down tube shifters- I'd look at Simplex Retrofriction. Otherwise, Suntour Sprint shifters (with the 'micro ratcheting' rather than the regular ol' Suntour Power ratcheting). These were reproduced as the "Silver" shifters for Rivendell. My other favorites are the Sachs/Huret ratcheting shifters. Buttery smooth- but not as finely ratcheted as the Sprint shifters.

If you mean the derailleur- A Suntour Cyclone of pretty much any generation will work swell.

If you're not talking about DT shifters- of course, bar ends work swell.

Half step stuff is all about shift/shift/trim. So whatever allows you to be able to adjust both shifters quickly...

I always throw out the Command Shifter option-

1985 Trek 620 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr

John E

I use SunTour ratchet barcons for my half-step (45-42 / 13-15-17-20-23-26, Shimano Titlist up front, SunTour Cyclone II in back) on my Peugeot UO-8. This makes shifting both levers simultaneously easy.

I have also had good experience with downtube levers and half-step.

When accelerating, I normally shift just the rear, then shift the front if I need a half-step adjustment in ratio. It is not too hard to shift both downtube levers simultaneously with one hand.

sysrq

According to Sheldon Brown "... modern indexed shifters makes the half-step gearing valid option to consider... ". This probably leaves the trigger shifters as the "best" option besides electronic shifting to reduce finger (thumb) fatigue. Since I have a two twist grip shifters with clearance issues to mount on a flat (butterfly) handlebars then trigger shifters might not work.
Posting in this forum section since half-step gearing is not particularly well known among non-vintage forum users.

bwilli88 

I have run half step gearing on 3 or 4 different bikes, the first was my 74 Raleigh Grand Prix it started as a 42x39 with 8 speed 13-34 then I changed it to 45x42 and it was shifted with Shimano 1050 DT shifters and RD & FD.



The 2nd was my Fuji Stratos and it was 49x46 with 10 speed 11-36, 105 RD shifted with 105 brifters.


2 more are my Centurion Pro-tours, both are 48x45 with 11-36 10 speed 5700 with brifters, the 81 is + granny of 34.




83



My Zunow was 49x46 with 12-36 Shimano 105 5500 level 9 speed DT shifters, RD, & FD.




My conclusions, the Grand Prix is now a SS, the Fuji is now a 46x34, The Pro-Tours; the 81 will be taken to the States as the half step +granny will fit there, Lancaster, PA, better and the 83 Frame and Fork will be sold.
The Zunow is apart and either the top tube will be replaced and fitted up again or it will be sold.
DT Half step is great where you have lots of long sections of the same road gradient. Lots of little ups and downs you need to be able to shift quickly and easily so brifters or other shifters near the handlebars works best. Where I live in Cambodia with rough roads and lots of little gradient changes it was best with brifters. I am moving to more upright bars and flat bars shifters are the cats nuts.

natterberry 

I went Gevenalle AUDAX.

sysrq

Since the road conditions are unpredictable in my case then DT shifters might not be suitable option.
Seems like I could get away without the trimming function as there is no chain rub when trying to shift accurately with the friction shifter. Shimano Claris flatbar conversion kit probably would be the best since I'm already using Claris derailleur. The only option is to choose between separate front trigger shifter for the same price as their integrated short length two finger brake lever combo conversion kit or just get used to friction thumb shifter.

bwilli88 

Get the separate brake levers and separate shifters. If either one breaks then you are only replacing one part and making one cable adjustment.

John E

Good man! I have used 49-46 (my all-time favorite, and a popular classic from the 1950s and early 1960s), 50-47, and 45-42 half-step doubles, and some half-plus-granny 48-45-34 and third-step 50-47-44, 49-46-43 triples. A 3-tooth drop up front works beautifully with a 2-tooth progression in back, e.g. the 50-47 / 14-16-18-20-23 I used for several years. I typically swapped a 42T for the 47 for a nice 1.5-step setup for hill work. With more cogs in back, I would no longer need to do that.

My big frustration is that some of today's wider spiders do not accommodate half-step, because the chain hangs up between the rings. The late, great Sheldon Brown warned me about this when I told him I was experimenting with 53-50-39 on a Campag. Veloce, and he (as always) was right. I ended up doing half-step plus overdrive, 50-42-39, which is not as satisfactory as half-step plus granny.

sysrq

I think friction paddle shifters with bidirectional levers would suit more than average handlebar mount thumb shifters. Thumb shifters are too awkward to operate when positioned parallel to handlebars.
Or some double tap flatbar shifters if the are compatible with the front derailleur.
Shimano Exage Motion SL-250 maybe.
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escii_35

First choice: Gen 2 Ergo for the front.
Second Choice: Gen 1 Ergo or gevenalle.

I've mixed and matched numerous combo's and they just work.
​work.

Edit: I take that back I had an FSA crank which did not play nice.

sysrq

Shimano Exage Motion SL-250 or a Shimano A050 maybe. These were advertised as faster.

John E

I refuse to buy any front shift lever that lacks a trim function.

palincss

Regular ones. There never were any special shifters (note, shifters, not front derailleurs) made for half-step, and no special shifters are required for half step. I've used a Huret downtube friction shifter and several types of bar-end shifters with half-step shifting with equal success. However, half-step is in my mind associated with drop bars, where you wouldn't expect to find thumb shifters anyway, regardless of what kind of gearing.

jeirvine 

Any love for Suntour Symmetric shifters, which auto-trim the front derailleur when shifting the rear? I have never used them, but have been intrigued by the concept:
https://www.velobase.com/ViewComponen...3-2787beac2bb0

noglider 

I have a pair of stem shifters that would do a great job. They're the old SunTour long reach ratcheting shifters. I know people look down on stem shifters, but there's no reason for that. The little extra housing does not make it less precise, and they never used that argument for bar-end shifters, did they? Anyway, let me know if you'd like them because I'm not using them.