@Johnny Alien makes a good point...if the Ultegra brifter hoods are a pain(going to 9-speed friction, BES and one of those OM1 derailleurs) . If there is something more ergonomically ideal than those TRP hoods I don't know what it is. But, probably at our age (you're 71 and I'm 73) something causing hand pain should not be taken lightly. Too bad it's not so easy to try before you buy :)
On Friday, April 10, 2026 at 10:50:42 AM UTC-5 Patrick Moore wrote: > Thanks, Garth but I’m set on bar end shifters, which I know well from > decades of use. I’ve not used the Grenvilles or the ENES, but I did use > something similar (can’t recall the name; mounted dt shifters just inside > of the brake hood) which were good but didn’t give the precise control of > bar end shifters. > > On Fri, Apr 10, 2026 at 4:59 AM Garth <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Have you looked and the Dia-Compe/ENE Wing shifters Patrick ? They mount >> on the bar inside the brake lever. This is the best price I've found for >> them. >> https://www.amazon.com/Dia-COMPE-Shifter-Silver-Compatible-Shimano/dp/B0DHCFZVJ6 >> On Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 5:42:48 PM UTC-4 [email protected] wrote: >> >>> Ben: I feel your pain; I’m as confused as you, and I define the terms of >>> the discussion. >>> >>> Here’s the current answer to the conundrum. My goal in this search for >>> ever-more elusive perfection, is that I want to improve my hand comfort >>> compared to that with the R8000 brifters, but also and even more, that I >>> want to move to 11 speed friction. >>> >>> Hand comfort with the R8000 brifters: last week’s 52 mile ride with >>> these brifters was highly successful, after I had turned the hoods inward >>> by a few degrees, and perhaps because I actually remembered to wear cycling >>> gloves on the ride. At any rate, the current R8000 brifters can be removed >>> for practical purposes as a comfort equation variable. >>> >>> The other goal is to move from stock R8000 indexing to the friction >>> shifting that is the birthright of every free born American;* this is the >>> reason for pondering a change from the R8000 brifters to, say, Microshift >>> bar end shifters that have a friction option, even in the 11-speed >>> iteration — or so at least I deduce from my web data. >>> >>> To this date, after many replies, I tend toward gutted brifters with >>> hoods much like those of the R8000s, and Microshift 11-speed (indexed) bar >>> end shifters, to be used in friction (but I want the indexed option). All >>> in black. >>> >>> * >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwLWNXFH2rg&pp=ygUZaG9tZXIgc2ltcHNvbiB1c2EgdXNhIHVzYQ%3D%3D >>> >>> >>> >>> (*) I use this term here in a vague cultural and not in an ideological >>> sense. >>> >>> On Thu, Apr 9, 2026 at 2:44 PM Ben Miller <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Patrick, >>>> >>>> I'm so confused, I thought the whole point was you didn't like the >>>> R8000 brifters!? 🤣 >>>> >>>> Well, if you do want to go with those, why not just use yours without >>>> gutting them? It's not like they need to have the shifter mech removed.... >>>> >>>> Ben >>>> >>>> On Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 12:41:51 PM UTC-7 Patrick Moore wrote: >>>> >>>>> If I choose to keep the anatomic bar and add Microshift BES, a happy >>>>> accident would be that the BES would add another inch or so of real >>>>> estate >>>>> for my palms; when I tilt the anatomic bar upward so that the >>>>> brifter-to-bar angle is perfectly flat while leavingthe brake levers low >>>>> enough that I can easily reach the levers from the hooks, the payback is >>>>> that there is very little left at the ends of the curves or hooks for my >>>>> palms when riding there. >>>>> >>>>> After some back-and-forth with various people on various lists, I’m >>>>> inclined to do this: >>>>> >>>>> Keep the Cannondale anatomic bar. >>>>> >>>>> Buy some 11 speed Microshift BES in black. >>>>> >>>>> And since it turns out that the TRP aero levers have hoods about 1 cm >>>>> shorter than those of the Ultragra R8000 brifters currently on the Roadeo: >>>>> >>>>> Either gut the Ultegra R8000 brifters of their shifting innards and >>>>> continue using those for braking, or, better: >>>>> >>>>> Find someone who has done this to a pair of brifters roughly similar >>>>> in shape and dimensions to the Ultegra R8000 BES and is willing to sell >>>>> them; >>>>> >>>>> Or: find someone who has a pair of brifters with shifting innards in >>>>> any condition whatsoever who is willing to sell them, and gut them myself. >>>>> >>>>> Thus: Does anyone have a pair of gutted brifters with black levers, or >>>>> a pair of un-gutted brifters with black levers, to sell or trade? They >>>>> need >>>>> not be Ultegra R8000; anything roughly of the same shape and length ought >>>>> to work. >>>>> >>>>> Thanks. >>>>> >>>>> On Sun, Apr 5, 2026 at 2:59 PM Patrick Moore <[email protected]> >>>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> The Roadeo behaved impeccably on Saturday’s 50+ mile ride, except for >>>>>> the indexed shifting which, after I had fine tuned it perfectly, the >>>>>> mechanic who checked the rd hanger alignment managed to mess up. This >>>>>> messing up was all the easier in that I’d modified the stock >>>>>> 20-22-24-27-29-32 to a much more reasonable 20-21-23-27-32. The 11 sp >>>>>> chain >>>>>> that tracked blissfully on the stock grumbled on either the 20 or the 27 >>>>>> on >>>>>> the new, do what I might, until I fixed it by replacing the 3/4 worn 11 >>>>>> sp >>>>>> chain with a 12 speed chain. >>>>>> >>>>>> Anyway, a pox on and a fig to indexed shifting. Here are two things, >>>>>> of which I’d like to do one: >>>>>> >>>>>> 1. Replace the Cannondale anatomic bar with a Maes Parallel, replace >>>>>> the R8000 brifters with BL R400-type levers, and add friction bar cons >>>>>> or >>>>>> some other friction shifters to do the shifting on the stock >>>>>> cranks/derailleurs over the 11 rear cogs. >>>>>> >>>>>> Problems: I’d like back Maes Parallel or very similar bar, black >>>>>> brake lever, and black friction shifter. >>>>>> >>>>>> Question: I can live with a silver Maes Parallel by taping it all up >>>>>> in black. And Microshift makes bar end shifters in black and for 11 >>>>>> speed >>>>>> with friction option. But does anyone make a *black* brake lever, >>>>>> non-brifter, that is very close in shape to the BL R400 or Dura Ace BL >>>>>> 7402? >>>>>> >>>>>> 2. Keep the Cannondale anatomic bar (or replace with a 40 cm >>>>>> still-anatomic and black and short-ramped Ritchy bar that someone >>>>>> offered >>>>>> me) and find some back non-shifting brake levers with similarly long >>>>>> hoods, >>>>>> and find black bar end shifters or some other black friction shifting >>>>>> mech >>>>>> that can handle 11 in back. >>>>>> >>>>>> One option for #2 would be to invest $212 (VO) in the Growtac “Equal >>>>>> Control Levers,” and simply install these in place of the R8000 >>>>>> brifters. >>>>>> >>>>>> Even better would be to use black Microshift 11 sp bar end shifters >>>>>> in friction mode, paired with non-shifting brake levers with more or >>>>>> less >>>>>> the same shape as the R8000 brifters. >>>>>> >>>>>> The R8000 levers are (I know this is imprecise) 9 cm from tip of >>>>>> vertical rise back to the very end of the rubber; for comparison, the BL >>>>>> R400s and DA BL 7402s are 7 cm for the same distance. >>>>>> >>>>>> Upshot: does anyone know of brake levers very like the BL R400 >>>>>> levers, but in black? Or does anyone know of brake levers that are very >>>>>> like the R8000 brifters, that also come in black, and that don’t have >>>>>> the s >>>>>> >>>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>> To view this discussion visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/8b5c206c-3919-4836-9ef0-c829744b3e86n%40googlegroups.com >>>> >>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/8b5c206c-3919-4836-9ef0-c829744b3e86n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>> . >>>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Patrick Moore >>> Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> Executive resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, letters, and other writing >>> services >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> *When thou didst not, savage, k**now thine own meaning,* >>> >>> *But wouldst gabble like a** thing most brutish,* >>> >>> *I endowed thy purposes w**ith words that made them known.* >>> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> > To view this discussion visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/16667a6b-d168-4699-b9b7-fe3c0acaeb66n%40googlegroups.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/16667a6b-d168-4699-b9b7-fe3c0acaeb66n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > > > -- > > Patrick Moore > Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Executive resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, letters, and other writing > services > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > *When thou didst not, savage, k**now thine own meaning,* > > *But wouldst gabble like a** thing most brutish,* > > *I endowed thy purposes w**ith words that made them known.* > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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