Greetings.........I few days ago I wrote of my quandary with what to do about my Team Miyata that came equipped with Shimano only shifter braze-ons. I received suggestions ranging from torching the suckers off to finding the Shimano shifters that fit. I also heard from any number of people who said that they had experimented with different solutions with no success.
I looked for the Shimano only shifter and even found a set that is on its way to me for a very nominal price. Most of what I located to fit was Shimano 600 or Arabesque. I got mixed reviews from those who had the shifters already. I favor the Simplex RF shifter.
In the meantime, I have been able to adapt the bike/shifter to take the Simplex RF shifter relatively easily. Here's how: I first tapped the 4.5mm braze-on to accommodate a 5mm bolt (aassuming you had some longer 4.5's this step would be unnecessary) I then took a small triangular file and filed 2mm flats into the Simplex RF mounting body. The flats then set onto the Shimano braze-on without moving and with a new 7mm length allen head 5mm bolt, the whole assembly attaches to the bike. The only 'disadvantage' is that cosmetically the shifters sit out a few mm further then they would on a typical braze on. In terms of permanency, I can still mount the Shimano EX shifters by simply swapping the 4.5 mm bolt for a 5mm one. The shifters remain intact for use on other braze-ons because all the was removed was the back lip of the shifter body. I have posted pictures of the finished product at:
http://www.wooljersey.com/
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Sadiq Gill
Richmond, VA