Easier Gear Shifter

[Jodel]

Raboa - there is still some confusion / debate on this topic. This article advises that some 12 speed cassettes will fit Hyperglide freehubs:

A guide to freehub body and cassette compatibility

Can’t figure out what freehub body you need for a certain cassette type? This will help.

velo.outsideonline.com

"At (approx) 35 mm across the spline length, the original-width HG freehub remains current for mountain bike purposes, but is discontinued on road-specific wheels. This freehub fits 7, 8 and 9-speed Shimano and SRAM cassettes, regardless of whether the cassettes are for road or mountain biking.

Shimano 10, 11, and some 12-speed (if the smallest sprocket is 11T or greater) mountain bike cassettes are also a direct fit. Likewise, SRAM 10, 11, and some 12-speed (also with an 11T smallest sprocket) mountain bike cassettes fit. These newer 11 and 12-speed mountain bike cassettes fit the older and narrower HG freehub body by cantilevering the biggest cogs over the spokes."

Saneagle - I didn't know those integrated shifters existed or I would have tried them. However, having 'switched'(see what I did there ) to wireless shifting, I'd be very reluctant to go back to a mechanical system. I appreciate that wireless isn't for everyone, but my experience of it has been so overwhelmingly positive that my arthritic digits would not like to change back.

 

[AndyBike]

As I progress further into old gitness, I am suffering arthritic pain in my left thumb. This is making going up the gears on my front (left) changer very painful.
I seem to remember I once had a changer that was finger pull on both triggers, rather than thumb push on both.
I've tried looking but with no luck so far.
Anyone happen to know the type I mean?
I'm assuming that twist grip changers are no good.

What about automatic ? doing away entirely the need to manually shift.

My townie bike, the buzzbike is using a Bafang H700 automatic 2 speed internal geared hub.
Thus far its been fine for town/commuting use, and while no really steep hills, it can manage average inclines

 

[soundwave]

SRAM NX Eagle PG-1230 12 Speed 11-50T Cassette | Tredz Bikes

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www.tredz.co.uk

with a xd hub its the same but smallest cog is 10t

 

[egroover]

 

[matthewslack]

I don't know, it's hard to tell from photos.
What i need is a shifter that doesn't need me to to push heavily with my thumb, that's what's causing the pain.

If I was solving that problem for myself, I would find a way to mount a bar end shifter or the old kind of non-indexed shifter with its axis horizontal and across the bike, and mount a hand sized lever on it. Then the whole hand shares the load, and front derailleur changes are infrequent enough for me to put up with the lack of slickness.

 

[Raboa]

Could you mount a shifter on a shifter on a bar end

Bar end, others are available.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BBB-Barends-Classic-Bbe-07-Colour/dp/B000VT0DWK?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&gQT=1

 

[guerney]

Increase power perhaps, to make the front derailleur redundant? Although I have 8 gears, I could manage with just three.

 

[soundwave]

Increase power perhaps, to make the front derailleur redundant? Although I have 8 gears, I could manage with just three.

morePOWER

 

[guerney]

morePOWER

Wouldn't need many gears with a legal 50A X 48V=2400W. Would need ferrofluid for the motor, or oil to fill it with, and heatsinks, but it'd probably still burn. Of course, other higher power controllers than the OP's are available, as are more capable batteries less liable to explode with 50A dragged out continuously. Somewhere.

Or swap out the cassette for one with a lower gear, to enable the OP to use only one chainwheel?

Or transfer the kit to a 20" wheeled bike for more torque?

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005004718795873.html

 

[AndyBike]

Increase power perhaps, to make the front derailleur redundant? Although I have 8 gears, I could manage with just three.

Same here. I've 1x12 and probably havent used more than 4

 

[chris_n]

I'm guessing OP's bike has a freewheel on the back wheel and motor on the front. If the back wheels swapped with a cassette wheel with a wide range (11-40 10 speed keeps costs down) then a 36 or 38 tooth single chain ring would cover most likely scenarios and still have a decent top speed.

 

[Benjahmin]

I have 48/38/28 front and 11-32 8speed rear. It serves me very well.
Did a ride yesterday where I took a 'I wonder where that goes?' local lane. It ended with a very steep, long climb. Despite being in gears 1 and 1, I was down to 5mph and had to stop to give my lungs, legs and controller a break. Well actually my phone conveniently rang - so that's my excuse.
I may well try the integrated shifters but need to get hydraulic brake cut off as well as I have a hill start device

Jodel, so you found that twist grip worked for you? Never had one and I don't know if the turning moment of them will give enough advantage for an easy upshift. Think wireless may be out of my 'bike allowance' !

 

[Benjahmin]

So I've ordered a shimano combined brake and gear lever, seems the best solution for my usage.

Was in Birmingham over the weekend, popped into a bike shop for a chat. Very knowledgeable bloke, ex rally engineer. Spoke a lot about gearing. He also was talking about going 10 speed - I see the logic, just not sure it provides the closeness of ratios I enjoy.
However he then went on a rampage trying to sell me on the idea of the latest Shimano motored bikes, citing amount and speed of development, forest trail ability, reliability, handling etc. as well as unsprung weight. Really couldn't get a word in to say I'm a road/occasional track rider whose usage is utility and leisure not hooning around foraests at maximum speed.
The thought of paying £2.5k plus for a bike I can't repair makes me shudder, let alone all the lock out shenanigans and battery availability.
So 3x8 it is for now. Gets me up most of the hills round here. There are those I know to tackle in one direction only and the extra hydraulic brake will come in handy there.

 

[Peter.Bridge]

So I've ordered a shimano combined brake and gear lever, seems the best solution for my usage.

Was in Birmingham over the weekend, popped into a bike shop for a chat. Very knowledgeable bloke, ex rally engineer. Spoke a lot about gearing. He also was talking about going 10 speed - I see the logic, just not sure it provides the closeness of ratios I enjoy.
However he then went on a rampage trying to sell me on the idea of the latest Shimano motored bikes, citing amount and speed of development, forest trail ability, reliability, handling etc. as well as unsprung weight. Really couldn't get a word in to say I'm a road/occasional track rider whose usage is utility and leisure not hooning around foraests at maximum speed.
The thought of paying £2.5k plus for a bike I can't repair makes me shudder, let alone all the lock out shenanigans and battery availability.
So 3x8 it is for now. Gets me up most of the hills round here. There are those I know to tackle in one direction only and the extra hydraulic brake will come in handy there.

That's interesting - I always get rid of the front derailleur on my hub motored bikes and put on a single chainring which is usually at least the number of teeth that was on the biggest cog. I had thought 1*8 was more than enough gears on an ebike.

5 mph up hills is getting a little bit slow for the controller I think. What is the maximum power of your controller ?

 

[saneagle]

That's interesting - I always get rid of the front derailleur on my hub motored bikes and put on a single chainring which is usually at least the number of teeth that was on the biggest cog.

5 mph up hills is getting a little bit slow for the controller I think. What is the maximum power of your controller ?

Front gears are useful, even if you don't need them. If ever your motor packs up, you can still pedal up steep hills and if your rear derailleur gets stuck, like when the cable breaks, you can use the front gears to get home.

 

[Benjahmin]

Maybe I have weak legs or something. Although I've been a cyclist all my life I've never been a strong one. I used to get left behind by my mates as a kid. When I moved to Wales in 2000 I stopped cycling 'cos I just couldn't handle the hills. Then I converted my bike in 2014 and haven't looked back. It's taken a few attempts to get it right but I find 48:38:28 front and 11-32 rear works very well for me.

 

[Peter.Bridge]

Maybe I have weak legs or something. Although I've been a cyclist all my life I've never been a strong one. I used to get left behind by my mates as a kid. When I moved to Wales in 2000 I stopped cycling 'cos I just couldn't handle the hills. Then I converted my bike in 2014 and haven't looked back. It's taken a few attempts to get it right but I find 48:38:28 front and 11-32 rear works very well for me.

Oops sorry - didn't meant to judge you, I'm sure I'm no Chris Hoy, I'd just got it into my head that one didn't need really low gears with a hub motored e-bike (and in really low gears the speed would be so low that the motor wouldn't help that much and the controller would overheat)

 

[matthewslack]

There is an 8 speed wide range cassette from Box, often found on kids mountain bikes which is 12-42T, and the new Shimano Cues 9 speed has an 11-48T version, although I don't know if that would fit a cassette type rear hub motor. It uses 11 speed sprocket spacing, so there is a chance it could be made to fit.

Either might give you a 1x system with reasonable gear range, but at the cost of close ratios.

 

[Nealh]

I go 32t /42t on a twin chainring set up, with mid drive kits 32t is the smallest one can get away with.
The front mech also acts as a chain keeper.

My hub bikes are much the same as well, like Benjamin I'm not and overly strong on the pedals and my av cadence is high 60's to mid 70's.

 

[Benjahmin]

It was the Shimano Cues system the guy was showing me. I could see that the ratio difference was quite wide and i don't fancy spending out on new cassette, deraileur and chain wheel just to lose a left side changer.