[WFRTony]

Shifter Lock?

I couldn't google an answer to my question because I am not sure what to call this thing that is attached to the brifter for my front derailleur.

This is on a '96 Santana Noventa with a Shimano XT crankset (54,44,28) and a Shimano XTR front derailleur. Apparently it is used to lock the derailleur on the big ring because otherwise the chain wouldn't stay there.

I am not happy with the brifters because they don't work very well and my stoker has a couple of fused vertebrae in her neck, so she can't look down and tell which cog we are on. I would like to replace them with these thumb shifters:
IRD Silver SOS power ratchet Thumb shifters
so I can leave the drum brake lever in the bar end. The question is, will the lock be necessary on the thumb shifters, and can I remove it from the brifters and retrofit it to the thumb shifter if needed.

 

[cxwrench]

The IRD shifters should work just fine and you should not need the additional triple-add-on thing you have on your shifter currently. or, you could buy some new STI type shifters that would probably work better than your 20yr old ultegra 600 shifters.

hint hint...did ya see what i did there?

 

[WFRTony]

I get it; shifter, not brifter.

So the lever is there because the shifter was not designed to shift a triple crankset? I googled 8 speed triple STI and found this: Product
Will they work with my 20+ year old XT v-brakes?

 

[cxwrench]

exactly, that lever adds another shift to a double so you can run a triple crank. if you get the IRD shifters you won't need it anymore. the shifters you linked will work the same as your current ones do w/ your v-brakes.

 

[DrSmile]

The Shimano 600 brifters (!) are famous for needing some WD40 sprayed in them to revive. I bet they'll work much better if you do that, maybe even good enough to keep using them!

 

[Randy99CL]

If you like STI, Shimano 2303 Shift/Brake levers (!!) are $118 new on amazon. They are triple chainring, 8-speed. They also have the gear indicator windows on the tops; I could see where that could really help on a tandem.

Also consider that if you're buying new shifters you might be able to change your cassette if you want more gears...depending on what you have and what will fit.
Sora is 9-speed, Tiagra is 10, etc.

Edit: I just looked at this thread again and the 2203 levers you linked to are lower level than the 2303 I wrote of. Probably not much different but the 2303s do have the gear indicator and the other doesn't. My new Trek has the 2303 levers and they work well for the price.

Amazon.com: Shimano ST-2303 3x8sp STI set, front/rear - sil/: Sports & Outdoors

I'm sure you realize that with any other shifters you'll need brake levers too. Those thumb shifters alone cost almost as much as the 2303s.

Second Edit: That adapter on your front brake is to allow STI or other levers to work with the V-brake. The 2303s probably pull the same amount of cable as the 600s you have now.

 

[WFRTony]

Thank you for the replies!!!

I don't know if I like STI because these are the only STI shifters that I have ever used and they suck. I will probably give them a squirt of lube and try adjusting them one more time before I replace them. Now that I know what the lever is for, I can adjust the derailleur for the two smaller rings and count on the lever for the big ring.

The 2303s look like the best deal if I go with STI. If I were to go with the thumb shifters, could I eliminate the travel agents on the brakes and buy long-pull levers like these: TEKTRO USA or would I be better off leaving them alone and buying short-pull levers?
I have a brand new pair of Tiagra levers, but the Tektro and Cane Creek levers fit my hands better.

 

[crossracer]

I have those same shifters on my retro bike from the early 90's. that's some serious old tech there, and today's stuff is so much smoother. The new stuff is on alot of current lower priced bikes, why not go for a test ride?
Bill

 

[WFRTony]

Now that I know how that lever is supposed to work, I have adjusted everything to shift as well as expected. It is not as smooth and precise as new shifters would be, but it shifts to the next ring/cog when I push the lever. I am going to suck it up and ride it for a while before I decide whether to replace them with new Shimano ST-2303 or the IRD thumb shifters.

Thanks again for all of your help!