# Brompton gear lever upgrades



## Kell (17 Jun 2015)

Considering how well designed the rest of the bike is, the gear levers are just awful.

Rattly and cumbersome to use.

Haven't even got my bike yet, and already I'm thinking about ways to improve the levers.

I'm going for the six speed, and would probably like twist grips. So a two speed on the left and a three speed on the right. But as it's indexed, I'm unsure about pull ratios etc and don't know what to buy.

While I'm buying the H type, the plan is to put wider, MTB riser bars on so I should have a little more real-estate on the bars to work with.

Anyone successfully done this? Or at least know the correct parts?

Thanks in advance.

Kell


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## cisamcgu (17 Jun 2015)

I find the gears relatively easy to use. The first ride was rather chaotic as far as the changes were concerned, but now it is easy... I would suggest using them for a bit first before trying the upgrade.

Andrew


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## Fab Foodie (17 Jun 2015)

What?
The shifters on the 6 speed are just right. Try it first. The right fits yer thumb perfectly and the left does what it needs too. Light, simple, accurate. Shift grips are shite anyhow ....


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## Fab Foodie (17 Jun 2015)

cisamcgu said:


> I find the gears relatively easy to use. The first ride was rather chaotic as far as the changes were concerned, but now it is easy... I would suggest using them for a bit first before trying the upgrade.
> 
> Andrew


This. They work just fine, love the way the RH shifter fits the thumb. Try it first before rejecting a proven part.


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## Kell (18 Jun 2015)

I've currently got an M3L on hire, so I know just how poor the shifter is.

I'm not so concerned with the left one if I'm honest, but the RH one just doesn't work for me at all. I find it difficult to get it into top gear without shoving it up with my knuckle.

Maybe my thumb isn't as dextrous as the rest of you.


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## CopperBrompton (18 Jun 2015)

The Brompton gear levers definitely fall into the 'agricultural' category. If you haven't yet made your purchase, take a look at an 8-speed. The SA-8 is available with twist-grip shifter, and it's a joy both in the close-ratio gearing and in the lovely shifter.

http://www.benlovejoy.com/cycle/brompton/


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## rualexander (18 Jun 2015)

There's a twist shifter for the Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub, I've got one on my Brompton, there's also a thumb shifter and a trigger shifter,
http://www.freemanscycles.co.uk/bicycle-parts/sturmey-archer.html?dir=asc&order=name


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## rualexander (19 Jun 2015)

I have a H type stem and riser bars on my brompton, see here https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/s-bars-on-an-h-stem.175132/#post-3558396
its a three speed but I have put a triple chainset on it, only the middle and inner chainrings are useable though and I change from one to the other manually by reaching down and moving the chain over, only possible while stopped of course!, some people have managed to put a front derailleur on a Brompton but I haven't got around to looking at that yet.


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## seadragonpisces (19 Jun 2015)

+ 1 for the standard shifters being awful. Pain to work out which way to shift and the levers just feel cheap. I would have preferred a twister system. i have sram dual drive and love it (after i sold the Brompton and got my Jetstream).


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