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Paul Components adds Shimano-compatible mountain bike Thumbies friction shifters

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Paul Components Thumbies friction shifter levers for Shimano MTB derailleurs

The original Thumbies launched earlier this year for use with road bike derailleurs, and now there’s a mountain bike version with enough cable pull to move Shimano’s MTB derailleurs through their range.

Technically, it’s the Microshift Bar End shifter that handles the cable pull, the difference here is that this new version fits the Microshift levers, giving you an option for running MTB derailleurs. The update earlier this year actually did the opposite, updating their original original Thumbies to use Shimano’s road-oriented thumb levers. So, no you can run whatever you want…

paul-components-mountain-bike-thumb-shifters-for-shimano-derailleurs2

The clamp is hinged for easy installation and the mounting platform is raised to clear hydraulic brake lines. They’re designed to fit 22.2mm handlebar diameters, the standard measurement out by the grips. With a little finagling, you could probably even get them to fit on the upper section of a drop bar to run MTB drivetrain parts on your offroad adventure/gravel bike. Get them for $42 a piece or $79 for a pair in polished silver or black anodized. Weight is 60g each. Shifter levers sold separately.

PaulComp.com

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16 Comments
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J
J
7 years ago

great photo spot, the dusty balls and key seat cutters are a perfect backdrop for ruining pretty anodizing. Nobody fetishizes trades work quiet like paul.

Pete
Pete
7 years ago

Rival 1 shifter + rival 1 rear mech + 10/42 sunrace cassette not simple enough then?

onrhodes
7 years ago
Reply to  Pete

Because some people think Shimano kicks the poop out of Sram

Frank
Frank
7 years ago

Doesn’t microshift already offer a thumb shifter themselves? I’m a long time fan of Paul’s thimbles, but I don’t understand why we’d need them as a middle man.

Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
7 years ago
Reply to  Frank

Paul is making thimbles now? Hell yeah! Get your sew on kid! I only ask because you’re the “long time fan” and I’ve never seen a Pual thimble. Do they come in singledigit?

Greg
Greg
7 years ago

What’s a Paul?

Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
7 years ago
Reply to  Greg

You know, the middleman.

Frank
Frank
7 years ago

I’m sorry, do you have a problem with my comment or are you confused? its hard to tell with your nonsensical post.

I’ve had Thumbies on my fat bike for 4 years now. Just upgraded to 11-speed though and the shift lever throw is now about 180 degrees to shift through the whole cluster with my old 9-speed shifter.

So I ask again, Microshift makes their own thumb shifter, why cobble together something with a Microshift road shifter and a Paul Thumbie?

aegisdesign
aegisdesign
7 years ago
Reply to  Frank

I don’t quite understand this product from Paul Components either. Microshift already have a thumbie for 10/11 speed Shimano MTB components – http://www.microshift.com.tw/SL-M11.html

Andy
Andy
7 years ago

Someone explain why friction shifters still exist

JNH
JNH
7 years ago
Reply to  Andy

They work and people like them, next question please.

Flatbiller
Flatbiller
7 years ago
Reply to  Andy

Because they’re retro cool, and are needed for entry to any coffee shop in the Mission District of San Francisco.

shlizzy
shlizzy
7 years ago

who left the what in the where now?

Curious
Curious
7 years ago

I really don’t understand the appeal, unless you’ve got a bike that came with friction shifters and you want/need to keep the same thing going. What do people like about them?

aegisdesign
aegisdesign
7 years ago
Reply to  Curious

You can shift while wearing really thick mitts in sub zero temperatures.

If your rear indexing goes to pot because you’ve bent a hanger, you can trim the gears in friction mode.

On the front, you can trim the derailleur so it doesn’t rub and annoy you for 8 hours of grinding into a headwind on tour.

You can overshift and then shift back in muddy conditions.

If you trash a wheel in Uzbekistan and can only source a 6 speed wheel, shove the thumbie in friction mode and it doesn’t care that you’ve gone from 10 to 6 speeds.

Essentially, they work and keep on working in less than ideal conditions be that mechanical or environmental. Thumbshifters and Barcons are often the choice of expedition tourists for their reliability.

dewstir
dewstir
7 years ago
Reply to  aegisdesign

what he said. I still have my xt thumbshifters from 1991.

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