# Shimano down tube levers. The bit behind them🤔



## Darius_Jedburgh (12 Feb 2021)

Remember down tube levers?
They had a small circular piece that fitted over the boss. Contoured to fit against the tube. A small and inconsequential pice of kit. 
Has any body got a couple lying around?


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## T4tomo (12 Feb 2021)

A picture paints a thousand words....


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## Darius_Jedburgh (12 Feb 2021)

T4tomo said:


> A picture paints a thousand words....






They are available on an auction site at £3 each. Plus £21each postage from Uncle Samland. And who knows what taxes, levies, admin fees and VAT will be applied by HMG/Post Office.


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## slow scot (12 Feb 2021)

I probably have spare ones you can have as I use only down tube gears on my bikes.
Let me have your address and I’ll get some posted to you. It’ll be a day or two. No charge involved.


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## Darius_Jedburgh (12 Feb 2021)

That's just superb. 
PM on it's way.


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## Gunk (12 Feb 2021)

If @slow scot hasn't got any, send me a PM, I’m sure I have some in my big box of bits.


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## Chislenko (12 Feb 2021)

I also have a couple as have just retired a frame with two on it.


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## Darius_Jedburgh (19 Feb 2021)

OK. Problem solved. A big, big thank you to @slow scot. Bob seems to have the world supply of these items. 

If any of you bike doer uppers and restoration men ever need any of these then you will have a bit of a problem. Shimano no longer supply these so you will be hunting round like I did. 

I found one pair in Switzerland and another pair in Slovakia. Both at ridiculous prices. There were some in USA at approx £5 each but with £25 postage and who knows what postal fees and taxes. 

If you have these then look after them, they are rarer than hen's teeth.


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## Eziemnaik (19 Feb 2021)

Does anybody know how these are called?


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## matticus (19 Feb 2021)

Is this something that could be 3D-printed? (probably not with a shiny chrome-effect finish!) There are lots of down-tube shifters still out there on much-loved steel bikes!


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## Darius_Jedburgh (19 Feb 2021)

They are down tube bosses. 
Why, do you want some? I have now found another pair. All my searching seems to have paid off - eventually. Let me know if you do. 
You can still get the bosses with a flat back. They are used in bar end shifters especially for tri athletes and time trial machines. The curved back version to fit on down tubes are an endangered species. 
They are made of some form of metal. I'm not sure if 3d material would be resilient enough, but it might be worth a try.


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## Ming the Merciless (19 Feb 2021)

Sure someone with lathe could make them. If dimensions known.


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## Darius_Jedburgh (19 Feb 2021)

Ming the Merciless said:


> Sure someone with lathe could make them. If dimensions known.


Not that easy. They are sculpted on the top side to allow gear levers to function properly.


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## Eziemnaik (19 Feb 2021)

@Darius_Jedburgh cheers, but it was just curiosity.


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## Darius_Jedburgh (19 Feb 2021)

Eziemnaik said:


> @Darius_Jedburgh cheers, but it was just curiosity.


Well they are very old technology nowadays. Ever since STI came in around the early 1990s these have been obsolete. They were superseded by cable stops on the bosses and now with internal cabling at electronic shifting they are hardly remembered.

I'm only interested because I'm refurbishing a frame that has been rattle can sprayed including these bosses. They are yucky yellow and that simply will not go with my chosen colour of Tekecom/ONCE pinky purpley mauvy magenta😱😱😱


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## Eziemnaik (19 Feb 2021)

I've also got these on my road bike but never knew the name for that part


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## Darius_Jedburgh (19 Feb 2021)

Eziemnaik said:


> I've also got these on my road bike but never knew the name for that part
> View attachment 574687


Yup. Them's the things. 
Your bike is roughly the same colour as mine will be. You can see why the diarrhoea yellow coloured bosses wouldn't match.


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## GuyBoden (24 Mar 2021)

The Sunrace braze on fittings will probably fit, they are £12 on ebay. They fit on my racer, they replaced my old Shimano 600 downtube levers.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sunrace-...706846?hash=item2c72825bde:g:7tsAAOSwSUdbaTQT


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## Darius_Jedburgh (24 Mar 2021)

My word.....
Thanks but this is long sorted. Bike has been built and ridden now.


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## GuyBoden (26 Mar 2021)

For info purposes, the part you were looking for is called a lever boss cover.

For info purposes, the Sunrace braze on levers I mentioned earlier are a better deal, but the lever boss covers are also available to buy for £4 each, they don't fit every lever type, see list at SJS cycles.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-spares/shimano-sl6028-lever-boss-cover-for-alloy-frames/


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