Goingbros

I got a duel sport 1 a few months ago and have been enjoying it very much but the one problem i keep running into is the breaks which are mechanical disk breaks by default. I've found a new set of Hydraulic disk breaks that I would like to install however i don't want to have to replace the shifter. I was planning on removing the break lever and cable from the shifter housing and installing the new set of breaks apart from the shifter. I have the technical knowledge and skill to do this but want to make sure it isn't stupid or that i'm missing something obvious before I start. Would this be a viable solution to install hydraulic breaks on a duel shift/mechanical break housing? Please note that i'm trying to work with a low budget so replacing the entire shifter isn't really an option.

Shift/Break housing: Shimano ST-EF500
Hydraulic break replacement: Shimano Altus M315
Bike: Trek Duel Sport 1

ShannonM

Don't do that, you'll end up fighting a duel with your dual-pivot brakes and they'll break.

(Serious answer: I've never heard of someone replacing the guts of a cable-operated brake/shift lever with hydraulic parts. Mostly because you can't buy the parts you'd need to do it because the manufacturers don't sell them, so even if it would work, which I doubt, you can't do it.)

Bottom line, if you want hydraulic brakes, you need hydraulic levers.

--Shannon

Andrew R Stewart 

The real question, as I see it, is how to convert the motion of a cable to that of fluid. There have been various devices that do this, the earliest that I can remember was Santana's that was offered on their tandems about 20 years ago. There are some modern devices that do this. Giant offered a few bikes with said system recently (and I did a service job today on one Giant with one, the service didn't involve the converting device though). Basically a box with a cable operated master cylinder that feeds the caliper. Andy

Badger6

TRP HY/RD Cable operated hydraulic caliper: cable pulls an arm that actuates a hydraulic system to push the pads. Easy to set up and work great, much better than just cable pull, and reasonably close to a full hydraulic system.

Also BRAKES stop you. Breaks are when something becomes broken....which will happen when your brakes don't stop you.

hokiefyd 

I think the responses so far may have missed the core of the OP's question. I think the OP wants to physically REMOVE the brake lever part of the ST-EF500, use the ST-EF500 only as a shifter pod, and install the BL-M315 hydraulic brake lever next to it on the handlebar. Goingbros is this what you're trying to do?

If so, I don't think that's going to work. You'd need to have the EF-500 mounted inboard of the BL-M315, and I think the upper shift trigger, the one you pull to shift into numerically higher gears, will conflict or interfere with the brake lever. You may be able to space the brake lever over just enough for the travel of this trigger to clear it, but then you'd have a pretty long reach over to those shift paddles. I don't think that's going to be a good solution.

Do you have a 3x7 drivetrain or 3x8 drivetrain? Microshift have pretty affordable trigger shifters for either style that will work for you: 7-speed and 8-speed. You could also buy Shimano SL-M310 or SL-M315 shift levers. Both are available in 3x7 and 3x8 to match your bike. Get 'em from a bike shop either local to you or online to ensure genuine Shimano parts. These are very often ripped off by Chinese companies and sold for much cheaper on Amazon or eBay. The fakes may or may not work as well as the real thing.

Badger6

Perhaps, but he also laid out a clear LIMFAC (aka, limiting factor)...

Money is like water, you can't squeeze a rock and make it appear, and it definitely doesn't grow on trees. The solution I offered gets to his end state with the least cost, and frankly least mechanical effort. TRP HY/RD will get hi what he desires (hydraulic brakes) without replacing the entire shifter lever mechanism.

hokiefyd 

True. I read the original post as he already had the M315 brakes. He said "I found these"...I don't know what that means, but I presume that means he already has them in hand and is looking for the lowest cost way from here to get to an operating bike. A pair of 3x8 shifters is probably the cheapest way to get there. If brakes aren't already in hand, then perhaps the HY/RD brakes (which are not cheap!) may be the ticket. One nuance: I imagine the HY/RD brakes are designed to work with short-pull "road" levers, right? The OP's flat bar brake levers are almost certainly long-pull levers. Is the HY/RD system configurable, to work with either length of level pull?

Darth Lefty 

Money might not be like water, but 8 speed shifter pods are not very much money. Way less than the hydraulic brakes.

squirtdad

It would be way simpler, more functional and less kludgy to simple replace the shifter/brake lever combo with one for hydraulic brakes they are like $18 each for Altus Shimano Altus ST-EF505-8R 8-Speed Right EZ-Fire Plus Shift/Brake Lever for Hydraulic Disc Brake, Black

Goingbros

I do have Hydraulic brake levers and calipers. All I am asking about is if removing the break lever and cable from the duel shifting/brake and using it purely as a shifter would be viable.

Goingbros

I got the brakes from a friend who had a bad mountain bike crash and bent his frame in severely( not sure how he did this but that’s what he brought to me). He is completely fine with a few scratches but his bike is not. Rather than attempting to fix it he decided to offer any parts I could salvage to me and he would go buy a new bike. I was able to salvage the brakes and confirmed that they worked. I’ve had them on a spare test bike for the last month and haven’t had any issues whatsoever with them and am comfortable with using them on my Duel Sport. The duel sport has a 3x7 drivetrain but I would prefer to not spend too much on new shifters. However if there are any good recommendations for low cost decent quality shifters I might consider purchasing and installing. Thanks!

Crankycrank

This seems to me to be the best option (and hokiefyd's post #5) and you can sell your old shifters and brake levers to make up for the cost or....just get some compatible stand alone shifters and also recoup the cost by selling the old shifter/brake setup. Trying to make room for the new brake levers with the old shifters looks like a bad idea to me. You're either going to have to cut off the brake mounts or leave them without the levers installed but this will position the stand alone levers a further distance from the shifters and probably not very easy to navigate your hands/fingers around.

Goingbros

Ok I’ll look into new shifters. Thanks for the help.

Crankycrank

Ooops, I edited my post a little after you posted again but basically the same advice.

Darth Lefty 

Yes it you can scoot it in and rotate it so it doesn't interfere with the brake master and it will still shift. But I think you can see that it's made to be mounted in the brake position and your fingertips are able to reach all the controls with your hand on the grips. It's not going to fall easily to hand any more once you move it.

Any 7 or 8 speed shifter pods or grip shifters will work. Here's a counterfeit not-Shimano set for $20. About double this for authentic https://www.amazon.com/DMAIP-Profess...dp/B07T72F7J9/

veganbikes

Honestly I would save the money and put it towards a bike with the features you want. A Dual Sport is a fairly low end mountain hybrid not something worth putting much money into it. The money would be better spent on a bike more practical for your riding and has all the stuff you want. You can still keep this bike and ride it, never hurts to have multiple bikes but you might be better served on something else. The 7 speed era was late 80s into the early 90s we are now streets ahead so the technology has sort of been orphaned to their lowest end groups. Obviously bikes are hard to come by these days but put in an order when you can for something you know has what you want.