# Sacrilegious query: moustache bars + road brifters



## SpinWheelz (May 3, 2004)

I know, this thread is enough to have my singlespeed membership revoked indefinitely. But I'm curious and want to know and I'm pretty sure that moustache bars are probably most commonly used by singlespeed folk.

Has anyone ever tried running a geared bike with moustache bars and road brifters? If so, any thoughts on this sort of setup?

Crazy, I know.


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## smeets1 (Dec 30, 2003)

SpinWheelz said:


> I know, this thread is enough to have my singlespeed membership revoked indefinitely. But I'm curious and want to know and I'm pretty sure that moustache bars are probably most commonly used by singlespeed folk.
> 
> Has anyone ever tried running a geared bike with moustache bars and road brifters? If so, any thoughts on this sort of setup?
> 
> Crazy, I know.


If by brifters you mean shifters click here for an old Bridgestone catalogue.



















For even more info check out this linky: https://www.stanford.edu/~dru/moustache.html


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## SpinWheelz (May 3, 2004)

Brifters = Shimano STI road levers (105, Ultegra, Dura Ace, etc)


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## cloughja (Jan 19, 2004)

I used bar-end shifters with my mustache bar, but don't see why the brifters wouldn't work. As long as you didn't use the Campy ones or any other style that would put thumb lever on the bottom and out of reach. I'm pretty sure I've seen at least one or two bikes on RBR's cyclocross board set up like that.


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## SpinWheelz (May 3, 2004)

Cheers, cloughja. I took a gander over there and saw one bike with such a setup. I did figure that Campy brifters with the thumb switch wouldn't work. Thanks again.


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## big & single (Feb 15, 2006)

Shimano (except the faux Campy Tiagra), would work but I can't imagine would be very convenient. Most people I know who use mo's with gears use bar end shifters or DTs.


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## Greenfix (Oct 26, 2004)

Spin,

You may have seen this before, but On-one recommends Brifters for their mungo bar. From their sites:

1) They work GREAT on a road bike. Run a shorter stem than you might with a drop bar as you'll be riding further forward. 80mm is spot on, and hey look, we've got lots of 80mm stems on special offer too 

2) Levers? They are ROAD SIZE bars - so they take ROAD LEVERS. Not mountainbike ones. That means that you need to run cable discs and STI's. 105's nice. Ultegra's lovely. Dura Ace is 10speed so no good at all.

3) Brakes? Road levers don't work with mountainbike V brakes, so on a road bike you need to run CANTI's or MINI V's. We sell both. And we've got a closeout deal on some RITCHEY LOGIC CANTI's when I get my digital camera to stay charged up enough. Want some brakes on a MOUNTAINBIKE? Try mechanical disc brakes - the GREATER LEVERAGE (less cable pull) of a road lever, makes even the crappiest mechanical disc brake work like a 4pot hydro unit. I've run Deore Mechanicals and they're awesome.


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## big & single (Feb 15, 2006)

Only thing I don't understand is this:


Brant said:


> Road levers don't work with mountainbike V brakes, so on a road bike you need to run CANTI's or MINI V's


On a road bike why wouldn't you just run road calipers?


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## SpinWheelz (May 3, 2004)

Cheers, Greenfix. Did I read that right? Brant is recommending ROAD brake levers mated to MTB mechanical disc brakes? I just queried this in the Brakes forum, and shiggy suggested that this might not be such a hot idea.


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## Greenfix (Oct 26, 2004)

SpinWheelz said:


> Cheers, Greenfix. Did I read that right? Brant is recommending ROAD brake levers mated to MTB mechanical disc brakes? I just queried this in the Brakes forum, and shiggy suggested that this might not be such a hot idea.


That is how I read it too. I am not sure what the problems would be with the different cable pull, but I think Shiggy has a lot of experience with road levers and disk brakes, as that is what is on the bikes he posts here. I am inclined to listen to what he writes, though I am curious about the specifics of the problems with the set up.

EDIT:
I just read Shiggy's post, and he was writing that a V brake lever would be lousy with road type disk brakes. He also wrote that road levers or cantilever levers might be quite powerful with off-road disk brakes, if you can get enough pad movement with the cantilever levers. That is essentially agreeing with what Brant wrote on his description of road levers with deore disk brakes.

Long winded edit, sorry about that.

GF


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## smeets1 (Dec 30, 2003)

SpinWheelz said:


> Brifters = Shimano STI road levers (105, Ultegra, Dura Ace, etc)
> 
> Ahh, I get it now


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## ionsmuse (Jul 14, 2005)

Has anyone ever tried running a geared bike with moustache bars and road brifters? If so, any thoughts on this sort of setup?

I run 'staches on my cross bike. Shimano or SRAM brifters should work well, my only concern would be the reach is you have little hands. Bar end shifters (which I use( just seems made for 'stache bars, and are cheaper, lighter and more reliable.


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## Welsh Dave (Jul 26, 2005)

*That's pretty standard*

... In Switzerland, at least.

I visited Switzerland and Germany about 6 years back with work (yeah, tough assignment, I know).

I was amazed at the high number of people running swept moustache style bars on comuter bikes. They all used road levers, mounted as per the Bridgestone pictures, but mostly used friction shifters on the bars or downtube.

I brought back 3 pairs: 2 flat and 1 slightly dropped and flared (like WTB or Midges). I ran Campy Ergo shifters on both. I never had any problems using Ergos on the flared ones, but the thumb-operated shift button on the Ergos faces downwards if used on the flat moustache bars, so I tended to run road levers and separate thumbies. But Ergos still work OK, just a little less accessible.

I was very happy when I discovered Nitto moustache bars & then Brant brought out his Mary & Mungo, as they're wider than the cheapy Swiss commuter bars.

DM



SpinWheelz said:


> I know, this thread is enough to have my singlespeed membership revoked indefinitely. But I'm curious and want to know and I'm pretty sure that moustache bars are probably most commonly used by singlespeed folk.
> 
> Has anyone ever tried running a geared bike with moustache bars and road brifters? If so, any thoughts on this sort of setup?
> 
> Crazy, I know.


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