Forum home› Road cycling forum› Road beginners

Converting break and gear lever system to combi levers

BenMorganBenMorgan Posts: 4
edited June 2011 in Road beginners
Hi,

I've recently purchased a new road bike which has old style gear levers situated either side of the handle bar stem and I would like to know how to convert it to the combined brake and gear lever system. I want to do it as simply and cheaply as possible so would really appreciate your advice!

Posts

  • sheffsimonsheffsimon Posts: 1,282
    BenMorgan wrote:
    Hi,

    I've recently purchased a new road bike which has old style gear levers situated either side of the handle bar stem and I would like to know how to convert it to the combined brake and gear lever system. I want to do it as simply and cheaply as possible so would really appreciate your advice!

    Unfortunately, it won't be simple or cheap.

    When you say new road bike, brand new, or just new to you.

    If you can post the manufacturer and model of rear gear, front gear, chainset and brakes it would be useful.
  • BenMorganBenMorgan Posts: 4
    I have a brand new Raleigh Pursuit 2011 with all stock parts. The callipers are made by Lee Chi, and the chainset is Shimano. No idea about the brake levers.
  • johnmioshjohnmiosh Posts: 210
    I think the cassette is standard Shimano, you might want to get a local bike shop to check it out. You need 7 speed STIs, if you want to change to 8/9 speed you will need a new back wheel.

    Shifters can be surprisingly expensive, probably why the bike came with downtube shifters, but try ebay for SH or NOS

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0624165084 will probably work

    john
  • PokerfacePokerface Posts: 8,640
    It will probably cost you more to convert the shifters than it did to buy the bike in the first place! :oops:
  • BenMorganBenMorgan Posts: 4
    So if I can get hold of the parts (which, if I'm correct, are only the leavers) second hand at a reasonable price, how tricky is it to change them over?
  • OlliedaOllieda Posts: 1,010
    Depending on the attachment of the gear shifters to the stem this can be solved fairly easily - although won't be the best looking. You can buy attachements to screw into the stem instead of the gear shifters and they will act like the braze ons on a normal style bike. Basically it will mean the gear cable run up to the stem, into the braze on and then the rest of the way through the housing. Sounds much more complicated than it really is.
  • andrewjosephandrewjoseph Posts: 2,165
    Are these downtube shifters (plain up and down levers on the downtube/headtube), or thumb shifters (two clicky levers each side on the handlebars next to the stem)?

    Either way, upgrading is going to cost. You would be lucky to get the brakes/shifters cheap enough to warrant the upgrade. And if they are cheap it may be for a reason.

    I've had two tiagra sti left shifters break on my boardman, and they were new.

    My wife's Ultegra brifters (brakes/shifters) have been no problems, but they cost best part of £400.
    --
    Burls Ti Tourer for Tarmac, Saracen aluminium full suss for trails
  • danowatdanowat Posts: 2,877
    Sorry, I've got to ask the question........

    Why did you buy it in the first place?, why not just get something that has STI shifters?
Sign In or Register to comment.