Bar end shifters onto a flat bar - temporary fix solution

Question

I have a bike in progress that will use Shimano bar end shifters, but I am putting on a Jones Loop Bar. I am ordering a set of Paul's Thumbies, but they will take over a month to reach me. In the meantime, my bike is my only vehicle.

I am looking for how I can set it up in the interim until my Thumbies arrive.

One solution I have seen is using hose clamps, one around the stem and one around the base of the shifter, to attach it to the bike.

Another option I am considering is to put the bar ends into an accessory bar like this one below. I know the external diameter is 22.2 mm but nowhere lists and internal diameter. It is on a webstore, not a local shop, so I cannot just go measure it myself.

Has anyone dealt done a similar conversion and have any success?

Does anyone have other suggestions for how to get it to work for three or four weeks?

Thank you!

Answer 1

Go find a scrap donor bike - either check at the local refuse-resell shop, or a bike cooperative. You're after one with friction lever shifters.

A simple friction shifter will move as many gears as you want, and won't cost a lot. They're super-versatile and are well-worth holding onto for situations like this.

I used one to shift a quad-chainring bike, and it worked really well for that purpose.

Answer 2

Two options come to my mind.

Firstly, you can try to adjust the limit screws of the derailleurs to make your bike a single-speed one. However, the limit screws are designed mainly to adjust the limits, not put the derailleur to a middle gear. Thus, you might find the limit screws are not long enough, and if you install a longer screw, you might find the limit screw misses the limiter.

Secondly, you can cut your chain to make your bike a single-speed one, route it directly instead of going through the rear derailleur. Then when the components arrive, you make the chain longer again and route it through the rear derailleur. However, to cut your chain, you need a reinforced connecting pin and to make it longer again, you need another reinforced connecting pin. If using Shimano, you'll find these reinforced pins for sale. If using some other chain, I don't think you'll find any reinforced connecting pins at all -- a good reason to switch to Shimano chains as you should be carrying these reinforced connecting pins along with a mini chain tool in your emergency tool kit to be prepared for drivetrain failures.

Single speed is much less annoying than it sounds, if you choose the gear wisely. In the history, all bikes used to be single speed ones until hub/derailleur gears were invented.

Answer 3

I wonder if it would fit inside the steerer tube? After you’ve adjusted the headset bearing preload the cap and plug serve no purpose anymore and you can just remove them.

With 28.6mm outer diameter and ~2mm wall thickness the tube would almost have a sufficiently small inner diameter. Maybe add some tape or something else around the shifters’ clamping surface to increase their diameter?

The hose clamp solution also looks feasible. You could make something nicer out of some sheet metal. Just bend it into a ring of the correct diameter, leave two attachment points sticking out and clamp those attachment points to the stem.