7/8 Speed Indexed Drop Bar Thumb Shifters

thingiverse

On a tight budget, after sending back a defective pair of MicroNEW brifters, I decided to create my own thumb shifter that can be easily reached from the hoods. Why does no one manufacture something like this anymore? I was inspired by the Suntour command shifters and thought it seemed like such a simple concept. Maybe it would have been wiser to design a mount for existing bar-end or flat bar thumb shifters, but those are also costly. Indexing is achieved with plastic dimples and headset ball bearings - about 4mm in size, and simple click pen springs. You can find the ball bearings on discarded bikes. This project requires M3 bolts with a smooth top portion, and M3 nylock nuts. This design can probably be adapted for 9-speed, but 10 and 11-speed would require smaller balls or an entire redesign with a larger indexing body. I'm able to keep up with the leaders in my roadie group on my 7-speed anyway. When I have enough feedback, I'll upload a 9-speed lever. Or you can remix and design your own. The rear shifter is compatible with the biggest bike groupset manufacturer in the world for their 7 and 8-speed derailleurs/cassettes/freewheels. The front shifter only has friction, but it has enough pull for a double chainring. I strongly advise against using a cheap front derailleur (like those from Tz and knockoffs) with this setup because of their return spring force. I use the FD-2400 instead. Fits modern compact bars (with sharper bends) and were designed to work with a pair of Tektro RL340s, but they can probably be modified to fit other setups as well. I've used this latest iteration for around 400 miles or so without many issues, and my first iteration was stolen after only a couple hundred miles. The bottom shift lever in the photo, along with two pink shift levers, is after a couple hundred miles, and they were still indexing fine. The action force is a bit high, so downshifting (rear) or upshifting in the front will require you to move your hands. At least I'm unable to do it without moving my hands to the tops. This might be alleviated with longer levers; feel free to remix the levers if you'd like to try. Assembly and installation can be a bit involved, so read on below for more details.