Making sure shifters are level.

[fossala]

If your bars (ritchey classic) don't have any markings on them, how can you make sure you have made the shifters level before wrapping?

Last time I did it I was off by a couple of mm but it meant the angle that my left shifter was at was different to my right. It always annoyed me.

 

[mickle]

Place a steel rule across the top of the lever bodies and sight it against the top of the bar.

 

[fossala]

Sounds like a good way, cheers.

 

[Rob3rt]

The BEST way, is to take everything off of the bike, slide one shifter into place, get it right then tighten it. Slide the second shifter on and adjust it so there is no rocking at all when placed on a flat surface (right way up), tighten it up and put it all back on the bike in an assembled state. Of course this presumes you have not already run the cables in.

You could approximate this in situ if the cables are in place using some sort of moveable flat surface and trying your hardest! I would just undo any cables and take the bars off to get them perfect, it is worth the time because once on and correct, they will be staying on for a long time.

 

[Manonabike]

The BEST way, is to take everything off of the bike, slide one shifter into place, get it right then tighten it. Slide the second shifter on and adjust it so there is no rocking at all when placed on a flat surface (right way up), tighten it up and put it all back on the bike in an assembled state. Of course this presumes you have not already run the cables in.

You could approximate this in situ if the cables are in place using some sort of moveable flat surface and trying your hardest! I would just undo any cables and take the bars off to get them perfect, it is worth the time because ones on and correct, they will be staying on for a long time.

Yeap,

 

[mickle]

The BEST way, is ..... etc.

And this is an improvement over the steel-rule-across-the-lever-bodies method how?

 

[Rob3rt]

It gives 4 points of reference and doesn't involve any subjective measurement such as eye balling it!

 

[mickle]

It gives 4 points of reference and doesn't involve any subjective measurement such as eye balling it!

Lets presume - for the sake of this discussion - that 'eyeballing' = 'looking'. I suppose your suggested method might have an edge if there was no light available...

 

[biggs682]

spirit level

 

[fossala]

spirit level

Thought about that but you would have to make sure the bars where 100% level.

 

[Rob3rt]

Lets presume - for the sake of this discussion - that 'eyeballing' = 'looking'. I suppose your suggested method might have an edge if there was no light available...

It has an edge regardless, because it does not suffer from error introduced by you having to make an judgement based on what you perceive, the bars/hoods are either in contact in 4 locations or they are not (and the assembly will rock), open and shut case when it is right or not.

I am not disputing that your method probably works very well and has served you well for many years. But if you can remove a source of error, for essentially no additional effort, why not do it!

 

[eck]

I agree that the 4-point method is (a bit) more accurate in setting the levers level in relation to the bars. But it's not the whole solution. The orientation of the bars in the stem, in relation to the frame is also important. You need to be prepared to move the levers once or twice to get the whole set-up just right.

 

[Rob3rt]

I agree that the 4-point method is (a bit) more accurate in setting the levers level in relation to the bars. But it's not the whole solution. The orientation of the bars in the stem, in relation to the frame is also important. You need to be prepared to move the levers once or twice to get the whole set-up just right.

The 4 point method doesn't replace the process of getting things just so fit wise (i.e. it is not a fitting method), it is just a levelling method. That video linked confuses matters in relation to this as it seems to suggest things ought to be placed in a specific location and that is "correct".

If you set the bars right on the stem, then slide the levers on on while it is on the bike, alternate settings until you get the bars just right and the levers just about right, torque one of them up, then lift the stem and Hbars off in one piece and set the other to match to remove rocking, it takes 1 go.

 

[eck]

The 4 point method doesn't replace the process of getting things just so fit wise (i.e. it is not a fitting method), it is just a levelling method. That video linked confuses matters in relation to this as it seems to suggest things ought to be placed in a specific location and that is "correct".

If you set the bars right on the stem, then slide the levers on on while it is on the bike, alternate settings until you get the bars just right and the levers just about right, torque one of them up, then lift the stem and Hbars off in one piece and set the other to match to remove rocking, it takes 1 go.

Aye, that's fairy nuff Rob3rt.
BTW, I noticed on the video that, although it was below the minimum insertion mark, the stem was a HUGE distance out of the frame!

 

[mickle]

It has an edge regardless, because it does not suffer from error introduced by you having to make an judgement based on what you perceive, the bars/hoods are either in contact in 4 locations or they are not (and the assembly will rock), open and shut case when it is right or not.

I am not disputing that your method probably works very well and has served you well for many years. But if you can remove a source of error, for essentially no additional effort, why not do it!

To what 'source of error' do you refer? I'm saying that this 'probably works very well' method delivers as much accuracy as the one you are suggesting - but for less effort. It's the method used by pro mechanics.