Random: Mtb Shifters On A Road Bike

[*PHIL*]

Gonna be buying an old road bike v.soon and it will have the gear shifters on the frame, which is stupid imo. Dont want road shifters with the brakes so was wondering it is possible to just slap some MTB gear shifters onto the road bars?

Im talking about if they will actually fit on the bars and if i can link the cables up ok?.. I know ill have to buy new cables as the ones on it will not reach to the bars.

or will i have trouble finding shifters for a 12 speed?

Would have found a road bike forum to ask this but im lazy.. im sure someone here will ride road bikes too

Cheers

Phil

Edited May 22, 2008 by *PHIL*

[dave85]

I doubt they'd go round the bends on a set of road bars, so they'd probably be in a stupid inconvenient place. Plus you may have trouble finding a shifter that'll index properly for six speed. Just try the downtube shifters, they're surprisingly easy to use.

[DrEvil270183]

as said above, it would prove difficult getting the shifters round the bends. Road sti levers give quite a bit of slack so they can be fitted. MTB shifter won't offer that. Then you have the problem that MTB shifter don't index with road mechs, and if you change the mech to a MTB mech then it won't work correctly with road chainset

3 options :

1) ride as it is and get used to it, won't take long.

2)buy some STI road shifter (brake/gear as one.) quite pricey new though.

3)buy a flat bar and a set of shimano R440 shifters (something like that,), these are MTB flat bar style shifters but indexed for road use.

Personally I'd leave the bike as it was and get used to it

Tim

[*PHIL*]

I might leave it...

I will be getting some bullhorn bars for it, is there any kind of bar-end brake/gear lever in one? I've had a look round but cant see any.

Cheers for the advice