Can someone recommend a shifter for the Shimano Alfine 11 that is compatible with road-size (23.8mm) bars? The standard shifter (Shimano SL-S700) is designed for MTB-size (22.2mm) bars. Thank you!
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3microshift has made an alfine 11 brifter and matching left. there's basically a whole subculture devoted to this question so i am going to hold off on answering. there are other solutions that make bar-end shifters out of the stock ones, and other ways yet of doing it in the stem area.– Nathan KnutsonCommented Jan 12, 2022 at 18:43
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1Jtek has bar-end shifters for the Alfine.– Adam RiceCommented Jan 12, 2022 at 18:57
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1@Criggie I just bought a slightly thicker flat bar. I needed the Velo Orange Porteur handlebar in black which only comes in "road-size" velo-orange.com/products/vo-porteur-bar-config– StückeCommented Jan 12, 2022 at 21:08
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1I also thought about widening the clamp by hand-grinding. After all, I only need an additional 1.6mm in diameter.– StückeCommented Jan 12, 2022 at 21:09
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1@Stücke I can't find a shimano shifter that uses anything more than 22.2 mm Sorry, must have been a corrupted memory there.– Criggie ♦Commented Jan 12, 2022 at 21:32
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1 Answer
I'm aware of ~5 options.
- JTEK barend shifter for drop bars
- MicroSHIFT brifter again for drop bars
- Create some kind of stub shaft for your shifter to secure onto. This was common for Rolhoff shifters. 3D Printing might be a good solution here.
- File and grind till it fits.
Example from https://www.flickr.com/photos/27209537@N00/5253435428
This would work equally well on flat bars. There's not a lot to come off, but the clamp band is not very thick either. - If you have a plastic clamp band, consider using a longer M5 bolt and simply spreading the legs apart. If your clamp band is aluminium, it probably won't stretch far, and is likely to tear. This would be bad.
The shifter units are not particularly expensive, compared to the gearbox itself. My personal approach would be to file it, fit it, say "Bother" and then file it again until a good fit is achieved. You'll need patience, perhaps a bench vice, and a selection of round files and abrasives.
Ultimately the shifter takes pressure on the levers so is under a rotational force around the bars. It has to be clamped down enough to not move.
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2I had good success with sand paper around a 30 mm wooden cylinder. I built it up with tape until it was together with the sand paper to 31.8 mm. That way i could get a fairly round clamp without appropriate tools.– gschenkCommented Jan 12, 2022 at 23:25
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@gschenk that's a fantastic idea. I once used a handlebar as a form inside some sandpaper to do similar, but I wanted a light bracket to sit at a point where the bar diameter got wider, Sanding to a form meant it worked well, until I overdid it and broke the only bracket :-\– Criggie ♦Commented Jan 13, 2022 at 1:19
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1Thank you @Criggie. Maybe I just go with the sandpaper option first. I already started to bend the clamp of the shifter a bit. I hope I didn't overdo it.– StückeCommented Jan 13, 2022 at 7:18
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2@Stücke I was discussing in the chat whether drilling it would be a better option. I’d imagine you could get it to be more circular that way, and since 23.8mm = 15/16in, you can readily buy the correct drill bit. Definitely do not bend it, cast aluminum does not like being bent. Cracks easily. Commented Jan 13, 2022 at 7:51
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@MaplePanda concur on the bending - if it were plastic that would be okay, but aluminium is already failed before it gets visible cracks. A careful sanding with a whiffle wheel should be a good approach.– Criggie ♦Commented Jan 13, 2022 at 10:18