tiger1964 

Anyone ever seen or used one of these?

In someone else's WTB topic, someone's post included a link to an overseas parts seller and I was curious and nosed around -- and saw this: LEVER MOUNT

Other than some 1970's Schwinn Varsity/Continental/Suburban bikes, never saw a lever mounted to the headset before. What would this look like in use? Depending on whose lever it uses, might be a fun install on a vintage bike converted to upright bars and a 1x shift arrangement?

Bianchigirll 

interesting. My wild guess is it was a 5 sod Mixtie thing?

velobase pic.

TPL

Favorit = simple and generally reliable Czech made

Drillium Dude 

Looks like your basic stem shifter with mount. This one's a single lever setup, probably for a 5-speeder as noted above by @Bianchigirll - there were also dual lever setups which would give you ten speeds. I had one of the latter on my '78 Schwinn Traveler III.

DD

tiger1964 

110% -- except it won't mount to a stem. Looks like someone in Metal Shop Class tack welded a shifter boss to one of those headlamp brackets that I've seen. Actually, kind of a neat place to mount a shifter. I'll take a wild guess that it mounts UP from the keyed-washer part, rather than DOWN?

JulesCW 

Posting photo of mount in case link goes dead at some point.

Drillium Dude 

The terminology was generally referred to as "stem mounted shifter". The metal keyed portion goes over the fork steerer, and the key keeps it in place if the fork steerer has a keyway. Besides carrying the shifter mount(s), also acts as a washer between the top nut and top race of the headset.

It probably was tack-welded, but by a manufacturer. It was commonly used on lesser-quality 5 and 10 speed bikes for a long time. You could probably mount it upside down or right side up and it would work; one way would result in the lever being higher, the other lower.

EDIT: And, of course, depending on where the fork slot is, either on the right or left side of the stem.

DD

Bianchigirll 

I found this interesting looking setup also

Drillium Dude 

That absolutely, positively has to be something Rivendell keeps in stock - hell, they probably invented it

DD

Bianchigirll 

The pic I posted is not what the OP is talking about. His link is just the mount

Bianchigirll 

It makes your 66cm frame look like a Mini Velo

Drillium Dude 

Oh, yes, I understand. In my first response I was commenting based upon your photo. I reviewed the link in the original post, too, and that one (mount only) is what I was referring to in my second post.

DD

nomadmax 

It's a stem mount for a shifter. Not uncommon at all.

natterberry 

So people really consider this stem mount?

Is this called something extra special then?


Silly C&V naming conventions are my favorite. Why muddle the waters when one is clearly headset mounted?

Drillium Dude 

This is what we do in the winter when the riding is scarce: argue over semantics (among other things)

The gear levers end up residing next to the stem in both applications; hence, stem shifters. This ain't rocket science. Let's move on, shall we?

DD

natterberry 

Because they clearly are different methods of mounting shifters, so why call them the same thing?

This is the topic of this thread. Why try to shut down the conversation when people supply opposing views?

Drillium Dude 

Why call them the same thing? Because they basically reside in the same place: the stem.

Not trying to "shut down" anything - I'm saying we're veering waaaaaaay off-topic. The OP asked it the particular mount was something anyone here had seen before. A number of posts since then have confirmed that, yes, it was a common item to mount what has been known for many, many years as "stem mounted shifters". Seriously, have you ever heard the term "headset mounted shifters"?

TL/DR: The OP's question has been answered.



DD

dedhed

Did I accidentally click on P & R?

nlerner

I’m just troubled that the OP called it a “derailleur lever.”

tiger1964 

True. And the part I started post #1 with is something that I never saw in 4 years of working in bike shops (1974-1978) outside of Schwinn's version... and a very high percentage of bikes (60%?) had stem shifters. Both put the shifters within an inch or two on the bike anyway. The headset mount would not have any option for moving them up/down, but on the other hand in might allow placing the stem lower in the steerer without the shifters getting in the way.

For one of my upcoming projects I hope to use a 7/8 speed IGH and I have not decided where the shifter would go -- this might be an interesting option.

Pompiere

My first thought when I saw this was that someone had chopped a piece of downtube out of a frame to get the shifter bosses.

easyupbug 

Wish I had kept this one, but looked dangerous after witnessing an unfortunate cyclist car-doored. An IRD quill stem shifter mount.
​​​​​​

Drillium Dude 

Doored - then gored.

Ouch.

DD

dabac

The Favorit bikes we got in Sweden were simple alright. Although ”crude” would perhaps be a more appropriate word. Very much budget bikes. Galvanized spokes, non interlaced. cottered cranks, poor chrome.