Alternative to Shimano shifters for Ultegra

FOAD
FOAD Posts: 318
edited September 2009 in Road buying advice
A friend of mine got a road bike on th C2W scheme at the same time as me and had the LBS put straight bars on it against all advice.

Now he has realised the error of his ways and wants drops but is being quoted large sums for Shimano shifters (Ultegra/105 10 speed triple).

Is there a less expensive brand out there that he should look at that are compatable?

Comments

  • Jimbo.
    Jimbo. Posts: 124
    Nope. Road-bike shifters/brake levers are not cheap. The cheapest that'd actually work would be Shimano's own 105 range. Anything "cheaper" is out, as the lower-end Shimano stuff is 9-speed, whereas Ultegra is 10 speed.

    Of greater concern is the bike and the handlebars. Is it a flat-bar road bike? If so, putting drop bars on it will make the riding poition somewhat stretched out...
  • FOAD
    FOAD Posts: 318
    IT had drops and he had them changed, now he wants them back!
  • chriskempton
    chriskempton Posts: 1,245
    He deserves the financial pain. Let it cleanse him.
  • chriskempton
    chriskempton Posts: 1,245
    "friend of yours" :lol:
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    What happened to the original bars and shifters ? Did he not buy the bike as whole, and then pay for the extra kit ?
  • FOAD
    FOAD Posts: 318
    chriskempton wrote:
    "friend of yours" :lol:

    Yup, glad you can read.
  • FOAD
    FOAD Posts: 318
    cougie wrote:
    What happened to the original bars and shifters ? Did he not buy the bike as whole, and then pay for the extra kit ?

    We both bought Cubes at the same time on C2W.

    The LBS agreed to put Syntace straight bars, Shimano 10-speed shifters (new out at the time and retailing at about £220), derailleur and cube grips on the bike at point of sale in exchange for his drops, shifters and derailleur.

    Pricing it up it looks like the LBS covered the price differential with labour costs and all-in I think it was a pretty fair deal. They then fitted the recliamed kit onto a custom build they did for someone else so it has all gone 4 months later.

    We told him no to do it in the first place, but he wouldn't listen.

    We did a 70 mile sportive with him yesterday and it was good for taking the piss out of "commuter boy" as we now call him.
  • BigG67
    BigG67 Posts: 582
    FOAD wrote:
    We did a 70 mile sportive with him yesterday and it was good for taking the wee-wee out of "commuter boy" as we now call him.

    :lol: That's the kind of sh!t my mates would give anyone of us in the same boat...like it.

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