Sachs/Huret thumbshifter remount

[tedhodson]

When my 300LX rapidfire shifter blew up in 1992 I replaced them with these lovely ratchetting thumbshifters bought from a pro framebuilder in my hometown who specced Huret components. I credit them with giving me the retro bug. Not long after, my low end mountain bike had New Success derailleurs and a Brooks saddle.

After switching many stems, bars, and bikes one of the crummy steel band clamps snapped. I bought the Paul thumbies a few years ago and now is the time to bring them together. They will need a spacer with a square recess to fit the square boss on the clamps. There will be fettling but I have a vision.

 

[Magpiegifts]

Hmmm

 

[Joe_Rides]

I am running a set of those huret shifters on my Kona lava dome and they are fantastic. Paid £3 for them at a cycle jumble a few years ago!

 

[kingoffootball]

Do the mounts dissaemble any further?

I recently paired some Huret downtube shifters with Pauls mounts, but that was probably simpler:

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/aende.263438/post-3171839

 

[tedhodson]

I am running a set of those huret shifters on my Kona lava dome and they are fantastic. Paid £3 for them at a cycle jumble a few years ago!

Cool, the ratchetting feels great, eh? A cycle jumble sale, I'd love to go to one of those.

Do the mounts dissaemble any further?

I recently paired some Huret downtube shifters with Pauls mounts, but that was probably simpler:

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/aende.263438/post-3171839

The post/boss is flanged/rivetted? inside the black base so I have to dremel that away to pull the bases apart. Did one and it came out easily. Thanks for the link, it's inspiring to see that someone has done this already and it works.


For this job I need a couple custom spacers and luckily have a mate with a machine shop. I dropped off this Post-it note drawing for him today.

 

[Joe_Rides]

Cool, the ratchetting feels great, eh? A cycle jumble sale, I'd love to go to one of those.

Yeh the ratchetting is lovely. On my 7 speed cassette "3 clicks" changes gear.

I occasionally keep my eye out for more of them on ebay, and bought a single right-hand shifter a few months ago as a spare, or for a future 1 x drivetrain set-up.

 

[legrandefromage]

If its of any use to you, the current (and expensive) Dia-Compe ENE down tube shifters share the same 'clicky' ratcheting as those Huret levers. Suntour do similar too.

That may give you better mounting options

 

[tedhodson]

If its of any use to you, the current (and expensive) Dia-Compe ENE down tube shifters share the same 'clicky' ratcheting as those Huret levers. Suntour do similar too.

That may give you better mounting options

Those are nice, thanks. I have a pair of the ones they make for Rivendell. These ones I'm trying to save for nostalgic reasons.

 

[velomaniac]

Is it just me or do they look exactly like suntour early shifters
I have one sachs huret thumb shifter with a molded plastic lever that has an arrow that points between the picture of a Tortoise and the picture of a Hare to indicate high and low gear

 

[tedhodson]

Is it just me or do they look exactly like suntour early shifters
I have one sachs huret thumb shifter with a molded plastic lever that has an arrow that points between the picture of a Tortoise and the picture of a Hare to indicate high and low gear

Not sure, old Suntour shifters all seem to have bent levers.

What a great way to indicate high and low gear. Sounds perfect for a guest bike.