Adapting bike for one armed cyclist

paul_c_bikefiddler

Hi, Im looking to adapt a specialised tricross sport bike to a flat handlebar bike for a friend of mine who only has left arm. This is Shimano tiagra 9*3 groupset.

Plan would be to have 9 sp grip shifter on lhs controlling rear mech alongside friction shifter controlling front mech and with dual brake lever controlling front and back brakes. I did similar with a basic hybrid bike and worked fine.
Challenge is i cant find 9 sp shimano shifter and before swapping out to sram wondered if anyone had experience of doing similar modifications? Also wonderd if 9 sp trigger shifter could be fitted upside down on lhs ?
Thanks for help.

photonic69

I’ve not done this but have read up on one handed cyclists when I had temporary paralysis on my rhs.
I think the best way to go would be to go to a single chainring with a wide ranging rear cassette. With two shifters and two brakes on one side it might get too cramped. It might be best to go to an 11 sp rear using MTB derailleur and an 11-42 cassette. Maybe an SLX M7000 rd and shifter. The action is quite light and the release trigger acts both ways. Something to consider if mounting it on the LHS as a finger would need to provide the same force a thumb would in pushing as it would be set up back to front.

Anyway. Some things to consider. I’m sure someone will be a long who’s done this successfully. Good luck with the project.

paul_c_bikefiddler

Thanks @photonic69. I hadnt considered a single fromt chain ring so will have a look at that. RE the trigger shift, have you read of people doing this ? I did ask at one of the online cycle stores an they didnt think would work.

whyamihere

Shimano haven't really offered grip shift for a while. It's available for low end stuff, but I think only up to 7 or 8 speed. Sram still offer grip shift even up to 12 speed Eagle drivetrains, and you can also get Sram grip shifters for 9 speed Shimano setups, like this one: https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-shifters/9-speed-sram-centera-rear-twist-shifter/

Using the trigger shifter upside down would be pretty difficult ergonomically, especially if only one hand is available to hold the bar as that would limit the amount the hand could move while still maintaining control. I think the idea of a 1x is a good one too, you can get wide range 9 speed cassettes or upgrade to 10, 11 or even 12 speed using Sram grip shifters.

mully79

Going back to the dark ages ie. shimano SIS there were friction shifters which didnt index.

They are still available and would be easy to fit on the wrong side.

paul_c_bikefiddler

Thanks all. SRAM grip shifter seems way forward. I’ll discuss option of single chainring vs retaining triple+friction shifter and proceed from there. Thanks again for help.

steve_sordy

I met a squaddie that only used one arm and he had something else in addition to all the lever stuff that have been spoken about. He had a rotational damper on the fork steerer. Anyone that has tried riding an mtb one handed will realise very quickly that one hand on the bars is just not enough to keep the bike going straight when the trail is even a bit rough. The sideways forces exerted on the front wheel can overwhelm one-handed control.

I have no idea where to get one from, my sole contribution is in knowing that they exist.

The other thing he had done was to remove the unused part of the bar. This looked seriously weird, and counter intuitive, so why did he do it? The answer is that pretty much every time he came off the bike, the right side of the bar poked him in the gut!

PS: I agree with going 1x and a wider range cassette, as it is one less lever to worry about on an overcrowded left side of the bar.

photonic69

If you or your mate wants any info on riding with one arm then look no further than Tom Wheeler who had a massive Brachial Plexus injury that caused permanent damage to his right arm. I suffered very similar though was very very lucky to have a 90% recovery!

Plenty of info on his steering damper and brake setup online.
Best wishes to your mate

https://www.bikeradar.com/features/downhiller-tom-wheeler-on-adapting-to-life-with-one-hand/

paul_c_bikefiddler

@photonic69 , @steve_sordy Not heard of steering dampers before, but look well worth considering. Once converted I'm expecting my mate to use as gravel bike so the extra support would be benefical. FYI I followed the link above which was great but also ended up at 2 min video of another inspirational one armed cyclist called Tom Bannister with same injury and also using damper to support. Impresssive viewing !
https://youtu.be/sqsSEqhy9Mo

shirley_basso

I think a member on here has one arm. @bigmitch41 @Bigmitch perhaps?

He's posted video and as mentioned : it looks wierd with one end of the bars sawn off.

paul_c_bikefiddler

I told my friend about idea to cut off half the handlebar and he made very good observation that it would also deter thieves. His first modified bike was stolen from the station !