Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Touring
Reload this Page >

Front friction shifter problem (Gevenalle)

Notices
Touring Have a dream to ride a bike across your state, across the country, or around the world? Self-contained or fully supported? Trade ideas, adventures, and more in our bicycle touring forum.

Front friction shifter problem (Gevenalle)

Old 12-30-22, 08:47 AM
  #1  
afrowheels
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
afrowheels's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 120
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 66 Post(s)
Liked 23 Times in 11 Posts
Front friction shifter problem (Gevenalle)

Having invested in a pair of Gevenalle shifters recently (3x9, friction front, indexed rear with friction option) the last couple of days I've started having a problem with shifting onto the larger front rings, the lever keeps springing back. First it was the largest ring, now it's the middle ring as well. So basically I'm down to the lowest gears - not a major problem given my current terrain but will be soon.

Not been doing a lot of distance, but have done a lot of climbing and tough roads.

There's a pretty good thread here on the same problem:
https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/6305/front-friction-shifter-problem

But there's no obvious wingnut screw on the Gevenalle shifter to tighten. Anyone with experience of the Gevenalle setup and this problem?

Always keen on simpler fixes where possible rather than the 'take everything apart ' ones.

Edit: these are the ones I have https://www.gevenalle.com/product/cx2/
afrowheels is offline  
Old 12-30-22, 10:28 AM
  #2  
mtbikerjohn 
Full Member
 
mtbikerjohn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: near Detroit
Posts: 319

Bikes: a few..

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 82 Post(s)
Liked 134 Times in 92 Posts
Originally Posted by afrowheels
Having invested in a pair of Gevenalle shifters recently (3x9, friction front, indexed rear with friction option) the last couple of days I've started having a problem with shifting onto the larger front rings, the lever keeps springing back. First it was the largest ring, now it's the middle ring as well. So basically I'm down to the lowest gears - not a major problem given my current terrain but will be soon.

Not been doing a lot of distance, but have done a lot of climbing and tough roads.

There's a pretty good thread here on the same problem:
https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/q...hifter-problem

But there's no obvious wingnut screw on the Gevenalle shifter to tighten. Anyone with experience of the Gevenalle setup and this problem?

Always keen on simpler fixes where possible rather than the 'take everything apart ' ones.

Edit: these are the ones I have https://www.gevenalle.com/product/cx2/
Those are Microsoft bar ends on there. You can set the tension tighter by the center screw that holds it to the lever blade...mine came loose when I first got them, but after the initial tightening, they stayed tight..
mtbikerjohn is offline  
Old 12-30-22, 10:28 AM
  #3  
Polaris OBark
ignominious poltroon
 
Polaris OBark's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Posts: 3,923
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2184 Post(s)
Liked 3,336 Times in 1,741 Posts
I have the bar-end shifters they use to do this modification. There is a tightening bolt on the side.


I assume it would still work the same way.
Polaris OBark is offline  
Old 12-30-22, 11:41 AM
  #4  
BobG
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NH
Posts: 1,011
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 314 Post(s)
Liked 116 Times in 81 Posts
I just keep the center wing nut tight on mine and apply an occasional drop of lubricant inside. Rivendell Silver shifter on Gevenalle Audax lever pictured ...



If yours loosens again maybe put some loc-tite on the bolt threads?

Last edited by BobG; 12-31-22 at 12:25 PM. Reason: delete previous comments
BobG is offline  
Old 12-30-22, 05:49 PM
  #5  
afrowheels
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
afrowheels's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 120
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 66 Post(s)
Liked 23 Times in 11 Posts
Great, thanks for the replies 👍 I'll have some time to work on this tomorrow morning.

I think for the shifters I have these are the suggestions I'll follow (the video is particularly helpful):

Originally Posted by mtbikerjohn
Those are Microsoft bar ends on there. You can set the tension tighter by the center screw that holds it to the lever blade...mine came loose when I first got them, but after the initial tightening, they stayed tight..
Originally Posted by Polaris OBark
I have the bar-end shifters they use to do this modification. There is a tightening bolt on the side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ce4kiPS-5M

I assume it would still work the same way.
afrowheels is offline  
Likes For afrowheels:
Old 01-01-23, 08:02 PM
  #6  
afrowheels
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
afrowheels's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 120
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 66 Post(s)
Liked 23 Times in 11 Posts
A half turn of the centre screw did the trick 👍
afrowheels is offline  
Likes For afrowheels:
Old 01-03-23, 08:58 PM
  #7  
vlicon
Newbie
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 41
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 25 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
" So basically I'm down to the lowest gears - not a major problem given my current terrain but will be soon."

Although it is not a major problem now it can be a very dangerous one later. I have friction shifters on a restored Branch Trofeo. A couple years ago I was unaware that the thesis on the shifter was loose. As I got up the saddle to go up a small hill the chain moved from the large chainring all the way off of the small one. With no tension on the drive train I fell on my side. The result was a broken hip. Take care of it now rather than later.
vlicon is offline  
Old 01-04-23, 05:29 AM
  #8  
Tourist in MSN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,112

Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3426 Post(s)
Liked 1,441 Times in 1,122 Posts
This past summer a friend of mine had a shifting problem on his Microshift bar end shifter, I do not recall if it was the indexed rear or friction front, but I solved it with a tightening of the screw with an allen wrench. This is the only Microshift bar end shifter that I have touched.

And a few years ago I rode a 200k brevet and after completing it another rider complained that part way through her rear Microshift bar end shifter would shift to the highest gear unless she held onto it with her hand. After several hours of hanging onto the shifter, she gave up and rode much of the time in the highest gear. She had the shifters installed by a bike shop shortly before that event, thus had minimal experience with them.

I do not have enough experience with Microshift bar end shifters to know if there is a magic solution to this shifter working loose or not, but I am starting to suspect removable thread locker like Loctite might be a solution.

Last time I bought any threadlocker, this is what I bought:
https://www.truevalue.com/6-ml-remov...hread-locker-1
Have been using that for several years on rack bolts, fender bolts, etc. There are other brands too, Loctite is often mentioned.
Tourist in MSN is offline  
Old 01-04-23, 11:25 AM
  #9  
kach
Newbie
 
kach's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 20

Bikes: author ronin

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Liked 24 Times in 6 Posts
problem solved i'm happy
I would like to ask a question about gevenalle
i have mechanical levers but i am thinking about upgrading to hylex hydraulic brakes can i just change the adapter for the microshift?
are the adapters for hydraulic and mechanical levers the same?
kach is offline  
Old 01-04-23, 02:59 PM
  #10  
mstateglfr 
Sunshine
 
mstateglfr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,531

Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo

Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10897 Post(s)
Liked 7,384 Times in 4,144 Posts
Originally Posted by Tourist in MSN
This past summer a friend of mine had a shifting problem on his Microshift bar end shifter, I do not recall if it was the indexed rear or friction front, but I solved it with a tightening of the screw with an allen wrench. This is the only Microshift bar end shifter that I have touched.

And a few years ago I rode a 200k brevet and after completing it another rider complained that part way through her rear Microshift bar end shifter would shift to the highest gear unless she held onto it with her hand. After several hours of hanging onto the shifter, she gave up and rode much of the time in the highest gear. She had the shifters installed by a bike shop shortly before that event, thus had minimal experience with them.

I do not have enough experience with Microshift bar end shifters to know if there is a magic solution to this shifter working loose or not, but I am starting to suspect removable thread locker like Loctite might be a solution.

Last time I bought any threadlocker, this is what I bought:
https://www.truevalue.com/6-ml-remov...hread-locker-1
Have been using that for several years on rack bolts, fender bolts, etc. There are other brands too, Loctite is often mentioned.

The issue the OP described is not a Microshift specific issue. It can be an issue on Shimano bar end shifters and even old SunTour ratcheting friction shifters. If there isnt enough counter-tension on the screw in the shifter, then it the cable will adjust until it is in a neutral position, which means the derailleur will move in kind. When set up properly, all brands will keep the tension at the level you want.
mstateglfr is offline  
Old 01-04-23, 03:29 PM
  #11  
Tourist in MSN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,112

Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3426 Post(s)
Liked 1,441 Times in 1,122 Posts
Originally Posted by mstateglfr
The issue the OP described is not a Microshift specific issue. It can be an issue on Shimano bar end shifters and even old SunTour ratcheting friction shifters. If there isnt enough counter-tension on the screw in the shifter, then it the cable will adjust until it is in a neutral position, which means the derailleur will move in kind. When set up properly, all brands will keep the tension at the level you want.
I use Shimano BS64 bar end shifters on three bikes, they have never come loose and failed to hold the bike in the right gear. And I have not heard of any Shimano BS64 or BS77 shifters getting loose and fail to stay in gear for anyone else due to a loose screw.

But I have talked to two people that had that problem with Microshift, one of those I fixed it for him by tightening the screw for him. The other one, she said she was taking the bike to the shop that installed the shifters less than a week earlier so I did not try to fix her bike.

Perhaps your experience is different than mine.

I never used the Suntour bar end ratcheting shifters, at that time I had the old Shimano ones that had a return spring, and yes those did require periodic adjustment.
Tourist in MSN is offline  
Likes For Tourist in MSN:
Old 01-05-23, 11:05 AM
  #12  
mtbikerjohn 
Full Member
 
mtbikerjohn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: near Detroit
Posts: 319

Bikes: a few..

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 82 Post(s)
Liked 134 Times in 92 Posts
Originally Posted by kach
problem solved i'm happy
I would like to ask a question about gevenalle
i have mechanical levers but i am thinking about upgrading to hylex hydraulic brakes can i just change the adapter for the microshift?
are the adapters for hydraulic and mechanical levers the same?

This might work:

https://www.gevenalle.com/product/tr...-gear-upgrade/
mtbikerjohn is offline  
Old 01-05-23, 12:06 PM
  #13  
afrowheels
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
afrowheels's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 120
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 66 Post(s)
Liked 23 Times in 11 Posts
Originally Posted by vlicon
" So basically I'm down to the lowest gears - not a major problem given my current terrain but will be soon."

Although it is not a major problem now it can be a very dangerous one later. I have friction shifters on a restored Branch Trofeo. A couple years ago I was unaware that the thesis on the shifter was loose. As I got up the saddle to go up a small hill the chain moved from the large chainring all the way off of the small one. With no tension on the drive train I fell on my side. The result was a broken hip. Take care of it now rather than later.
Sorry to hear about your accident. I almost had something similar happen a few days ago when I slipped the chain riding up a steep hill on bad road - managed to unclip just in time. In this case I discovered the problem when trying to shift up on some smooth downhills so I knew I couldn't rely on the higher gear ranges. But problem is now solved 👍 (and hopefully stays that way)
afrowheels is offline  
Old 01-06-23, 06:19 AM
  #14  
kach
Newbie
 
kach's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 20

Bikes: author ronin

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Liked 24 Times in 6 Posts
Originally Posted by mtbikerjohn
This might work:
yep I know but I already have shifter and I dont want spend 200$ more
kach is offline  
Old 01-09-23, 04:44 AM
  #15  
mtbikerjohn 
Full Member
 
mtbikerjohn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: near Detroit
Posts: 319

Bikes: a few..

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 82 Post(s)
Liked 134 Times in 92 Posts
Originally Posted by kach
yep I know but I already have shifter and I dont want spend 200$ more
I saw they had a trade-in option but didn't get a chance to look at it.On a side note,I'm thinking of adapting a set of Hylex levers to a set of Magura rim hydros..should be a fun project if I can find a set of used levers somewhere..
mtbikerjohn is offline  
Old 01-19-23, 11:11 AM
  #16  
kach
Newbie
 
kach's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 20

Bikes: author ronin

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Liked 24 Times in 6 Posts
sounds interesting
I thought about it and decided that I would buy a new set of gevenalle hydro if I find it
I have committed to building a new bike which entails changing wheels and brakes thanks to true axle and flat mount
but I'm afraid that I won't be able to find them on the site, they're out of stock, and I'm in Georgia and there's no such thing in LBS
kach is offline  
Old 01-20-23, 09:55 AM
  #17  
The Goats
Newbie
 
The Goats's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 9
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Liked 3 Times in 1 Post
Originally Posted by kach
yep I know but I already have shifter and I dont want spend 200$ more
First off thx for riding with us!

Regarding slipping shift levers, tighten central bolt as noted by fellow members here PLUS a great help is to remove bolt and apply a drop of blue thread lock first to ensure it holds position. The Microshift levers do need this to reliably work well and when done provide a very smooth shifting experience. The Shimano down tube and bar end lever do not require this (and really never slip) but we utilize levers manufactured by Microshift (these are not stock as sadly those are not compatible) as we much prefer the easier shifting experience they provide (much easier on fingers for a few hundred shifts a day!).

The shape of the front of the cable and hydro brake levers are quite different and as such we do have different mounts for each - so the mounts from the cable levers will not reliable mount to the front of the hydro levers, for this reason we provide a trade up program which we believe is good value compared to pricing out a set of TRP levers separately for example.

Cheers!

The Goats
Gevenalle
The Goats is offline  
Likes For The Goats:
Old 01-26-23, 08:55 AM
  #18  
kach
Newbie
 
kach's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 20

Bikes: author ronin

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Liked 24 Times in 6 Posts
Originally Posted by The Goats
First off thx for riding with us!

Regarding slipping shift levers, tighten central bolt as noted by fellow members here PLUS a great help is to remove bolt and apply a drop of blue thread lock first to ensure it holds position. The Microshift levers do need this to reliably work well and when done provide a very smooth shifting experience. The Shimano down tube and bar end lever do not require this (and really never slip) but we utilize levers manufactured by Microshift (these are not stock as sadly those are not compatible) as we much prefer the easier shifting experience they provide (much easier on fingers for a few hundred shifts a day!).

The shape of the front of the cable and hydro brake levers are quite different and as such we do have different mounts for each - so the mounts from the cable levers will not reliable mount to the front of the hydro levers, for this reason we provide a trade up program which we believe is good value compared to pricing out a set of TRP levers separately for example.

Cheers!

The Goats
Gevenalle
thank you, you already emailed me
hydraulic levers compatible with 11 speed mtb shimano should be expected in July
but i found the right conversion kit in uk and ordered it
and hydraulic brakes trp hyped separately
kach is offline  
Likes For kach:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.