Help Me to Choose a Bike Shifter

tyvod on 30/09/2018 - 19:09
Last edited 30/09/2018 - 19:23 by 1 other user

Hi All,

I've recently purchased a second hand Cannondale single speed bike and want to install a shifter since I nearly passed out riding it on hills the other day.

The bike has 2x10 cassettes with Dura Ace rear derailleur (no front derailleur). Since the rear derailleur doesn't have the model number, I have no idea which rear shifter I should buy.

I was thinking about just buying a cheapo on Ebay but I heard some shifters aren't compatible with some derailleur. I'd really appreciate if someone could advise which shifter is compatible with my bike.

Photos of the bike

Cheers!

• 

  mctubster on 30/09/2018 - 19:30

  +1

  The shifter is built into the front rhs brake lever? Try pushing the whole lever to the left to change up a gear!

• 

  o53djz7qTPY4der on 30/09/2018 - 19:44

  +5

  This is not a single speed bike.

• 

  Euphemistic on 30/09/2018 - 20:30

  So it doesn’t have a front derailleur, it is set up 1x10 with a 2x10 headset. There are no pics indicating whether the front shifter is there or not. If your left hand brake lever has two levers on it you already have the shifter. If it doesn’t have the two levers, and won’t move in a similar motion then you’ll need a front shifter.

  All Shimano 10 speed (and probably other speed version) front shifters will be the same and function with all 10speed gears. What you need to know is the mounting type for the front derailleur, bolt on or clamp on. Have a look where it would mount, if there is a plate with screw holes it is bolt on, if not it will clamp around the seat tube.

  An alternative might be to get a smaller front chainring in between the two sizes you currently have and maintain the 1x set up.

  • 

    kickling on 30/09/2018 - 23:09

    +1

    ^This.

    And also cable routing to make your front derailleur actually work, assuming you have shifters.

    PITA. Just buy another bike with double or triple chainset to save time and headache?

    EDIT : I see you have uploaded photos… cool bike! You do not have a single speed bike. You have a proper 2x10 road bike, just that you are missing the front derailleur. If you want to restore it to original, you need a Dura Ace 7800 FD part plus you need to cable it up. Here are the original specs of your bike :

    https://www.theproscloset.com/products/cannondale-six13-54cm…

    Dura Ace 7800 FD is an old part … I think it's braze-on style?

• 

  tyvod on 02/10/2018 - 17:59

  Thank you so much for all the advices. I had my notification off so I didn’t know I had responses until now..

  I do not want to install the front derailleur + front shifter since they will cost me (probably more than the whole bike?) and my lack of skills (I’ve got a limited knowledge on bikes). But I’ll be getting a rear shifter since it already has rear derailleur attached.

  I didn’t know buying a bike will cause me much headache

  • 

    kickling on 03/10/2018 - 00:05

    You should just get another second hand bike that has gear changing system working and sell this one. It won't be worth the money to pay someone to just do the rear shifter.

    Plus, that bike is quite nice, it's worth doing it properly.

• 

  Euphemistic on 03/10/2018 - 07:10

  An you give us a photo or two if the brake levers. It looks like there is a rear derailleur cable attached and typically that would connect somewhere at the front.

  An alternative might be to adjust the rear derailleur into an easier gear. Looks like you as In the hardest gear which would not be fun to ride except downhill.

  • 

    tyvod on 05/10/2018 - 09:08

    The cable is cut half way so it's not connected to anything on the handle bar. The handle bar only has brakes. I'll post the pictures once I get home.
    I tried to adjust derailleur by pushing it but it keeps coming back to the original position..

    • 

      kickling on 05/10/2018 - 09:48

      Yes, that's because there is no cable connected and therefore no cable tension to hold anything in one place.

      If you want to be doing any gear changing, then you need new cable routing and might as well get front derailleur since you got the double chainrings already.

    • 

      Euphemistic on 05/10/2018 - 14:16

      You may be able to adjust the limit screw on the derailleur to hold it in an easier gear, but typically this would only adjust by one or two gears at best.