# Alternative to Shimano compatible shifters?



## lawrence

Shimano shifters - If you want to use Shimano derailleurs, is there another alternative that's cheaper and just as good to Shimano shifters rather than switching you whole drive train to SRAM or Campy? Why isn't there other companies such as Cane Creek making Shimano compatible shifters?


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## slowdave

Sram shifters are compatable with shimano mechs, what about bar end shifters or down tube levers (friction) much cheaper but not brifters.


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## seahuston

Shimano and Sram are not compatible as far as I know. There is an entirely different pull ratio, the cassette, chains and cranks are interchangeable. I think the sampson shifters maybe shimano compatible. Or you could get jtek thingy and use any shifter you please.


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## Rubber Lizard

Why not just use Shimano? They make great components that last forever. Sure they are the heavy hitter in the bike industry but they got there by being the best at making bike parts. 
Shimano owns an assload of patents, as does Campagnolo, and a good deal of those have to do with shifters. Sram had a real hard time figuring out a way to make a shifter that doesn't violate any of Shimano or Campagnolos patents. Its too much of a hassle for a smaller company to try and get around such things, and even if they could produce a viable shifter, would the market accept a new component? Could a small company reliably and cheaply produce a shifter in a way to compete with the big boys. The answer is no, and thats why companies don't pursue the manufacture of shifters and rear derailleurs. 
Token, the component of a gigantic Taiwan OEM component company has produced working shifters and derailleurs that seem alright, but have gotten lukewarm market reception.


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## California L33

Even the very low end of Shimano is really good. As I just stated in previous message, I rode a Sora equipped bike for over 7000 miles before upgrading. There was nothing wrong with it, but I wanted a different bike.


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## hayduke1972

The only Shimano compatible shifters I've seen in person are the Modolo Morphos which are 7, 8, 9 speed Shimano and Campy compatible. They look nice but the shifting mechanism looks primitive as I wonder how well they shift from the drops


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## RC28

Rubber Lizard said:


> Token, the component of a gigantic Taiwan OEM component company has produced working shifters and derailleurs that seem alright, but have gotten lukewarm market reception.


Actually Token is just one of many marketing these new shifters. Sturmey Archer and Sampson are among the others. Sturmey Archer was the first one to bring them out as (I believe) they are owned by SunRace and they are the ones that actually designed the components.

The main disadvantage to these are the upshift which is accomplished by a tiny button behind the main brake lever, next to the hoods. I have a teammate that got a full Token Corsa with Token components. I have to say the only interesting component (apart from the frameset which is actually made by another company, AXMAN, which even Pedal Force is using these days) are the zero gravity look alike calipers.

Here, look at this link...scroll to the middle or so and also at the bottom you will see the shifters.

http://www.sunrace-sturmeyarcher.blogspot.com/


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## Rubber Lizard

RC28 said:


> Actually Token is just one of many marketing these new shifters. Sturmey Archer and Sampson are among the others. Sturmey Archer was the first one to bring them out as (I believe) they are owned by SunRace and they are the ones that actually designed the components.
> 
> The main disadvantage to these are the upshift which is accomplished by a tiny button behind the main brake lever, next to the hoods. I have a teammate that got a full Token Corsa with Token components. I have to say the only interesting component (apart from the frameset which is actually made by another company, AXMAN, which even Pedal Force is using these days) are the zero gravity look alike calipers.
> 
> Here, look at this link...scroll to the middle or so and also at the bottom you will see the shifters.
> 
> http://www.sunrace-sturmeyarcher.blogspot.com/


Actually, they are all just Token Shifters. The Sampson and Sturmey-Archers all use the same shifting internals as the Token. 
I wouldn't mind seeing Token/Sampson/Sturmey-Archer shifters appear on some lower end road bikes. Its always good to shake up the market.


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## Shojii

Sean (who posts here as 'Buffedupboy') sells a version of the microshift/ARSIS/Sturmey Archer/Sampson/Sunrace/Token shifter. The lower level shifter is priced in the Tiagra bracket. 

The Vanderkitten pro team use these too...

http://www.bikesoul.com/shifter.html


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## RC28

Rubber Lizard said:


> Actually, they are all just Token Shifters. The Sampson and Sturmey-Archers all use the same shifting internals as the Token.
> I wouldn't mind seeing Token/Sampson/Sturmey-Archer shifters appear on some lower end road bikes. Its always good to shake up the market.


Yes, they are all the same with different graphics but as I mentioned, they are actually made by Sunrace, not Token.


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