djb

Gevenalle GX Shimano Dyna-Sys-Compatible Shifters - Shadow Plus

Gevenalle Cyclocross - Gevenalle

I remember 2 or 3 years ago seeing these and thinking....mmmm....maybe an alternative to bar end shifters.....

gots me thinking again....

(now must see if they can be set up for 9 speed, must read more)

Shimagnolo

Hmmm...the Dyna-Sys compatibility could come in useful to me in the future.

seeker333

Microshift brifters and barcons are a great value. Their barcons have been std equipment on the Surly LHT for 3 years now. Their brifters are also sold by Nashbar and parent company Performance Bike with respective branding. I have their R9 brifters in triple, got them for right at $100. Microshift BS-T09 is an excellent value in a 9s barcon, usually ~$70, but they are in stock from QBP suppliers only about twice a year for 2-3 weeks until they sell out. You have to watch stock levels with a LBS in-stock email notifier.

https://www.microshift.com.tw/BS-A09.html

https://www.microshift.com.tw/SB-R492.html

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Categor...y=&searchTerm=

tedder

'gev' even has hydraulics.

djb

ya seeker, its just cuz I've never owned a barend shifter bike, Im not sure if they would drive me nuts, whereas I really love brifters but these jobs seem like a neat altnernative for a tougher bike build, for a tougher type trip where I wouldnt want brifters.

just seems like a neat idea and one I could live with, given my penchance for drop bars and being on the hoods so much of the time. Not being able to shift from drops really isnt a big deal for me for this sort of usage.

imi

Thanks djb! If ever I go to 10sp, that sure looks interesting. For the time being (and current build I'm sticking to 9sp)

PDKL45

I am really keen on retrofitting my Specialized AWOL with the Audax friction shifters in a few years' time, with a European XT trekking groupset. They look to be perfect for using MTB components with drop bar touring bikes. The other option is to use two problem solvers light mounting rails to hold trigger shifters, but these are much more aesthetically pleasing.

mm718

I've been looking at these for a long time. The best of both worlds including the ability to shift multiple gears in one fell swoop as well as easier trimming of shifts. I don't like the non-aero cabling though.

djb

for me the cables aren't an issue at all. I've read that given the cyclocross intentions, they specifically avoided hidden cables for less friction and easy housing changing etc, not to mention that aero stuff at cross speeds just arent a factor.
From a touring point of view all these things apply as well, and considering my present sti bike has housings out in the open, and bar end shifters would as well, plus throw in the generally slow touring speeds, it really isnt an issue for me.

I have read that the cables are not a prob with bar bags, and again, I can just relate to how my tiagra 9sp sti cables have been fine with an Ortlieb bag, with the cables being moved just a little bit by the bag, so my feeling is that this would be the same.

Darth Lefty 

@The Goats posted in the Commuter forum a few days ago...

bikemig 

Micro shift makes shimano mtb compatible bar ends; this is neat,

microSHIFT -The best control system

djb

Its great to see that there are more options out there for drop bars.
Ive toured on dt shifters (no urge to go back), trigger shifters and sti's.

I really see these as a neat alternative to bar ends, being able to shift while on the hoods is just so nice, and over the years I have very much come to realize that drops are my favorite for all day riding hand comfort.

Flared out bars like the various Salsa models are appealing for rougher roads, and I figure a drop bar set up high enough will still be good for varying surfaces, plus these shifters are closer to hand than bar ends in those sort of surfaces, so nicer to ride and shift.

as per any bike, having the proper bar to seat distance and rise for you is going to be the big factor here.

Biketouringhobo

I was thinking of them too but I gone with Shimano XT Thumb Shifters 9Speed
and Raceface XC handlebars and Avid Speed dial brake levers


Shimano XT thumb Shifters

p.tumbleweed

I just bought a pair of the GX shifters myself and can't wait to try them out. Got the 10-sp version and will be running with an XT dyna-sys rd and a CX70 front on a compact double. The front shifter is friction only so doesn't matter which front mech is used.

djb, thanks for the comment on the bar bag, I've wondered if I'll be able to fit one with the cable routing.

koolerb

Does anyone have trouble with bar end shifters on rough roads? I built a touring bike with Ultegra bar end shifters a few years ago and in areas with a lot of vibration the the RD shifter wanders. This setup look pretty cool.

djb

Tumbleweed, you'll have to see for yourself, diff width bars and so many diff shaped bar bags..... Hope it does though.

Tourist in MSN

A friend of mine uses V brake noodles to bend the cable routing out of his STI brifters. I see no reason why the same trick could not be used with the retro shifters. Sorry the photo is not very good, I cropped it out of a much larger photo.



You probably have some extra friction in the system somewhere. My foldup bike is a small bike, but it has a very long tortuous cable routing (it uses tandem length cables) with full length outer housing. I often have trouble getting my shifters to behave exactly right. But my other bikes have less friction in the cabling, no such problems on those bikes even though the shifters are the same.

djb

ya, I've seen someone with those. I guess it really comes down to how much the cables get displaced by a bar bag, and how much force is put onto the cables. With my big, I basically judged that the cables were not being forced either with enough force and or having to change direction enough to warrant looking into a fix. I also didnt perceive any increased shifting force required.

Guess I would say that I only infrequently have a bar bag on this bike, so I might have a different view on it if I were to be going on a long long trip where I wanted to eliminate any long term issues with the cables perhaps being forced just a bit too much. In this case, these doohickies seem to be a simple fix and one that would take care of the issue.

thanks for the photo, shows exactly how they do their job.

Tourist in MSN

The other unmentioned problem is using a brifter where the bar bag is in the same location as the lever that is used to shift.

Last night I was setting up a 2nd stem setup to lower my handlebar bag. In this case I needed to get it as low as possible so that the brifter lever that is used to down shift (Campy brifter shift lever, not brake lever) does not swing into the side pocket of my bar bag.

djb

yes, that certainly makes sense. I reckon the issue here is that there are no black and white answers to what works and what doesnt.
I remember wondering how it would be with lever swing issues, but as Doug on the forum had put up photos with his Tiagra 9 sp brifters working with his Ortlieb M bag, as I have the same stuff, at least I knew it worked for someone.

but definitely, a wider bag, especially filled a lot and or a bag with much stiffer sides (the Ortlieb ones are of a thin material that can move inwards very easily) could very well get in the way.

My combo doesnt have clearance issues thankfully, not any that are serious or bothering with me shifting hundreds of times per day. I have no memories of being teed off at the shifter overly touching my bar bag--would be annoying thats for sure.

good point to bring up--but one pretty much impossible to know without trying it first hand.

I guess putting up a given bags width, bar width and photos like yours can help other people wondering how it will work for them before buying a given bag.

mtn.cyclist

I use Gevenalle shifters/brake levers in 9 speed on my Awol. Highly recommended.

mstateglfr 

I havent, but my barcons are a couple of older 80s model SunTour. I have a set on a bike I built up to just ride local gravel roads(rough, obviously) and they work great in friction.
I assume you are running yours in friction mode since you mention the RD wanders. If its in indexed mode, the shifter(and therefore RD) would hold its position until clicked to another position.

Is there a way to tighten or loosen the friction shifting of a Shimano bar end? Perhaps the outer twist part where you designate friction or indexed- does that then additionally turn to determine your preferred resistance?

09box

I have a pair of 9x2 Gevenalle shifters on my rig. Love em.

clayton c

I am using the retroshift on an 8 speed friction set up with a medium Ortlieb handlebar bag. Its an old MTB with dropbars. It works just fine.

djb

If possible, would you mind measuring your drop bars at the hoods area, middle to middle. Just curious in case you have super wide bars.
Thanks