Twist Throttle/Thumb-Finger Gearshift Compatibility

[NCFarmer]

How do people work it with the spatial needs of the throttle and the shift mechanism?

I'm converting a bike to e-bike and the gearshift on the bike is thumb&finger. If I install a twist throttle then the shift control won't work so there has to be some workaround that folks have used. What is it?

This is my very first post. I'm feeling somewhat overwhelmed with the volume of the resources available. Just determining what search terms to use is daunting.

 

[FfredDRredD]

Glad your here, i slid my gearshift assembly closer to middle of handle bars and kept it as close to grip as i could, it will work you just might have to keep fiddling with it till its where you want

 

[Hwy89]

I moved the index shifter from the right bar to the left. I had to grind the hole a little larger to get it to slide over the slight bend in the bar to a position where there is room enough to twist it with my left hand.
The only problem is that the numbers are upside down, but I'm dyslexic so it looks normal to me.

 

[teklektik]

I use an SRAM x3 shifter and a Magura resistive throttle. Filing minor flat spots on the edges of the shift levers allows them to slide right over the throttle housing. Perfect position - my thumb rests right on the shifter...

An inexpensive shifter, but it works fine and the two thumb levers keep fingers on the grip and away from shifting duties...

 

[dogman dan]

I'm assuming you have the twist grip type shifter. The best solution might be to replace it with something else. On my big cargo bike, I just put a old fashioned shifter on it. Much like the picture above, but an old crude lever shifter.

On other bikes, I have trigger shifters that are part of the brakes lever. Those are very compatible with a half twist throttle, or a thumb throttle.

On my first ebike, I took the front derailleur completely off, and just left the chain on the big gear up front. Then I was able to move the right hand shifter to the left side, mounting it upside down. It worked pretty good!

 

[amberwolf]

You can also install a "bar end grip" anywhere on your handlebar that it will fit, and put the shifter (or throttle) up on that. Look up my Velcro Eclipse build thread for an example.

 

[The fingers]

I have both a thumb shifter and a thumb throttle next to the right hand grip so two thumbs would be nice. Maybe someone should try and combine a half-twist throttle with the other half a twist shifter. That was a real tongue twister!
I usually only shift from low to high after pedaling from a stop, and back to low again when stopping to prepare for the next take-off. The top gear is too high to help much off the line.

 

[cheekybloke]

hi mate,i modded my index shifter with Polymorph its a bag of plastic granules that you place in hot water to mould and it sets like epoxy.it is very cheap and useful to have.will post you a pic of mine
darren