Make your own Bar end shifters

[kevinp]

So after riding the trike this morning and really not liking the twist shifters I thought that I would buy some indexed bar end shifters. After checking out the prices that was another item that had to be crossed of the list, as they are very expensive, the only other thing I had was the old style thumb shifters but no matter what I did with them they just looked messy, with cables going everywhere.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/kenderworld/trike/bar%20ends/DSCF0508copy.jpg

So after thinking about it and staring at the shifters I thought I would have a go at turning them into barend shifters, a bit of cutting and welding and it might be possible. First thing to do is to chop the bracket off, no going back now.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/kenderworld/trike/bar%20ends/DSCF0515copy.jpg

To correctly space the shifter so the cable goes down through the centre of the handle bars and also to rejoin it to the clamp, I needed two small pieces of steel, which are them welded together.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/kenderworld/trike/bar%20ends/DSCF0517copy.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/kenderworld/trike/bar%20ends/DSCF0520copy.jpg

[kevinp]

Before the next step make sure you clean the back of the shifter plate and the clamp as they are galvanized. You now need to weld the plate to the back of the shifter plate, making sure its the correct was around, then tack it to the clamp so it looks like this.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/kenderworld/trike/bar%20ends/DSCF0525copy.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/kenderworld/trike/bar%20ends/DSCF0526copy.jpg

Before fully welding the clamp check that the shifter is pointing straight down though the bracket,

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/kenderworld/trike/bar%20ends/DSCF0528copy.jpg

Now fully weld the clamp and shifter bracket, be careful the metal is quite thin, once welded and cooled down reassemble your bar end shifter and attach to your bars.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/kenderworld/trike/bar%20ends/DSCF0531copy.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/kenderworld/trike/bar%20ends/DSCF0532copy.jpg

If you are good with a drill you could cap the end of the bar and drill a hole for the shifter to fit into, finally file the bracket and welds down and paint it black.

Kev

[kevinp]

While having a shower I have thought how this could be made a bit neater. What you would need is some tubing that fits inside your handle bars, weld this to the bracket without the spacer, and then push it into the handle bars this could then be fixed with a grub screw or even riveted. I will make a pair this weekend then update this thread. :)

[trikeman]

What a great hack. Thanks for posting it.

[jimFPU]

Nice, nice, nice.

[Radical Brad]

A good one for the newsletter perhaps?

Brad

[darwin-t]

That's CLEEVER. (That's clever X 2).

[John Lewis]

Rivendell sell a barend pod to convet old friction shifters.

http://www.rivbike.com/products/list/shifters_and_derailers#product=17-068

I can't find the link just now but there was also an article I think in IHPVA on making a bar end shifter.

What you have done seems to fill the bill quite nicely.

John Lewis

[kevinp]

Thanks everyone :) I will take some more pictures when they have been filed and painted and refitted.

Brad if you want to put it in the newsletter that would be great :)

[kevinp]

After thinking about the bracket I decided to change it to make it look better and also to get rid of the clamp on the bar. So all you need is some tubing that is a tightish fit into your bars and mount the shifter bracket to this. like so

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/kenderworld/trike/bar%20ends/DSCF0544copy.jpg

Then when you put it back together it will look like so.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/kenderworld/trike/bar%20ends/DSCF0534copy.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/kenderworld/trike/bar%20ends/DSCF0533copy.jpg

Much more neater

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/kenderworld/trike/bar%20ends/DSCF0546copy.jpg

[kevinp]

When they are pushed into the bars they look a lot better.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/kenderworld/trike/bar%20ends/DSCF0536.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/kenderworld/trike/bar%20ends/DSCF0537.jpg

Excuse the screwheads but these are second hand :)

[jimFPU]

V.2 does have a mre refined look. Nice Zombie hack either way!

[savarin]

Excellent hack.
will it work with indexed type friction shifters?
Cant see a reason why not.

[kevinp]

The two I have made are indexed thumb shifters, that is why they are mounted the same way, I am using one for the front mech as I found that the friction one wouldn't hold properly. Glad you like the hack :)

[kevinp]

Just a quick update on the shifters as I have done my first longish ride today, they really do make it much easier and quicker to change gear then twist grips for me anyway. They have also stood up to some fairly quick and rough changes today as well.

[Danner]

Excellent. Friction or index, a great way to go.