Kelly Take Offs -- anyone have experience with them?

[dd74]

Kelly coins this as between brifters and shifters. Has anyone on the forum used these things? If so, are they any good?

http://www.kellybike.com/images/takeoff_photo.jpg

http://www.kellybike.com/2nd_xtra_takeoff.html

[EddieBirdsell]

Yes.

I picked up a Klein off of Craigslist several years ago and used it as my commuter while in law school. The prior owner had outfitted it with some Take-Offs, and while I thought I'd hate them, I came to love them.

They're only marginally less ergonomic than STI, IMHO. With your hands on the hoods, you kind of just flick them back and forth with your thumb and index finger. If your drivetrain gets gunked up with snow or muck, turn them to friction mode and you can get by fine.

I could see them being very useful in a touring bike application. They place the shifters in closer reach to the hoods and bar tops than do bar-ends, and you don't even have to lift your hand off the handlebar to shift them. If your derailleurs fall slightly out of tune, you can just switch over to friction and get through the day without messing with downtube or inline barrel adjusters, and you don't have to stop to mess with any other drivetrain adjustments. It's always possible that your STI might lock up/fail due to abuse/conditions/crash etc., but these are just simple levers at your fingertips and quite road serviceable.

I guess the biggest drawback is that they're kind of ugly, so perhaps not best for the more vain among us.

[chuckroast]

Does anyone remember Suntour Command Shifters from the early '90's? I had a set on a touring bike and they worked great. I wish I still had them. Here's a photo I swiped off of Bike Forums...

[Louis]

Why not just use DT shifters?

[JD Smith]

Kelly coins this as between brifters and shifters. Has anyone on the forum used these things? If so, are they any good?

http://www.kellybike.com/images/takeoff_photo.jpg

http://www.kellybike.com/2nd_xtra_takeoff.html

I've been using them for six years. If you're used to down tube mounted shifting, this will be a great improvement. If you're used to STI or Ergo, it will take some time an patience to get used to.
Using the thumb, fingers, and even the back and sides of the fingers, you can develop techniques for shifting from the tops, drops, and the hoods.
Shifting from smaller cogs to larger cogs takes more effort, just like it does with down tube shifting.
I can do these shifts up and down from the hoods with my thumb.
I can shift from larger cogs to smaller cogs from the tops using my ring or pinkie finger to hook the underside of the lever, pulling upward.
I can shift from smaller cogs to larger cogs from the tops using my middle finger.
I can shift from larger cogs to smaller cogs from the drops by just nudging the lever with the side or top of my thumb knuckle.
In some ways, it can be inconvenient, since your hands are in the drops when you need to shift from around smallest cogs. With Take-offs, the lever is pointing up, away from the drops in this situation, so small cog shifts from the drops are not possible.
Many times, your hands are on the bar tops when you're shifting around the largest cogs, such as when climbing. Some of these shifts are possible without removing your hands from the bar tops, but the largest three cogs require you to remove your hand, but possibly less than you would with STI or Ergo.

Another advantage would be if you were using these with 9-speed downtube shifters, and you wanted to change to a 10-speed system. The only shifter change required would be spending $80 on a pair of DA 10-speed shifters. You wouldn't have to touch your bar tape or brake housing.

[Louis]

If you're not a racer or a tri-geek I just don't see what's so difficult about taking your hands off the bars and reaching down to shift. Side-benefits: cheaper than STI or Ergopower, doesn't clutter up the front of the bike with another pair of cables and probably lighter (not that I care about that small a difference).

[dd74]

Why not just use DT shifters?
I'm considering DT shifters. I just happened to read a couple threads about the Kelly Take Offs and was curious.

They sound cool, look cool, too. But it's the cabling that I want to avoid, which I would with DT shifters.

[dd74]

Great shots, JD. They definitely make an argument for the Kellys.

I just wish there was a way to hide the shifter cabling as can now be done with some STI setups.

[Ray]

If you're not a racer or a tri-geek I just don't see what's so difficult about taking your hands off the bars and reaching down to shift. Side-benefits: cheaper than STI or Ergopower, doesn't clutter up the front of the bike with another pair of cables and probably lighter (not that I care about that small a difference).
Most of the time, you're right, downtube shifters are fine. But its a matter of what you get used to. I rode with DT shifters for years, but after getting used to riding with barcons and brifters, I set up a bike with DT shifters again and found I didn't really like taking my hands off the bars in some situations. High speed descents on less than great roads being a prime example. Or when climbing out of the saddle, where you pretty much have to sit back down to shift. Its doable, but once you get used to shifting without having to reach down, it feels like something between an inconvenience and a safety hazard. Barcons and Kelly Take-Offs give you the same advantages as downtube shifters with a more convenient shifter location. On top of which, fewer and fewer frames are even still built with DT shifter bosses, so its not an option on lots of newer bikes.

-Ray

[jpw]

Most of the time, you're right, downtube shifters are fine. But its a matter of what you get used to. I rode with DT shifters for years, but after getting used to riding with barcons and brifters, I set up a bike with DT shifters again and found I didn't really like taking my hands off the bars in some situations. High speed descents on less than great roads being a prime example. Or when climbing out of the saddle, where you pretty much have to sit back down to shift. Its doable, but once you get used to shifting without having to reach down, it feels like something between an inconvenience and a safety hazard. Barcons and Kelly Take-Offs give you the same advantages as downtube shifters with a more convenient shifter location. On top of which, fewer and fewer frames are even still built with DT shifter bosses, so its not an option on lots of newer bikes.

-Ray

All the more reason to buy a custom S - dt shifter bosses, heaven.

[93legendti]

I've been using them for six years. If you're used to down tube mounted shifting, this will be a great improvement. If you're used to STI or Ergo, it will take some time an patience to get used to.
Using the thumb, fingers, and even the back and sides of the fingers, you can develop techniques for shifting from the tops, drops, and the hoods.
Shifting from smaller cogs to larger cogs takes more effort, just like it does with down tube shifting.
I can do these shifts up and down from the hoods with my thumb.
I can shift from larger cogs to smaller cogs from the tops using my ring or pinkie finger to hook the underside of the lever, pulling upward.
I can shift from smaller cogs to larger cogs from the tops using my middle finger.
I can shift from larger cogs to smaller cogs from the drops by just nudging the lever with the side or top of my thumb knuckle.
In some ways, it can be inconvenient, since your hands are in the drops when you need to shift from around smallest cogs. With Take-offs, the lever is pointing up, away from the drops in this situation, so small cog shifts from the drops are not possible.
Many times, your hands are on the bar tops when you're shifting around the largest cogs, such as when climbing. Some of these shifts are possible without removing your hands from the bar tops, but the largest three cogs require you to remove your hand, but possibly less than you would with STI or Ergo.

Another advantage would be if you were using these with 9-speed downtube shifters, and you wanted to change to a 10-speed system. The only shifter change required would be spending $80 on a pair of DA 10-speed shifters. You wouldn't have to touch your bar tape or brake housing.

Thanks. I have a couple of sets of the take-offs. I have been trying to decide between mounting the take-offs and paul c thumbies. I think the take-offs will work bettter on a road bike.

[EddieBirdsell]

I set up a bike with DT shifters again and found I didn't really like taking my hands off the bars in some situations. High speed descents on less than great roads being a prime example. Or when climbing out of the saddle, where you pretty much have to sit back down to shift. Its doable, but once you get used to shifting without having to reach down, it feels like something between an inconvenience and a safety hazard. Barcons and Kelly Take-Offs give you the same advantages as downtube shifters with a more convenient shifter location. On top of which, fewer and fewer frames are even still built with DT shifter bosses, so its not an option on lots of newer bikes.

-Ray

Agree 100%. For me, it's both safety and convenience. I'm considering putting some Take-Offs on my all-arounder travel bike, because I don't want to mess with STI, and if I end up doing some singletrack riding, shifting from the downtube wouldn't allow me to maintain two-handed contact with the handlebars. I find it's even safer and more convenient than bar-cons, as you don't have to reach down to the drops to shift if you prefer riding on the tops or the hoods.

[RPS]

If your derailleurs fall slightly out of tune, you can just switch over to friction and get through the day without messing with downtube or inline barrel adjusters, and you don't have to stop to mess with any other drivetrain adjustments. It's always possible that your STI might lock up/fail due to abuse/conditions/crash etc., but these are just simple levers at your fingertips and quite road serviceable.
I don’t disagree with your assessment, but is this a common problem or one cyclists worry about for the sake of worrying? For example, I don’t recall ever switching a shifter to friction to get through a ride. Maybe I’ve been lucky or perhaps don’t ride as much as many of you; either way it hasn't been an issue.

Although I’ve had brifters wear out and miss a few shifts before I replaced them, I don’t recall ever stopping to adjust derailleur cables. Inline cable adjusters have taken care of that while on the bike.

Don’t get me wrong, I see the benefits of DT shifters due to simplicity and cleanliness but can’t relate to avoiding brifters due to possible failure. I wouldn’t expect it to be a frequent occurrence I should be prepared for.

[dgoodwin]

Here's my uber-cheap approach. I was building a bike to ship to a vacation site and didn't want to risk damage to a nice set of STI levers. So I got these SunRace friction shifters for $15 shipped on ebay. Mounted them as close as possible to the brake levers and they work surprisingly well. Might be a little awkward at times compared to integrated shifters, but for the price they're hard to beat.

[EddieBirdsell]

I don’t disagree with your assessment, but is this a common problem or one cyclists worry about for the sake of worrying? For example, I don’t recall ever switching a shifter to friction to get through a ride. Maybe I’ve been lucky or perhaps don’t ride as much as many of you; either way it hasn't been an issue.

Although I’ve had brifters wear out and miss a few shifts before I replaced them, I don’t recall ever stopping to adjust derailleur cables. Inline cable adjusters have taken care of that while on the bike.

Don’t get me wrong, I see the benefits of DT shifters due to simplicity and cleanliness but can’t relate to avoiding brifters due to possible failure. I wouldn’t expect it to be a frequent occurrence I should be prepared for.

I would say it's not a common problem, and in the right circumstances or application, it might be an issue to at least consider. For me, it comes down to whether or not a part is road-serviceable. On a multiple-week-long, unsupported, fully-loaded tour, if you hit a pothole or catch a bad edge and wind up laying your bike down on your right shifter and it spits springs, plates, ratchets, etc. across the tarmac, you've got issues. The intricate mechanisms of STI aren't going to be easily replaced or repaired roadside. Of course, you could set your lower limit screw to the cog of your choosing and shift using your chainrings, but now you've only got two or three usable gears. With a Take-Off or bar-con, it's more likely to only get spun around on your handlebar, which is much more easily fixed, and if it gets mangled, you can likely bend it back into place and keep moving. It's a basic, simple lever. Come to think of it, if you're using STI on such a trip and your frame has shifter mounts for your cable stops (as opposed to a brazed-on barrel adjuster), it would be a good idea to pack a downtube shifter as a backup.

Personally, I have bikes that I dote on, and bikes that I don't. For a daily around-town commuter, I simply want to jump on it and have it work. I've banged my rear derailleur out of tune and experienced misshifts due to road grime getting in the derailleur cable, and rather than deal with adjusting, simply switched it to friction and ridden it like that for weeks if not months before getting around to resetting everything. I also had a rear derailleur seize up on a recent trip, so that it would shift up through the cogs perfectly while indexing but hesitate and skip on the way down. Without a backup derailleur and being far from the nearest LBS, I simply switched to friction for a week and coaxed it into place.

[EddieBirdsell]

Here's my uber-cheap approach. I was building a bike to ship to a vacation site and didn't want to risk damage to a nice set of STI levers. So I got these SunRace friction shifters for $15 shipped on ebay. Mounted them as close as possible to the brake levers and they work surprisingly well. Might be a little awkward at times compared to integrated shifters, but for the price they're hard to beat.

I like this, very cool, I think I might have to try it.

Was the shifter clamp the proper diameter, or did it take some modification?

[dd74]

Here's my uber-cheap approach. I was building a bike to ship to a vacation site and didn't want to risk damage to a nice set of STI levers. So I got these SunRace friction shifters for $15 shipped on ebay. Mounted them as close as possible to the brake levers and they work surprisingly well. Might be a little awkward at times compared to integrated shifters, but for the price they're hard to beat.
I like this set up. How do the shifters mount? Did you have to fabricate the mounts? Which fingers do you use to shift? And how comfortable are the hods with the shifters place so closely to them?

Again, very cool! It looks good, too. :beer:

[dgoodwin]

These shifters are made for mtn bike bars, so the clamp had to be expanded to fit the road bars I installed them on, which required a longer bolt. But other than that, it was pretty easy.

There's no "mount" per se, just a bar clamp that can be slid right up against the brake lever. While holding the hoods, I used my thumb to push the lever down, or a finger underneath to push it back up. You definitely notice the shifter is there next to the lever, but considering the price, it's worth considering for a commuter, travel bike, or beater.

If anyone is considering this approach, make sure you get the SunRace FRICTION shifters, as they also have indexed 7 or 8 speed models, which will not give you the gearing flexibility of these.

Here's a link where they can be found:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A6BBU2

[93legendti]

Here's my uber-cheap approach. I was building a bike to ship to a vacation site and didn't want to risk damage to a nice set of STI levers. So I got these SunRace friction shifters for $15 shipped on ebay. Mounted them as close as possible to the brake levers and they work surprisingly well. Might be a little awkward at times compared to integrated shifters, but for the price they're hard to beat.
Will these work with a 10 speed system in friction mode?