Reddit mentions: The best bike shift levers

So /r/bikewrench and /r/bicycling are much more active sub-reddits that you may see more attention on, but I can try to help you out here.

Switching the bars could require a few things:


Stem Size and by extension handlebar size: the Escape has a stem made for 31.8mm diameter handlebars with pretty large bars actually. Most drop bars you find will be 25.4mm at the stem and 23.8mm everywhere else. Any discrepancy can be an easy fix with some shims (either bought or made). It is also possible (according to Sheldon Brown) that your current bars may have very similar sizing to standard drop bars. The stem may also need to be shortened or lengthened to comfortably accommodate for the new handlebars and riding positions.


Braking: As you may or may not have noticed most drop bars come with brake levers that allow you to access the levers while riding on the drops. This is important because it allows you more leverage at the moments when you are going the fastest. Check out this image stolen from 'Lovley Bike' that shows the typical 'breaking on the drops' position.

While it is not necessary to have these brakes and the 'hoods' that accompany them it is an excellent idea and gives more hand positions! Alternatively it is possible to use levers only on the flats of the drop bars (but not the ones you currently have may need the aforementioned shims).

Shifting!
I see the Escape has Shimano M310 trigger shifters. Those also may have to go. They, like the brakes, can be mounted on the flats of the bar but it is only very low end bikes that do this to their riders. There are an ungodly number of ways to incorporate shifting on a bike with drop bars. You can integrate them into the brakes with STI's, stick them on the end of the bars with Bar End Shifters, Get them onto the stem like many vintage bikes Stem Shifters or get them on the down-tube for a classic look Down Tube Shifters...

That aside the only real options up there that you have for a conversion are Bar-end or "Brifters" Brake/Shifters...reusing your old ones could work but it would be inelegant.

Geometry MOST IMPORTANTLY! Your bike was designed to be ridden upright, the stem, top tube, every inch of the bike assumes the rider is using flat bars. There is no telling really what the ride will 'feel' like after you start riding on the hoods/drops. Its not as bad as most hybrids with front suspension but I could not tell you anything about how it might feel once the swap is made.


For moving forward I see a few options

Option 1 Quick and Dirty Get some drop bars and some old cans. Strip your current bars of components and install the drops(don't forget shims), If sheldon is correct about the size of over-sized road bikes all your old components should slide onto the flat part of the drops and just fit. It would be a unique way to ride but mostly functional...Personally I would have concerns about how safe it would be.

Option 2 More hand positions!
If what you want is more hand positions don't overlook bar end attachments:
Bar end attachments
Orgin 8 might actually have the answer to your prayers: Bolt On Drops

Option 3 Dress her like a roadie
Trying to make your hybrid into a road bike is usually not the right way to go but...with $10-30 for bars, and $100 for Shifters and Brakes, plus $10-20 for complete re-cabling across the bike (MTB and Road bikes use different cable ends) and of course labor if you aren't that handy. Tack on $10 for bar-tape to make her pretty and comfortable and you aren't that far in the hole.
You don't get off any easier for Bar Ends once you get the appropriate brakes its about the same. All that and your former hybrid could pass any scrutinizing test of a lycra-clad cyclist, you'd have yourself a certified road-bike. No promises on comfort!


This is just a vague indication though! For a real in-depth price assessment and Q&A please visit your local bike store

For my $00.02...Don't bother trying to convert them. Ride the bike you have the way it was intended to be ridden. If after a while you still feel like its lacking, throw on some bar ends for more hand positions, Still feel like its lacking? Go test-ride some road bikes to see if riding on the drops is right for you. I'm not talking about a test ride around the parking lot either! No less then 3 miles on that sucker, get a real feel for it. Love it!? Sell the Escape and do a TON of research into inexpensive road bikes. They are out there waiting for ya.

While some shifters are better than others, at this price point, they all will be about the same. If you want thumb shifters, that is a perfectly valid choice. There are also some trigger shifters out there, as well as grip shifters if you wanted to keep that style. As long as the shifter is shimano compatible, and 7 speed, it will work with your current freewheel and derailleur.

>As for what you described with the current drivetrain, what i think I'm seeing you suggest is 'clip the front derailleur off/remove it, leave the current crankset on with the chain at the middle gear since even though not optimal it current funds can be better spent elsewhere.' Am I reading that right?

No. The bottom bracket axle length will determine how close to or far from the frame the chankset is. This article on Chainline may be of some help.

What I was suggesting is that you can still change the crankset, and leave the derailleur in place as a chain guide (tighten the limit screws to ensure that the derailleur is centered over the chainring). They make purpose built chain guides, but the derailleur is already there and will work, so free chain guide.

As far as the rear derailleur, you have a claw mount derailleur, so for anything "better" than what you have, you will need an adapter. As far as upgrading the derailleur, I would personally go for something along the lines of the Altus M2000 or Acera M3000. Note that these are "9 speed" derailleurs, but the cable pull is the same as 5-8 and the shifter dictates the "speeds" shifted, so they will drop right in.

Pedals, Rockbros are the current king of the inexpensive. They come in a few colours, so you can match that to your taste.

Weeding the bad out is sometimes as easy as reading reviews, yes. However, look beyond the amazon for reviews. I generally prefer a video review, so I frequent YouTube for them, but google/duckduckgo can usually find a few forum posts as well that will answer questions.
It is also sometimes as easy as knowing a trusted name, and using their part over a shady one. Shimano and Sram parts are usually trusted and reliable on the drivetrain. Rockshox, Fox, and Manitou are good for shocks and forks, but Suntour is also sometimes good. There are more brands that are great, but on the low end price point, just play it by ear.

9 and 10 speed cassettes have different sprocket spacing, which is why you're experiencing troubles. The width of the cassette is the same, but they crammed an extra gear in there by making everything a bit more narrow. The solution is to get a 9-speed cassette instead. (If you really want to keep the cassette, there's probably a JTec Shiftmate to do that, but I wouldn't go that route.)

A bike shop shouldn't charge more than about $20 to swap the cassettes. It's a quick and easy job ... assuming your chain whip doesn't break.

However ... if you wanted to upgrade to 10-speed, you actually don't need to spend all that much. The only components you'll need to replace are the shifters and the chain -- your current cranks, derailleurs, and brakes are all compatible with 10-speed. (Caveats: the newer Tiagra 4700 is not, and you have to be careful about brake pull.) So your cheapest path to upgrade is something like this and a $20 chain. Or any other older 10-speed shifter you find, which might be cheaper.

Is there a major improvement? Meh, maybe not. The shift quality will go up slightly with the better shifters. And you'll get an extra gear, which means less compromise when it comes to gear spacing or gear range. But personally, I'd just swap the cassettes and be done with it.

(Also, you can make your own chain whip with an old chain, if you want to try this again yourself.)

I don't think you can buy the individual lever and get it installed for cheaper than just buying a brand new left hand shifter.
My advice would be to shop around and get a new or used left hand Shimano shifter/brake (make sure it's the same amount of gears as your bike) and just reinstall it on your own. Plenty of videos on how to install a shifter and it would likely be closer to <$100 compared to the $250 quoted

Edit-- first result I found is this one from Shimano on Amazon for $89, assuming you have a 2 speed SHIMANO ST-5700 105 Shift Lever (Black, 2 Speed) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00629Q3RW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ukPgDb3NKZRP7

Edit 2 -- https://www.bikeinn.com/bike/shimano-105-st-5703-road-shifters-left/135996764/p

Just some links. Definitely could search around more. Make sure you're getting the left one

Do you mean like these?

If you're looking to switch out brake levers in a set of STI shifters, you're out of luck. They're not meant to be serviceable at all, and parts are very hard to come by. You'll have more luck swapping the whole thing out for a set of black ones (at likely great expense, unless you find someone willing to trade).

Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycle are where I get most of my components. I'm in the US and both of them are in the UK, but they're still a much better deal than most US based stores. For example, let's say you wanted to get a pair of 105 shifters for your road bike. Here are some options:

• Amazon: $249.18
  
• Wiggle: $149.73
  
• Chain Reaction: $151.99
  
  All 3 offer free shipping on this item. Chain Reaction shows it out of stock now, but the point still stands. They usually have stuff like that in stock.

Honestly, I wouldn't bother moving from 3x8. New derailleurs etc will over-capitalize the bike for no real benefit. Would however remove and bin the grip shifters and replace with Shimano ef51 shifter/brake combo units for a much nicer riding experience, and would maybe also think about some new V-Brake units like these Shimano br-t4000, do some new cables/housing and maybe a new BB.

For the fork, something like the Surly Pack Rat (I think yours is a 1 1/8) would be an option. In terms of riding position, I would swap in a shorter 50mm-60mm stem instead of what looks like a 110mm (as u/miasmic said). and mess around with the spacer arrangement.

These alterations, EF51 click shifters, newer/stiffer V-Brakes, new cables and cockpit re-arrangement, should rejuvenate the bike significantly.

Maybe a 7-speed system like this, plus a 7-speed freewheel?

This takes care of the downtube shifter issue (which I completely understand--I have a 1987 bike that I converted to indexed shifters).

And a 7-speed freewheel will probably fit your current frame (there's nothing you can do with the dropout spacing on an aluminum frame).

The only thing that's not totally clear is whether you can improve the gear range.

I'm guessing the $40 saddle is a take off from another bike that someone swapped out.

$26 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MUCN0MG

The hanger is a good price.

Put the saved money into a better than stock saddle and do it yourself. You'll learn something new and you're bike will be better in the end.

Edit: I don't think the end price from the shop is unreasonable.

If you could manage $70-odd for a couple of good upgrades, that could be made to ride quite well (for what it is). Assuming everything works, I'd suggest losing the grip/twist shifters and replacing with Shimano ef51 shifter/brake levers and Shimano t4000 linear pull brakes. Looking at the pic, will likely need a new chain as well, so add $15 for a KMC 7sp chain. The benefit of these changes mean braking is more consistent and the shifter will actually work properly as opposed to only occasionally (Shimano twist shifters are garbage)... Then just give it a service, and enjoy.

Long pull levers have more mechanical advantage; I think they perform pretty similarly (if long pull levers are paired with long pull brakes and short with short). Your choices for flat bar short pull levers are very few, however; these are probably the easiest to source.

I'd get the Avid speed dial levers over TRP levers, as you can tune them a bit (and they're cheaper).

Thanks for the reply!

Shifters are these. It's one long pull, one short pull that moves the derailleur a tiny bit, and another long pull. Doesn't say that anywhere though on the web.

I guess it makes perfect sense when you say it, that it's to increase range and reduce chain rub.

I would choose between two options. If you're deciding on those levers and keeping the brakes, grab a Shimano 3x8 bar end set. The price doesn't seem to be much different from the Microshift version and the indexing would match.

If you're willing to swap out the V-brakes and get cantis, I would go for a Microshift 3x8 STI set and some cheap cantis (but nice pads).

Good luck!

Okay, i guess I'll just have to get some compatible brifters and some compatible brakes then. Looking at these:

http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-ST-2303-3x8sp-front-rear/dp/B003BCE7DU/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_3

I heard they work really well on this particular application.

Thanks for your help

I have a related question, and you seem pretty knowledgeable. I have a '97 Trek 1220, 21-speed, that came with brifters. But by the time the bike made its way to me, the brifters didn't work and the bike has been fitted with downtube friction shifters. With the current derailleur (which is original--Shimano RSX), assuming everything is working with the derailleur (which works fine in friction mode), is all I need to do basically to find some Shimano shifters that are compatible with a triple chainring setup and at least 7-speed? Like, say, this: http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_514577_-1___202436 ? Or this: http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Tiagra-ST-4603-Shifter-Triple/dp/B005DVJ2XC/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=27YULV4MFFFI8&coliid=IW66IFK6J0URD ? Or do I have to hunt down 90s-era-specific 3x7 Shimano STI levers?

Hmmm, not a lot to say and nothing fancy. I bought the bike in Summer of 2011 after my earlier bike was stolen from the family garage. It originally had the Fuji factory bar with a slight rise and separate Shimano brakes, rapid fire shifters and the 'meh' hand grips.

Summer 2012, everything on the original handlebar including the bar itself was stolen overnight while the bike was rack locked and I was upstairs in a beach condo. F**king theives!

I replaced handlebar with a Ritchey https://ritcheylogic.com/comp-sc-rizer-mountain-bar
and outfitted it with Shimano combo brake/shifters https://www.amazon.com/SHIMANO-ST-EF51-Brake-Shifter-Levers/dp/B00MUCN0MG
I got the standard Ergon GP1 grips and separate climbing bars wrapped in bar tape. It's not the best of setups, I should have gotten the GP5 model https://www.rei.com/product/884447/ergon-gp5-handlebar-grips . The bar is too wide even for a big guy like me (6'1" and 250 lbs.) So, I cut off about 3/4 of an inch from the bar ends to narrow my arm position. The Topeak bag on top is great for often used items (wallet, phone, gel packs, keys, etc.) https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Compact-Handle-Bar-Bag/dp/B001T2U1FM/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1495644165&sr=1-2&keywords=topeak+handlebar+bag

That's probably WAY more then you wanted to know. But it is a REALLY comfortable ride and has served me well. For a second trip, I replaced the seat tube with an Uno compressor seat post and the saddle with a Selle SMP TRK. So Butt fatigue is completely gone. ;)

I really like this bike.

Some people might consider it blasphemy, but I think it'd be a lot of fun to take a really high end (but old) steel frame like this, pair it up with a modern Microshift groupset.

It'd break all of the conventions at my Sunday fast group ride. It'd look crazy next to all the Cervelos, and I bet it'd perform amazingly to boot.

You can get an entire Microshift 9 speed groupset for $150 on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Microshift-Double-Speed-Group-Set/dp/B00809F3PK). Best deal around.

I don't think new 6 speed trigger shifters (have 2 levers, sit under the handlebar) are made. Thumb shifters, that sit atop your handlebar like this or this are still available to be ordered online (ebay, or online cycling store) or special ordered from your bike shop.

>Edit: Can I swap out just the front shifters with these? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JPVUMOY/ref=twister_B00L096XLU?th=1&psc=1.
Will this work with sora front and rear derailuer?

No. That is a 11-speed shifter. It works with a 11-speed chain and a 11-speed rear cassette.

Please tell me EXACTLY which model Sora she has. Sora has been around for over 15 years in different varieties. Current Sora is 9-speed. I know the 8-speed Sora shifters had reach adjustment. There's a screw at the top of the hoods...if you tighten them, you reduce the reach which would help you wife.

Not sure if you have a 10-speed 105 rear derailleur or 11-speed, but here is what you need:

If you have 10 speed: Shimano 105 5700 10-speed shifters

If you have 11 speed: Shimano 105 5800 11-speed shifters

The prices are a bit expensive on amazon, you can probably get the shifters on Ebay for ~$100.

As for the brakes.. assuming you have rim brakes, those can be brand-mixed easily with no issues.