FlatKitten

I have a mid-80s road bike frame, and prefer to run handlebar shifters. Are there any creative options anyone can suggest to put on the tube shifter mounts aside from just a cap? I tried doing some Google and Etsy searches, but I must not be using the right keywords.

I'm thinking of possibly getting them removed at the local metal shop since I got the frame sand blasted, and it's now or never... that is unless someone has a decent suggestion, because I'd rather not.

I'd attach a photo, but I don't have 10 posts yet

Thanks in advance!

79pmooney

Give us some hints. Bike model and year. Brand of derailleurs and shifters. There are cable housing stops that mount on down tube shift bosses. If these can be had for your bike, an easy fix. (Not totally perfect. The housings will bang the head tube and do a number on the paint. There are fixes and thousands have just lived with it.

RiddleOfSteel

I have wondered about this solution as well to unused downtube shifter bosses, though in this case it was due to running Shimano Di2 electronic shifting.

If you are planning on running handlebar shifters, KEEP THE DOWNTUBE BOSSES! Handlebar shifters will run their cables to those bosses (via a downtube cable stop) which will then run to the derailleurs. The cable stops also have provisions to add or release cable tension--another great tool for tuning your shifting.

The cable stops will look like this, generally. They are also pretty cheap and still available.

juvela

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a company in Concord, California offered a product termed a Diablo Kit which accomplished the same goal as seen in the image posted above


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FlatKitten

Shimano bar end friction shifters on an early/mid 80s Shogun 2001. What I currently have are cable housing stops on them, but as you mentioned, I still had a piece of electrical tape further up the tube to keep the cable in place, haha.

FlatKitten

I'm in agreement that this is probably the best solution. I'm playing with the idea of getting two cable stops welded directly under and further up the tube instead.

FlatKitten

Not finding much about that specific kit.

C9H13N 

if you get indexed shifting you're going to wish you had bolt on cable stops with built in adjusters

DiabloScott

When STI first came out, the upgrade kits all came with these things.
Lots of suppliers if you use the right key words.

Shimano STI Downtube Cable Stop and Adjuster

RiddleOfSteel

Ah, that is a good idea as well. I've seen a lot of this on Waterford (the later Schwinn Paramount folks) bikes as they built for handlebar-only shifting setups. Keeps the cables and housings clear of the frame, so no paint rubbing.

79pmooney

I'm an outlier. I've had one bike in all my years with DT bosses and didn't care for them. Much, much prefer the clean under the DT simple plate stop for a clamp. Ordered that for the Mooney, used the clamp-on SunTour shifters I already had, then moved to the SunTours that sit on the box on top of the DT after it came out. My geared TiCycles came with the HT braze-ons which are still sitting there unused and a mount for the Superbe shifters in that box. Bike is now fix gear with a wonderfully clean DT.

That simple plate boss/stop? Clean, invisible when not in use, versatile as heck and never snags expensive tights. (Light, aero, cheap, strong and reliable - I thought that was impossible in the world of bicycle reality.)

JohnDThompson 

Unless they've changed over the years, the Diablo pieces don't have a barrel adjuster, if that's important to you.

FlatKitten

I really wish there was a better option for the bosses rather than a cable stop or a cap. Looks more than likely that I'll be getting them removed, and ordering some cable stops from FrameBuilder to match very similarly what RiddleOfSteel posted. It has me thinking of doing the same with the rear brake line to clean things up while I'm at it.

Anyway, thanks all for the input and advice! I definitely learned a bit. I'll be starting a build thread when I get past the 10 post mark. I'm feeling pretty excited about where I'm taking this bit by bit.

randyjawa 

Not sure that I understand the concern, but if I do, I solved that little problem years ago. Though Mr. Mouse, some people just call him Micky, suggested just putting an inner tube valve cover over the mount. I do not have a picture of this (actually, I probably do but it is a PAIN to find) but you get the idea...

FlatKitten

It wasn't concern, but curiosity about if there was something useful that could be attached to the bosses.

DiabloScott

I've seen blinky lights, and electronic device mounts that screw into the bosses. They're not a good place to be putting anything big though because your knees will hit them... just like when I upshift because my knee hits the DT shift lever when I'm out of the saddle climbing.

The Problem Solver caps work well to keep the sharp edges away from your pants though, so that's useful.