Sancineto

After that froggy green Gitane, for reasons still unknown to me, I totally got into road bikes.

I was lucky enough to find two very nice bikes, and a so-so donor.

I would like to start with Mr. Sancineto Columbus Genius beauty. This bike should be dated 1995 (I will take a picture of its BB soon), and the most iconic detail of his bikes were the vertical stays. Look at the way they are welded on top of the seat tube!

The piece where you see his "signature" is actually pressed in a bar, is not a round tube anymore. 

I found a very good source of info in: Sancineto Bicycles | The Utah Randonneur (wordpress.com)

I am very puzzled about how to build it. It came with some random Campagnolo components which I totally don't like. I could go with a DA 7402 (not really period correct), but I have in mind to buy a modern group, probably Campagnolo or Sram and go with it, making it my daily (rotfl, like if I ride daily) bike.

c

Swiss Cross - nearly there

Yeah, I said myself here: https://avvsavv.blogspot.com/2021/03/swisscross.html, a lot ot items were not right, starting with the handlebar and its setup. I bought a good Deda compact bar, 42 cm, which makes more sense for a skinny human like me. And when mounting it up I took this opportunity to resize the cables and bring them to the right lenght. And I really like this setup and I actually wonder if I should have moved to a 2x10 rather than 1x, nevertheless I have other plans for 2xsomething bikes, one is this: https://avvsavv.blogspot.com/2021/03/old-steel.html. And yes, the blue horseshoe is something I have with me since probably 10 years! I could not wait to use it. s

Gitane Record old steel

I really don't know why I actually spent some money on that. 

With hindsight is not the type of bike I would buy. There are no components I can easily swap around, everything here is one step older than my usual bikes. 

Well, anyway, I fell in this and I must admit the bike is in very good condition, very close to a NOS. This is somehow dated around 1989-90; but I confess that it is very difficult to make an educated guess. 

Gitane catalogues from that time does not show any "Record" model, neither made of Columbus tubings, until going farther to 1994-95. I never saw any model with this colour scheme. The only thing I am sure about is that Sachs Aris 600 was issued around 1990 - when no catalogue shows "Record+" model at that time. 

 The frame is made of lugged Columbus Cromor (main triangle), unknown steel tubes for the remaining pieces, and Vitus dropouts. The painting is very very 90-ies with dark green fading in bright (almost fluo) green, I must confess that I kind of light it.  

Transmission is full Aris 600, except for the crankset, a modest Stronglight 80 with a triple chainring. This crank has a 86mm BCD, very uncommon these days, with the option to go down to 28T!  

The bike works very well but I never used it yet. I will think what are the odds with it.  

Not sure if I want to use a more recent wheelset and put it on a sturdy and reliable transmission!

c

Swiss Cross

Ah, so nice! 

 In 2014 I had to sell my beloved Swiss Cross because I was moving and I did not know if and when I could have use my bikes again, and with the SC I sold almost every piece I had with me. 

Anyway, this Christmas I had the opportunity to buy a (not so cheap but) brand new frameset: https://avvsavv.blogspot.com/2021/02/two-special-guests-for-2021.html 

I actually spent a lot of time tinkering how to complete the bike. I did not exclude anything, even going for a flat bar. Eventually I went for a conservative 1x setup, with Sram transmission and a very nice DT Swiss wheelset. 

 Here it is:  

There are some items I don't still like. 

Pedals: very very nice PDM737, this were my first clipless pedals. And when I say my first ones, I mean that I used to have exactly this pair on my 1991 Giant Cadex CFM 1. 

Handlebar: too big, it's a Pro 46, probably good for a monstercross but not on this bike. I will go for a 42. 

Cables: omg, very bad workmanship here. Length is totally wrong. Will shorten them once changing my handlebar. 

Saddle: old Flite Max. Very comfortable but not what you'd expect here. I will go either for a classic Flite or for something new. 

I will spend some more time on it. 

c

Stevens X8C trekking

OMG, just one word: trekking. Is it not enough just to close this post? 

Well, actually not really. I had a very good opportunity to get a 2010 Stevens X8C trekking bike. It was top of the shelf model for that year, coming with a 63mm travel Suntour front fork, completed XT groupset and somehow light aluminum frame, for a whoopie 11-ish kgs.

   

And

   

I initially thought about it only for the brakes (and possibly for the wheels), but then it was too much of a nice frame to try and sell it. 

I am currently waiting for a good and new set of Avid BB5 road calipers to set it up with a road handlebar (I am thinking to reuse the SPecy carbon handlebar coming off my Morati)  - thought I'd need a very short stem.

I have a feeling that the bike can handle bigger tyres than the 33 CX Schwalbe I have on it. 

I already swapped the crankset - originally coming in a 26-36-48 (ahh, so 90ies) with a 28-42. But I know that I could probably go up to 44. 

On the rear I am try to use a 105 SS derailleur with its 9s 11-32 cassette. 

Let's wait for the calipers and we'll see which way to go. 

c

Springy Van Nicholas

I am not using my VN since ages, probably more than a year - not that I don't like it actually. 

So, a month ago I decided to take it apart, clean and lube it. While cleaning the stuff up, I noted that the crankset - old Ultegra from late 90's, was unacceptably scratched and the axle too worn. 

And this is how it started, ending up like:  

I had this Truvativ cranckset since ages. I think I used for a very short period (like: one single ride) on mostly all my frames. With a little help from Amazon, I bought a 42 narrow wide chainring, and this is how it started. The old chain was worn to what I think was the limit (.50mm), I used it a lot when riding in Dublin and is very understandable that it's time is over. 

Thankfully  the cassette is still very good, so I kept the SLX 11-36 10 speed. Paul Components still sits on my bar to help pushing a Dura Ace bar end shifter. 

 I wanted to have something... different actually. That's why I went for a flat bar, but not that flat after all. I used a very long (130mm) stem with a Ritchey WCS riser upside down. This gives to the bike a lower position than a standard bar, in between that and a drop:  

and

 

I know, I could have done it with hydraulic disc brakes, and this is actually where I want to go, but I am not yet that comfortable in bleeding the system. You see that the frame has closed eyelets, so I need to empty the brake system (if not new), and then bleed it again. I don't feel myself ready for this step!

To complete this setup I used KCNC bar ends (old NOS set I had with me since years) and Avid Black Ops levers. Again, these levers I bought probably around 2012 were sitting in my shed never mounted. I getting a bit... upset of having something and not using it, that's also another reason I went for mechanical brakes. 

I finished the bar with a yellow bar tape. I know, it's recycled, probably used 3 or more times, but then again you see how very good was Boardman bar tape! 

I also decided to swap the original fork (Kinesis carbon fork, disc only) with an old MTB titanium one. Axle to crown should be around 415mm, not really the original length, but it makes the geometry a bit more relaxed and probably closer to modern gravel bike. 

I tried this bike twice and I am having very good impression of the overall setup. This frame is very springy and comfortable, even though I have a very heavy and stiff wheelset.

I am wondering whether I should buy a newer and lighter wheelset... 

c

P650b 1.0

Now, that's done... for now. 

I did not actually spend much time but rather I used the parts I had in my shed. I really wanted to try and see if a monster cross could even be an option (I don't really like sloping TT with drop - not even flares). 

So, first step was to recycle the 46cm handlebar I once used on my old Kona (remember, this one: http://avvsavv.blogspot.com/2018/04/kona-hei-hei-drop-bar.html). For the moment it don't need any changes, I would probably buy a set of Sram S500 levers if the setup is good enough for this bike, or -worst case scenario, will try and buy a right SRAM brifter (they are so expensive). I know that yellow does not match with Ritchey flag but this is the living proof that I was too lazy to change anything here. I used exactly as it was lying around! 

Wheels were the ones I used on my Van Nicholas with skinny Schwalbe Kojak a couple of years ago, with brand new Rapid Rob. I spent a bit of time on the brakes. I don't have hydraulic road levers, so I used some mechanical calipers I had with me. 

However P650b cable route comes from the upper stays and requires a banjo that can be turned upward... which is not available on mechanical calipers. 

I tried a not_so_neat floppy v-brake noodle and it actually worked well. I agree that is not the best option but is probably the cheapest (God forgive for that statement!). Again, transmission was a matter of recycling. Crankset is SRAM labelled, the old double I used everywhere but with a neat 38T eagle single chainring, cassette is a 11-46 Sunrace and the rear derailleur... Well, I started with a short cage Shimano 5700 105 level and it was actually almost capable to handle these jumps with the use of a small adapter (10 euro on Amazon - we'll see how much it will last) and additional adjustments. 

However I opted for a nicer Apex 1 which I found for what I think should be the right price (not yet showed in this picture). 

The bike is pretty nice and comfortable but I only rode it on tarmac and gravel for around 20 km. Hopefully the weather will be better the next few weeks to let me get around more frequently. Pictures below.

And

 

Ok, una e' fatta per adesso. 

 Non ci ho messo poi tanto a completare questo montaggio, d'altronde avevo gia' tutti i componenti in "casetta". Eppoi sin da quando ho comprato questo telaio, avevo in mente soltanto: monstercross - lo so, neanche io amo un tubo orizzontale sloping insieme at un manubrio stradale - neanche a parlarne di flares). Il primo passo e' stato riciclare il manubrio da 46 che avevo provato una volta sulla Kona (non scordiamocelo: http://avvsavv.blogspot.com/2018/04/kona-hei-hei-drop-bar.html). Per adesso non c'e' bisogno di nient'altro ma penso che semmai dovessi, inizierei a prendere una coppia di leve Sram S500 o addirittura una leva destra integrata di SRAM (SRAM e' cosi' costosa...). Lo so, il giallo non ci sta per niente con il tricolore Ritchey, ma questa e' la prova provata che non volevo davvero toccare niente... Il manubrio era bello e pronto! 

Le ruote sono sempre le solite che usavo sulla Van Nicholas con le sottili Schwalbe Kojak, ma adesso ci sono due Rapid Rob nuovi. Ho dovuto perdere piu' tempo per sistemare i freni. Non ho comandi stradali idraulici, quindi ho usato delle pinze meccaniche Shimano. Il problema e' che il cavo passa sui foderi superiori ed l'aggancio della pinza richiede un banjo orientabile... che non c'e' sulle pinze meccaniche. Ho meso un tubetto v-brake piegabile, non certo la soluzione piu' bella a vedersi ma in effetti funziona bene. Concordo sulla discutibilita' di questa scelta, ma non volevo proprio spenderci altri soldi. ANche la trasmissione e' un continuo riciclo. Ho ripreso la vecchia guarnitura SRAM che un tempo era doppia e ci ho messo sopra una singola SRAM Eagle da 38 denti. La cassetta e' una onesta Sunrace da 11-46 che funziona con un deragliatore Shimano 105 a gabbia corta. Il deragliatore, con quell'adattatore rosso comprato su Amazon e qualche altro piccolo aggiustamento potrebbe benissimo tener testa ai salti tra i pignoni ma alla fine ho trovato un deragliatore SRAM Apex 1 a buon prezzo e l'ho comprato (non e' in foto). 

La bici e' molto confortevole ma devo ammettere che l'ho pedalata su asfalto e terra battuta per circa 20km. Non appena il tempo sar' migliore, faro' qualche giro piu' lungo.

c

Two special guests for 2021

 And yet we are, after so long since my last post.

This Christmas I got again into the thing, and decided to pull the trigger on a frameset, just for fun - and use all of these (mostly old) spares laying around my new shed.

I must admit that I actually bought two frames, just because the one below was somehow cheap on Amazon.

So, I ended up with two nice steel frameset to dress up:

I took my time to prepare these frames with some fogging oil (something I never did). This should help the tubes to stay healthier for more time.

I think that the P650b is now sorted - bar some minor adjustments should I decide to keep as it is. The Swisscross is still a work in progress, hopefully it will take no more than another week.

_______________

Eccoci qui, dopo una lunga pausa dal mio ultimo post.

Per Natale ho trovato un bel telaio che ho comprato, tanto per montarci sopra i vecchi componenti che avevo sparsi qua e la'.

In effetti di telai ne ho comprati due, solo perche' uno e' venuto via con pochi euro su Amazon.

Quindi adesso i telai da montare son due!

Per la prima volta, ho impiegato il tempo per preparare i tubi, prima di montarli, spruzzandoli con abbondante olio. QUesto trattamento iniziale dovrebbe mantenerli in salute per molto tempo.

Penso che la P650b sia quasi pronta, a parte qualche piccolo aggiustamento. La Swisscross e' ancora sotto i ferri, spero di finirla presto.

_______________

c

Frame geometry

While looking for (new) pictures of any Amazon Cross around the web, I came across Van nicholas official website and had a look oat the geometry of my frame.
Head tube is 72° and the seat tube is 73,5°, which is (I think) somehow normal but, going back to an old Morati catalogue, I found out that my HC 1.3 has 71°-73° that is incredibly closer to the current CX setup of my Amazon.
With a fork 1cm shorter (Crisp...), it can reach the same steep head tube angle.

c

A couple of (not so recent) pictures

I'm lazy and I know it. I shot this pictures last month and they are still sitting onto my Flick account, waiting for me to write this (almost useless, I agree) post.

So, here it is, in it's almost latest setup (I took out the Restrap bag and the rear light).



I switched the front stem with a 120mm one (Brand X, good and cheap from CRC)


With these Tektro generic brakes, there are no probs with 28mm tyres (but I won't be able to use any full size mudguards...)



and



This is somehow a good idea, tried to place the rear light (with the help of a tiny P-clip) on the rear axle (using the fender bolt hole)



The biggest change here was going 1x. I took out both chainrings, front mech and its suport to use a narrow-wide 44 chainring (bought on eBay) along with a 10s 11-36 cassette.
Tightening the B screw, 105 rear mech can cope with the big cog. I may need a slightly shorter cassette but is not an issue, never had a chain drop since then.

c

Crank Bros MXR pedals - rebuild

I have a pair of MXCR since ages but I never investigated whether they are rebuildable.
After a full winter, I thought it was the right time to service them just to discover that they are not serviceable.


I was slightly annoyed (I bought a rebuild kit just for them...), however it is actually possible to tear them apart, clean, lube and close them again. Perhaps they won't last enough for a third service but for sure you might be able to prolong their life

This is, roughly, the kit I used, along the pedal itselfç


Main topic is summarized in the below picture: the spindle is rolling over a very small set of ball bearings.


The process is somehow straightforward. Open the pedal, removing the plastic cap (which is normally a bolt on item but for these pedals is just a simple cap pressed on the hole).
Remove the nut) as you'd do with a usual Crank Bros pedal.


Given the status of the spindle,

I don't think that the pedals may survive another service, however there are a couple of takeaways I can share.
This type of pedals (along with their Candy-type cousins) are serviceable.
Tightening the closing bolt (or loosing it) may reduce any play.

Last but not least, there is another (maybe easier) way to help prolonging the life of your MXR pedals. Without opening the body, you can drill a little hole (3mm should be enough) on the plastic cap and, using a grease gun, injecting as much grease as you can (Mr. Cunningham, we all owe you).

c

Kona Hei Hei - Drop bar

Since the beginning of March I've got back my old Kona Hei Hei 2-9.


This was an old 2009 model that I bought in 2012 (in used state).
I barely used it, back in the days. I raced just once with that (the year after I raced on a fully Rigid Niner EMD with a drop bar...) and cycled around my place a couple of times.

Once I got it back, I tried to sell it on the web but did't have any success so far.
I decided to move it a little bit on the road-ish side, as there is no real offroad here where I live. I had basically everything besides some good road disc calipers. Bought on Evans a pair of Shimano calipers and on Merlin Cycles a Tiagra brifters kit (were on sales, triple setup... why not).

The result is somehow close to some of the latest gravel experiment (plus size, slacker angles) due to the fact that this Kona is very old style. It has steeper angles (compared to modern MTBs), limited travel (80mm front, less than 90 rear).
The bigger issue may be the chainstays which allow a very limited choice of chainrings. Going 1x, the biggest ring is around 38 (to stay on the safe side).

I used the SLX chainset with a 38 narrow wide setup (taken from my Van Nicholas) with a 10s cassette (11-28... I know, I had a used chain which was too short for anything bigger than 28). Deda handlebar is 46cm wide (I don't really like flared bar), Tektro levers with Shimano 10s bar end shifters and it's done.
I didn't want to use the new Tiagra brifters just because I may not like this peculiar setup.
I expect to use it for everything, perhaps for a century next month.

Here are some pics:












c

Boardman Team Carbon - 2018

You may remember that this very very moment, last year, I sold my Team Carbon (which, by the way, had a very respectable spec with full 105 and Mavic wheelset).
Well, I had a good opportunity for another Team Carbon, from 2014 (I believe) with a mixed groupset: Tiagra 4600 with a 105 rear mech and FSA BB30 crankset, so-so wheels (Mavic CXP-22S rims on unbranded hubs made by Formula) and a good carbon frameset.
I know that it does not make sense to buy a bike, then sell it and spend 3 months to try to buy it back. I just wanted another bike, that's it. I started thinking of just the frameset (a used Ritchey Logic or a brand new P29er both for the same price), but then I thought that I would be better start with a complete bike.
That's because I would ended up using it for commuting and is it a pity to throw a steel (even worse if brand new) frame in the grimy winter we have here.
The bike was ready to go since the moment I got that from the seller, no issues, not even inflating tyres. I just had to add mudguards and was ready to go.
I used it since Monday now and it seems slightly faster that my other bikes. I'm inclined to think that this is a placebo effect due to the new toy.
Soon I'll add some pictures.

c

Brake bosses

I was reading this article this morning:
http://www.bikeradar.com/commuting/gear/article/the-greatest-commuter-bike-ever-51499/
And I noticed the Moots Mounts on the rear triangle (they can be used on a fork as well).

One picture worths more than 10.000 posts.
(Picture taken from http://www.vintagemtbworkshop.com/1984-moots-mountaineer.html)

It’s incredible how simple this has been engineered back in 1984, with the clear intention to use different wheel size on the same bike (course, you may have the need to use a brake booster).

Just think about the “new” gravel craziness with it's need to switch your wheels (between 700c and 27,5) while Moots was doing that, for the same purpose, more than 30 years ago.

C

Shed leftovers

So, besides the old Atala Top Al and the rusty steel road Marin (even though the stays say Moser... something good for a new story), nothing really good is left on my shed.

I sold (for few bucks...) everything. My 29er Kona is left (but is currently in a shop, should bring it back here).

Ironically, I brought with me more than 10 cranksets... what should I do with these?









c

No Drop

Dalla casetta, con l'ultimo carico di materiale, ho portato su sei o sette manubri. Tra questi ci sono i due Fleegle di On-One che comprai tempo fa.
Il primo, 25,4 alluminio satinato, è andato sulla Lancaster. Il secondo ha finito il viaggio sulla Van Nicholas.
Ho messo le comode leve Sram argento e un comando Shimano a 10v su supporto Paul.

La vista laterale è piuttosto pulita, se non fosse per il cavo freno anteriore troppo corto (lo so, ne avevo un segmento già tagliato, e...). Con le ruote da 26, poi, sembra molto bella nell'insieme.
Forse è esagerato in larghezza, 710mm ma c'è parecchio spazio per mettere le mani.
_____

With the last boxes taken from my shed, back home, i brought a couple of handlebars. Among these, two Fleegles made by On-One bought some time ago.
The first one, with a diameter of 25,4mm, raw aluminum, is on the Lancaster now. The other one ended up on my Van Nicholas.
I used a good old pair of  Sram silver levers and a Shimano 10s bar end on a Paul support.

The side view is pretty clean but for the front brake cable too short (I know... this was already cut).
I like the clean lines  especially with these 26er wheels.
Perhaps may be a little on the wide side with its 710mm lenght however this way there's a lot of room to rest your wrists.




Quello di cui parlavo / What I was talking about:




Il setup dei comandi / Levers setup:




Per un breve periodo ho anche montato le appendici aero che potrebbero anche avere un senso su un manubrio così. Ho deciso di toglierle, però; un po' troppo ingomranti ingombranti se uno ci deve andare soltanto in città.
_____

For some time I used some aero bars which make sense with these bars. However I ended up taking them out as they are too cumbersome to carry around (especially when commuting around the city).




Spero di avere l'occasione (molto presto) di togliere i parafanghi e poterci fare un po' di vero fuoristrada.
_____

I hope to have the opportunity to ride this bike with no mudguards on a real offroad ride.

c

26 pollici sulla Amazon

A ottobre scorso ho avuto l’occasione di svuotare ulteriormente la casetta. Ho tolto di mezzo una quantità di roba che per qualche motivo continuavo a tenere. Ho scoperto di avere pneumatici completamente inutili oppure mozziconi di guaine freno troppo corte.

Ho riempito una quantità di scatole e le ho portate alla base (sul contenuto, magari, scriverò qualcosa in seguito).
_____
In October I emptied my shed. Throwing away many things that I thought I should have kept.
There were useless tires or outer cables too short to be used.

I made a couple of plastic boxes and sent them here (I'll write a post sooner or later about that).

Ehm...


Tra le cose che ho imballato c’erano anche una bella coppia di Mavic Crossmax 26" solo disco con su un paio di Kenda Small Block 8 tubeless.

Le ruote le avevo preparate per la Paduano e portate alla Martani Superbike del 2014. Ci avrò fatto quattro o cinque uscite in tutto e poi le misi da parte (vendetti la Paduano molto presto).

Appena arrivate le ho montate sulla Van Nicholas e... Caspita! Funziona tutto.
Il movimento centrale risulta di poco più basso rispetto ad una coppia di 700x32 tradizionali ma le 26 con le Kenda da 2.1 sono sostanzialmente identiche alle 27,5 con su le Kojak da 33.
La bici è diventata comoda ed è più sicura quando giro nel parco col fondo umido e scivoloso.
Il passaggio ruota sul carro posteriore è più che sufficiente. Probabilmente sarebbe un problema sul fuoristrada serio e fangoso (o durante una gara di ciclocross) ma siccome non faccio né l’uno né l’altro, non è un vero problema.

Il nuovo formato, per fare qualcosa di più impegnativo dove servano gomme più tassellate, è eccezionale.
_____

Among the other things there was a 26" Mavic Crossmax disc wheelset with a pairof Kenda Small Block 8 on it.

I made these at the time I was using the Paduano and used during Martani Superbike race in 2014. I used them four or five times and then put them in a corner (my Paduano was sald very soon).

As soon as I get them, I put them on the Van Nicholas and... gosh, it works.
The botton bracket is slightly lower than with a normal set of 700x32 however these 26er with their Kenda 2.1 are roughly the same as a pair of 27,5 with their 33 Kojacks.
Now the bike is more comfortable and safer when riding in a wet and slippery park.
Tire clearance is ok but tight, it may be a problem with mud (like during a CX race) but I'm not going to do anything like that.

This new setup is awesome once you get off the road.

Forcella / Fork:




Carro posteriore / Chainstays:




Foderi verticali / Stays:

Reverse thumb shifter

... che in inglese fa un figurone ma in italiano sarebbe un più modesto: comando cambio rovesciato (e farebbe pensare ad un motociclista integralista)!

Si racconta che anche il buon Greg Herbold sia stato il primo ad usare i comandi XT sopramanubrio in versione rovesciata. Non ho trovato nessuna foto in rete che lo confermi. Le foto più risalenti si riferiscono alla Myiata che usò a Durango nel 1990 ma in quel periodo Shimano produceva già i Rapidfire (modello Push Push).

Ad ogni buon conto, non fu il solo a farlo. Moltissimi atleti preferivano questo setup al classico sopramanubrio, anche nell'era dei Rapidfire (tutti conoscono la storia dell'affidabilità dei thumb shifters).

Tempo fa, comprai un set manubrio da crono con dei comandi Shimano Ultegra a 9v (sebbene il venditore fosse convito che quelli fossero a 10v, millantando di averli usati con un setup a 10v...). Il comando destro aveva una indicizzazione traballante, forse dovuta all'uso. Non era in grado di tenere la marcia, troppo gioco. Potrebbe sempre essere un buon comando deragliatore (vedi sotto).

Ho preso, allora, il comando sinistro, nativamente a frizione perché da usare con il deragliatore, montandolo su un supporto Paul (dovrei prima o poi comprare un set di quelli a cerniera da spostare pià facilmente).
L'ho quindi installato sulla destra del manubrio, in posizione rovesciata, collegandolo ad un vecchio (e un tempo NOS) cambio 105 degli anni 90).

Ecco qualche foto.
_____

... if you use English sounds always better.

Apparently, it was the good old Greg Herbold to use, during a race, the good XT thumb shifters upside down. There are no picture to corroborate that assumption. The oldest ones are about the Miyata that he used in Durango, 1990, but at that time Shimano already introduced the new Push-Push Rapidfire shifter.

Anyway, he was not the only one to do so. Many athletes used to have this setup, even when Rapidfire were sold (everyone knows the legendary reliability of the thumb shifter).

Some time ago I bought a TT bar with 9s Ultegra bar end shifters, the seller told me (with a bold voice) that these shifters were 10s, pretending he was using them with a 10s setup...). Anyway, the rear derailleur shifter is slightly loose, perhaps badly worn out. It can't keep the right gear, it can be used for the front derailleur (see below).

I used the front shifter, with no indexing, with a Paul support (I should buy the new hindged version, sooner or later).
Then I installed it on the right hand side of the handlebar, upside down, linking it to an old (used to be a NOS) 105 rear mech from 90s.
_____
1.


2.


E' da un paio di settimane che uso la bici con questo setup, soltanto in città (e, more solito, entro il piccolo parco - con annessa pista BMX) che percorro quotidianamente.
Una volta presa la mano alla cambiata a frizione, non ci sono grossi problemi. Anzi, il manubrio resta molto pulito così.
Chissà come sarebbe con entrambi i comandi ed una doppia...

c