Shimano SL-R440-9 shifters

[Catrin]

Does anyone have experience with these shifters? My LHT will be sporting these the next time I see it and am curious about them. These trigger shifters are only for road bikes so they do seem rather specialized. I am just happy that we found a solution!

[Zen]

In know they're indexed trigger shifters, that's about it.

I opted for simplicity and value

[Catrin]

In know they're indexed trigger shifters, that's about it.

I opted for simplicity and value

A great combination! Sadly my hands would have too many problems with these or with Pauls Thumbies... One thing is sure, after this conversion I will have this bike for a looooong time

[Zen]

they work the same way. They're just friction instead of index

[Catrin]

they work the same way. They're just friction instead of index

There is a slight difference in hand movement, which when combined with my arthritis and the problem I have with road bars equals PAIN.The pain is really more from the road bars themselves more than anything. Just the simple act of loosely grasping a road bar on a trainer and sitting there causes significant pain - this is the reason for my LHT conversion that I mentioned under another thread related to my LHT fitting. To make a long story short I am switching from road bars to riser bars with trigger shifters.

[Trek-chick]

please post pics once the conversion is complete.....I'm curious to see the transformation.

[Catrin]

please post pics once the conversion is complete.....I'm curious to see the transformation.

I am too My fitter has been working with Surly to come up with the best components for this - it isn't the first time that it has been done (thankfully).

[Cataboo]

I'm just slightly boggled. Maybe a lot boggled. I can't say I have arthritis in my hands, but I do get pretty bad wrist problems that flare up very easily, my hands go numb easily... So I've tried a ton of methods to try to get rid of hand and wrist pain. I probably have a trigger thumb as well.

Any shimano mountain bike shifter would work to shift shimano road bike gears. I use shimano XTR trigger shifters on my surly in combination with a road drivetrain. Yeah, I suppose these shifters are specially designed or something for road (which when you want mountain bike gearing in the back of a lht, why do you want specifically road?) So anyways. Any shimano trigger shifter would do what you want. There are ultegra level flat bar road bike shifters.

I also have no idea why they couldn't find you a set of road bars to make your long haul trucker work without going back to some sort of flat bars. I use these:


And believe me - those road bars are waaay more ergonomic than any flat bar combination I've tried. I most often ride with my hands right there on that big wide flat section of the handlebar - aim it right, pad it and my wrists are completey neutral.


I can't help but think that a lot of your problems are really just because you have not been riding very long. You still need to relax in your riding position, your grip on the handlebar, build up your core muscles so your hands don't have to support any weight, and get used to the various types of shifters and a lot of things that you're changing this bike all around for really won't be necessary. And I'm often pretty boggled as to what your fitter or bike shop is doing for you and why.

[Catrin]

Catriona - thanks for your perspective on this and I do appreciate your thoughts. They are switching all of this out for me because I have asked them to do so - and the fitter does think that this will be much easier on my hands. In the end, however, the decision was mine. I cannot ride the bike as it is and I want to do so I also strongly dislike the shifters as well...

My arthritis is in several unusual places and both the hoods and the top of the road bars causes pain - even if I am just sitting on the trainer and lightly holding either with no weight on my hands - not even a full grip - it is the position that puts the bones/joints of my left hand/palm into that causes the pain. Thankfully some unexpected money came in According to the Surly staff I spoke with, this conversion is more common than one might expect.

Surly staff also told me that more traditional mountain trigger shifters do not have the right leverage to shift my big chain - to go with any of the others would require a smaller chain-ring and I am not prepared to go that far. Perhaps this is different from earlier models? It sounds like it might be since you were able to make something else work - which is great!

[Cataboo]

I've got truvativ elita triple road cranks on the front of my surly, a 105 9 speed shifter (so i'm running 53, 39, 30) & am using shimano XTR 8 speed shifters to shift it. No problems shifting. XTR derailleur on the back with an 8 speed mountain cassette. Choice of parts was because it was mostly what I had already.

[Zen]

Maguyver!