Converting road bike for one handed use
Hi
Not one for today as I bought a flat bar road bike, triban 540, in the summer and loving it. But having upped my cycling since buying, I can see the advantages of drop bar road bikes, especially aerodynamics. So can see one day I might want to change to a drop bar bike.
The complication, I am one handed. While I can grip the bars with both hands thanks to my prosthetic, I can only use controls with my right. Easy enough on a flat bar, with both shifters moved to the right and an adaptor to connect both brakes to one lever.
But I can't see how this could work with the integrated brake and gear systems on modern road bikes.
Any thoughts on how this could work? Has anyone seen a one handed set up on a drop bar bike?
Thanks
Not one for today as I bought a flat bar road bike, triban 540, in the summer and loving it. But having upped my cycling since buying, I can see the advantages of drop bar road bikes, especially aerodynamics. So can see one day I might want to change to a drop bar bike.
The complication, I am one handed. While I can grip the bars with both hands thanks to my prosthetic, I can only use controls with my right. Easy enough on a flat bar, with both shifters moved to the right and an adaptor to connect both brakes to one lever.
But I can't see how this could work with the integrated brake and gear systems on modern road bikes.
Any thoughts on how this could work? Has anyone seen a one handed set up on a drop bar bike?
Thanks
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You can get some ideas from Christian Haettich. I've seen him in the Marmotte and in the Haute Route.
Amazing guy, these are really tough events for anyone but he does it with one arm and one leg!
Anyway, you can google his bike setup to get some ideas.
You can start here: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2015/aug/06/find-alpine-road-cycling-tough-imagine-doing-it-with-one-leg0 -
Cheers, Will have a look at that0
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I know they're currently very expensive but going forwards it seems that a 1x system is going to be a thing, so in theory you won't need your left hand.
Some more information on that here.
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/sram-1x-road-force-1-and-rival-1-groupsets-first-ride-video-43808/
Do you do anything for brakes? Like would it be possible to hook both up to activate at the same time? Fast decents could be a little scary?
Now IN THEORY you could consider using a flat bar shifter on your right handlebar as you've suggested..
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-tiagra-4600-double-10sp-flatbar-shifter/rp-prod69502 Something like that.Specialized Allez Sport 20130 -
The obvious -but not the cheapest - way to do it would be to fit electronic shifters. Very simple to add extra sets of shift buttons wherever you want them.0
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Seems to me this would be a perfect use for electronic shifting. You can just use the satellite add-on button shifters anywhere you like on the handlebars. Of course it's not cheap but you won't need any special fabrication done to adapt everything. Please post up whatever solution you end up with as I'm always interested in what people use to adapt to prosthetics and missing limbs.
Edit. Looks like Barbarossa beat me to it.0 -
Thanks all. As I say one for the future as only just bought the flat bar, but I was just starting to think how it could work. Brakes I imagine would be same as my flat bar set up, front and rear cables connect to a barrel, which feeds one cable into lever. So one pull activates both brakes simultaneously. So sounds like STI on right side fine for rear derailleur switching, as suggested above a mtb type shifter on top bar right side could handle the front?
As an aside... always activating both brakes at once.... can that be an issue?0 -
Now IN THEORY you could consider using a flat bar shifter on your right handlebar as you've suggested..
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-tiagra-4600-double-10sp-flatbar-shifter/rp-prod69502 Something like that.
Ah, that's the shifter I have on my triban flat bar.0 -
Or one bar end shifter and one normal one?
Like figure 2 here: http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/bar-end-shifter-service
This is how Christian Haettich has it.0 -
Or one bar end shifter and one normal one?
Like figure 2 here: http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/bar-end-shifter-service
This is how Christian Haettich has it.
Yes, that looks like it. I watched the video of Christian and wondered what that was at the end of his bar0 -
1-So sounds like STI on right side fine for rear derailleur switching, as suggested above a mtb type shifter on top bar right side could handle the front?
2-As an aside... always activating both brakes at once.... can that be an issue?
1-Looks a simple, cheap and good solution.
On older frames even a downtube shifter could do the front job.
2-Under most circumstances it won't be an issue.
I would adjust the brakes so that the front brake alway offers the most stopping power , maybe a single pivot rear brake is a good idea.0 -
there's a one arm gentleman local to Cardiff who races road cycling and had both STi levers mounted to the RHS bar, one normal, one upside down.
these days electronic shifting would be the way forward or a 1 x 11 setup.
i wouldn't link the brakes as front brack does 70 to 90% of the stopping, so unless you link them particularly well you will just lock the rear if you brake hard.
my commuting bikes just have a front brake0 -
Re bar end shifter for front mech, looks like friction types readily available, am I right in thinking any friction shifter would therfore work?0
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Running hydraulic brakes would give the option of introducing a compensator valve or simple block to reduce effort to the rear brake caliper. Although thinking about that, if you ran two brakes off one lever you would have reduced effort at the caliper due to moving less fluid per caliper, unless you amended the m/cyl output.0
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i wouldn't link the brakes as front brack does 70 to 90% of the stopping, so unless you link them particularly well you will just lock the rear if you brake hard.
my commuting bikes just have a front brake
Just thinking more about the above, would appreciate views.... Is having front brake only safer and better than one lever pulling both at same time.? What are risks or benefits of either approach? Thanks0 -
The front brake does provide more stopping ability than the back but you also have to be careful when braking in turns or panic stops. In turns you can cause the front wheel to lose traction and slide out and in panic stops if the handlebars are turned ever so slightly it will cause the wheel to flip to the side and throw you to the ground. It's better to have both brakes of course but just be aware when using just the front brake. I don't know if I have ever seen one before but I think a setup of both brake levers next to each other with the front brake lever a little longer than the rear lever would give you the option of just pulling the front or grabbing both levers for front and rear. You might try posting in this forum as well. http://www.bikeforums.net/adaptive-cycling-handcycles-amputee-adaptation-visual-impairment-other-needs/ There may be some other riders that have the same situation and can offer some options for you. There is also this company that may have something that you can adapt to your bike. http://paulcomp.com/product-category/components/brake-levers/Just thinking more about the above, would appreciate views.... Is having front brake only safer and better than one lever pulling both at same time.? What are risks or benefits of either approach? Thanks0 -
The front brake does provide more stopping ability than the back but you also have to be careful when braking in turns or panic stops. In turns you can cause the front wheel to lose traction and slide out and in panic stops if the handlebars are turned ever so slightly it will cause the wheel to flip to the side and throw you to the ground. It's better to have both brakes of course but just be aware when using just the front brake. I don't know if I have ever seen one before but I think a setup of both brake levers next to each other with the front brake lever a little longer than the rear lever would give you the option of just pulling the front or grabbing both levers for front and rear. You might try posting in this forum as well. http://www.bikeforums.net/adaptive-cycling-handcycles-amputee-adaptation-visual-impairment-other-needs/ There may be some other riders that have the same situation and can offer some options for you. There is also this company that may have something that you can adapt to your bike. http://paulcomp.com/product-category/components/brake-levers/Just thinking more about the above, would appreciate views.... Is having front brake only safer and better than one lever pulling both at same time.? What are risks or benefits of either approach? Thanks
Wow, thanks, will check all that out. Much appreciated.0 -
Just a quick thought - Campagnolo Skeleton calipers come in an option where the rear is a single pivot unit so that for the same lever force, the brake force is less:
http://www.campagnolo.com/UK/en/Technologies/skeleton_brakes0 -
Hi, just to update, conversion complete, got bike back today. Pics below if I get this right0
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