avhed

Is this hard to shift since you push with fingers from the outside, but your thumb is not long enough to counter this to trim the shift?
A second question is are there only two brands of these? One being Gevenalle, the other IRD. The IRD is visually a better match for my 40 year old bike, but can it looks like you not only have to buy a pair, but its another $40 to fit a Shimano shifter on it (bottom right corner in pic). This extra piece make it $200. seems a bit much. A more reasonable offer would be to have the Shimano type fitting as an option since I would not need the piece that fits IRD Power Ratchet thumb/Rivendell Silver/ENE Ciclo shifters.

natterberry 

I have the Gevenalle ones. I don’t have a hard time shifting them. You can also adjust the boss on them.

mstateglfr 

For the IRD, it's $140 for the lever, $40 for the conversion, then you still need to buy the shifters.

I used Gevenalle shifters as 2x11 for many years. They are easy to set up, the microshift shifters performed perfectly, and they were comfortable. Shifting was easy with my index finger, I could shift both ways with it, actually. Thumb shifting for trimming the left or changing the right was easy too.
With the monthly discount, they were $160 from universal cycles.

Interesting that a niche product was copied by IRD.

Personally, I would go for the original.

tricky 

I’ve briefly rode @ryansu ‘s bike (Spesh Sequoia I think?) with Gevenalle shifters on it while we were waiting for the ferry and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought they were going to be awkward but they aren’t. I think I slightly prefer bar ends on my commuters due to the lower cost and my recreational rider drop bar bikes get brifters but I wouldn’t mind having a pair of Gevenalles on a bike.

SurferRosa

Down tube shifters and htfu.

​​​​​​

Dylansbob 

I was actually super tempted to get some Kelly Take-offs, but then I bought a bunch of bikes...

gugie 

Calling Andy_K

Andy's a good friend of Genevalle's owner here in Portlandia.

Andy_K 

Yeah, I've got the Gevenalles on a few bikes and really like them. I think it was my Sequoia that @tricky rode.

You can't really shift from the drops. In a few years the right shifter is where you might want your index finger to be, but I don't find it to be a problem. If you have small hands (as I do) you might need to pivot your hand to reach the shifter in some positions. That's a feature! They're the only shifters with reach around technology.

gugie 

Some day you will become old and find it difficult to bend over so far. I'm planning on riding well into my 80's even if I have to exchage my dropped bars for ape hangers.

avhed

Sorry, I got my digits crossed, its $60 for the Shimano fitting.
Thanks for the Universal Cycles tip, but unfortunately I want silver for a vintage bike.

mstateglfr 

so $200 plus the actual shifters- oof. Wonder what brake lever IRD uses.

avhed

They look like the same lever.

ryansu

That wasn't me tricky but I have always thought those Gevenalle shifters looked cool and would love to try them but I have never had a pair on a bike of mine

nlerner

I have a set of the Genevales on my Holdsworth. Actually, I've had them a long time, back when they were called "retroshift." I already ride on the hoods, but it still took a little adjustment to avoid squeezing the brake levers when I was shifting, but not a big transition. I'm using some Shimano 8/9 index levers I had in the bin.

fender1

I will be the voice of dissent. Like nlerner I had them back before the rebranding. I found the shifting to be unintuitive and the physical motion to be a bit uncomfortable. I guess if it was my only option I would have adapted but using brifters, bar-ends and downtube shifters just felt better to me. YMMV.

73StellaSX76

I have about 3 years/10k miles on a set of 2x10 Gevenalles and have adapted to shifting them pretty well. Some shifts are awkward depending on where the lever is pointed, but some shifts are the quickest and easiest of any of the half dozen or so different shifting systems which I regularly use. I like the modular nature of them using the Microshift shifters, a swap to a different gearing system can be less involved, and cheaper. I also like how the shift housings and cables are not routed under bar tape, resulting in lighter action shifting than brifters.

In my estimation the winner design would be if a manufacturer could come up with a sequential paddle type shifter unit to mount to the Gevenalle levers. The lever could aim at one constant direction of choice and to shift you’d tip it one direction or the other to upshift or downshift. Some of the mtb trigger shifters had dual action on one of the triggers, might be a good start to mocking up such a sequential shifter on a road lever.

avhed

Which positions are awkward?

73StellaSX76

Right hand side, lever pointing down at 6 o’clock, plus and minus a shift or two. I either need to wrap my index and middle fingers way over to pull an upshift or twist my wrist around to get my thumb to push it rightward.

Not related to an awkward shift position, but I’ve also considered adding a 2-3 mm shim under the shifter mount to give a little more finger clearance to the lever for braking,

mstateglfr 

Microshift road shifters arent exactly what you describe, but they certainly have a process that is similar.

- housing routed outside bar tape like you want.
- dedicated upshift paddle.
- dedicated downshift paddle.
- dedicated brake lever.


It isnt the process you suggest, where push the lever left to upshift and push the lever right to downshift. I think pushing each lever outward would be tough for many and I assume thats why both the left and right sifters push inward only on all drop bar integrated shifters.

73StellaSX76

That’s a good point you make. Coincidentally, I have a set of those in a 3x8 shift for a dirt drop conversion I’m working on. I’ll be interested to see how I do with the different paddle arrangement. Thanks.

mstateglfr 

Ive used these in 2x7 and 2x9 setups and genuinely like them. The shifting is very intentional, especially when shifting to smaller cogs, but its accurate and is an oddly satisfying sound. The separate paddles are very easy to adapt to and feel good.
If Microshift used this shifting system for their 10 and 11 speed shifters with hidden cables, I would have bought some 11sp for a bike I built up last year. Instead, the higher speed shifters use a thumb tab.

Andy_K 

Gevenalle shifters on my Sequoia




Something quite a bit less common, Gevenalle+Campagnolo shifters on my Grand Jubilé (this requires a special widget that isn't generally available)

1simplexnut

aint that the truth !
My stem is pretty much level with my saddle these days too !

SurferRosa

Hey, somebody's gotta be the conscience of this place. I can't have you guys going all recumbent on me.

Rocket-Sauce 

Someone has to say it...
I
t don't matter how well they work... these things are U-G-L-Y. They look like someone just slapped a shifter onto the front of a brake lever.

Wait... They ARE just a shifter slapped to the front of a brake lever.

Brifters are a far better solution. And cheaper.