There were a few things I'd been wanting to modify on my Simple City 3 for awhile now, namely the shifter and handlebars. So I ordered some Retrospec Alloy pursuit-style bars and a Sturmey-Archer indexed thumb shifter from Amazon and sat by the door for about nine days and nights until the package finally showed up this evening.
I figured the pursuit bars would be a big improvement over my cruiser-style bars, and wow, they really are. My pursuit bars give me more hand positions for longer rides and help my riding posture during the daily commute, putting my back at more of a 45 degree angle. Plus, they look cool! I've wrapped them with black SRAM Supercork bar tape. It was my first time wrapping bars, but I think they turned out pretty well!
As for the shifter, the Sturmey-Archer thumb is made specifically to go with the Shimano Nexus 3-Speed hub which came stock on my bike. I think there must be a lot of demand for these shifters because the stock grip-shifter for the Nexus is absolutely awful. So awful, in fact, that I wasn't able to shift into first gear, despite many adjustments. Peter and I installed the new shifter on the stem and during the process, shortened the shifter cable by a good 8 inches, making the whole thing look even sleeker. Now that I've repositioned my front brake lever, I'll have to do the same with the brake cable. But that's another project for another day. The shifter works like a dream, and I love the solid, indexed feel of it. Here is a "before" picture followed by some pics of the new setup!
I figured the pursuit bars would be a big improvement over my cruiser-style bars, and wow, they really are. My pursuit bars give me more hand positions for longer rides and help my riding posture during the daily commute, putting my back at more of a 45 degree angle. Plus, they look cool! I've wrapped them with black SRAM Supercork bar tape. It was my first time wrapping bars, but I think they turned out pretty well!
As for the shifter, the Sturmey-Archer thumb is made specifically to go with the Shimano Nexus 3-Speed hub which came stock on my bike. I think there must be a lot of demand for these shifters because the stock grip-shifter for the Nexus is absolutely awful. So awful, in fact, that I wasn't able to shift into first gear, despite many adjustments. Peter and I installed the new shifter on the stem and during the process, shortened the shifter cable by a good 8 inches, making the whole thing look even sleeker. Now that I've repositioned my front brake lever, I'll have to do the same with the brake cable. But that's another project for another day. The shifter works like a dream, and I love the solid, indexed feel of it. Here is a "before" picture followed by some pics of the new setup!
My Simple City with all its upgrades!
Close-up of the new bar setup
Close-up of my new stem-mounted thumb shifter
I wish I didn't have to have the bell, but it is really necessary when commuting
The Retrospec pursuits from another angle. Wrapped with SRAM Supercork tape.
The Shimano Nexus 3-Speed, which I absolutely love
My Bontrager Nebula crankset.
No comments:
Post a Comment