ribble audax - first bike build -flat bar shifters

simon8298
simon8298 Posts: 17
edited March 2012 in Workshop
hey guys.. just bought a cheap ribble audax frame on eBay and am currently shopping for second hand parts so i can get my first bike build under way.

The ribble has a braze on front mech hanger, is it removable so that a standard clamp mech can be installed?? sorry if this seems like a dumb question. (frame ain't turned up yet)

Having a hard time trying to find a braze on triple front mech, cheap and second hand right now. the fact i am trying to build a flat bar roadie is probably making things more complicated than needs be :(

Any of you have much experience with flat bar shifters for road bikes? if so what are the cheapest options to get up and running??

cheers

Comments

  • simon8298
    simon8298 Posts: 17
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PAIR-Shimano- ... 43ae56a5b4

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shimano-FD-R4 ... 3cc3f16556

    that little lot would end up costing 65 quid! :(
  • jomoj
    jomoj Posts: 777
    why do you want to remove the braze on hanger? It's generally a better solution than the clamp on. I also think you might be being unrealistic with your expectations of price, both of those are reasonable prices for new parts. Better to be patient and put something good together than rush it for sake of a few quid.

    Anyway, I used a pair of those shifters and they were fine, the right hand shifter is identical to any shimano 9speed MTB shifter, only the left hand one differs as it has intermediate trim positions for working with a road chainset. The front mech is also very similar to a MTB mech (which you could get cheaper) but has a slightly larger radius outer cage for coping with bigger chainrings. In practice though, you could use an MTB mech with a state max chainring size of 48T on a road chainset with a 50T chainring without problems.
  • simon8298
    simon8298 Posts: 17
    hey jomoj ;)

    Thank you for your reply. The reason i am in such a rush is that i have no bike right now! :( And yes the prices are very reasonable new, but i set out to build this bike with second hand parts on a shoe string budget. and having missed a set of them very shifters with a front mech for 25 quid just a week or so back on eBay i begrudge paying full price knowing what i missed!

    I have since found a cheap (but in very good condition) front mech (Tiagra FD-4400) that will work with the above shifters. I may have also sourced a used pair of shifters now too!

    While this bike build was more about the experience of building my own bike than the total cost of the build, as time has progressed i have got more and more determined to make the a bargain basement bike!

    That said.. for a "bargain basement bike" it is shaping up quite nice with the parts i have got so far :)

    Ribble Audax Frame with carbon forks, seat clamp and headset (all almost brand new)
    105 crankset and bottom bracket (almost brand new)
    Tiagra rear mech, front mech and breaks. all in excellent condition.
    flat bar Tiagra shifters

    hoping the whole bike is gonna come in at about 300 -ish :) though it is going to be very tight
  • jomoj
    jomoj Posts: 777
    ah I understand the pressing need if you are bikeless. It's very satisfying putting your bike together on a budget, I did one last year although my budget became a bit elastic towards the end.

    note of caution - the tiagra front mech won't work with the flat bar shifters, they have a different leverage ratio so it wont index and in fact will be very hard to move with your thumb - I tried it! That's why you need either a flat bar specific road mech or an MTB one, if your chainset is a triple 50/39/30 then you could probably use an MTB front mech as long as it is rated for up to a 48T chainring.
  • simon8298
    simon8298 Posts: 17
    i have the manual here for the front mech... it specifically lists the SL-R440 as a shifter which will work fine ;)
  • onbike 1939
    onbike 1939 Posts: 708
    It is possible to buy a converter which allows you to attach any FD to the braze-on.
  • simon8298
    simon8298 Posts: 17
    never seen one b4.. only ever seen a clamp to convert a braze on to clamp fitting, not the other way round
  • DrKJM
    DrKJM Posts: 271
    To answer the original question: my braze on snapped off on the same frame three weeks ago so I had no choice but to remove it. My LBS ground it down (leaving it proud of the frame to prevent damaging the frame itself) using a Dremel and fitted a band on converter so that I could bolt the orginal front mech back. Couple of paintwork nicks were sorted using my daughter's finest electric blue nail varnish. I've used the bike several times since and it seems to have worked a treat. Not sure I'd have done it if I wasn't in extremis though.
  • simon8298
    simon8298 Posts: 17
    DrKJM, that sounds like desperate times dude! Glad to hear it worked well for you and yes, that does not sound like an option you would take for the fun of it eh.

    I won't be doing the same, got all my gears n shifters sorted now so my braze on is staying where it is!
  • DrKJM
    DrKJM Posts: 271
    simon8298 wrote:
    DrKJM, that sounds like desperate times dude! Glad to hear it worked well for you and yes, that does not sound like an option you would take for the fun of it eh.

    I won't be doing the same, got all my gears n shifters sorted now so my braze on is staying where it is!
    I was slightly alarmed when it happened, but all's well that ends well. Hope your build goes well.

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