# $3 DIY Paul Thumbies (handlebar mount for bar-end shifters)



## StabbyJoe89 (May 26, 2010)

I give you the $3 Paul Thumbie.









I use my bike for commuting and delivery daily. I have a 1x10 setup and this winter I cracked my right SRAM Apex brifter (split right at the mounting bolt) in a crash. I couldn’t afford a $150 SRAM Apex replacement brifter. So I bid on and won an auction for a lovely right SRAM Red TT R2C shifter.









I’ve had it mounted as a bar-end shifter on my compact drops and it’s been amazing. Today I wiped out… luckily on my left side. But the rest of the ride home I was thinking what a vulnerable location the bar-end of the drops is in a crash and how easily I could’ve trashed it. I decided I wanted to mount it to my handlebars to protect it and make it more accessible.

Paul Thumbies are the best solution on the market, but they cost $55 on eBay. Velo Orange has some pretty polished ones… for $60.















So I decided to come up with my own solution, at least until I can splurge on Paul Thumbies in the future.















As you can imagine, there’s a variety of mounting positions it since hose clamps come in many sizes =). It’s a clunky solution, but it is functional and cheap. The ¾” copper coupler was 1” long, but it turns out that only 2/3rds of it are filled up by the shifter mount, so I’m going to cut it to size with a hacksaw later. I’ll also get 1” wide hose clamps instead of these ¾” for more stability. I’m gonna cover the hose clamp in electrical tape to protect from water and so it doesn’t stand out. I’ve been riding with it for days now, shifting more than usual on purpose to test it. It’s been working flawlessly. It’s a temporary solution at 10% the cost that will keep my shifter safe and places it at a very convenient location =)


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

I think a better solution would be to stop crashing....


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## StabbyJoe89 (May 26, 2010)

If I could I would lol. Chicago winter was brutal this year though, we had at least a couple guys a day crash at work =/. But I would be lying if I said my riding wasn't crash prone lol


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## headloss (Mar 3, 2013)

That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen!

It's also brilliant in its simplicity. Thanks for sharing! While I don't think it's ideal for a long term fix, it's a nice idea to file away for a possible quick fix on a tour.


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