My experience: I installed the Versa shifter/brake levers on my Ritchey Breakaway cyclocross bike and rode about 150 miles over a two week period.
Function: 5/5
Style: 3/5
Build Quality: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Price: $229 ($199 for a limited time directly from Dynamic Bicycles, 1-800-935-9553)
Summary
The Versa integrated road bar shifter/brake levers are a well made, nearly flawless solution for those wanting to run a Shimano 8 speed Nexus or Alfine hub on their road bike. While the up shifts take a bit more effort than conventional shifters, the shifting itself is smooth and sure. The only performance issue with the system is the hubs, not the shifter. Since a wide range is covered by the 8 speeds, it can be difficult to find the optimum gears for your normal cadence at cruising speed. The internally geared hubs are also heavier than traditional derailleur/hub combos.
Overview
Back in February of this year, Dynamic Bicycles sent demo versions of their Synergy road bike for several sites to review. The Synergy was the first mass produced road bike to be built specifically for Shimano’s 8 speed internally geared hubs. The advantage of this hub is that you have no external derailleur for a solution that is low maintenance and clean looking. The Versa Shifter/Brake Levers make this possible on a road bike with throw ratios that are compatible with Shimano 8 speed Nexus and Alfine hubs. Initially offered only on the Synergy, Dynamic became the U.S. distributor for the Versa shifter offering it as an after market upgrade, initially directly to customers and eventually via local bike shops. I received a set fromthe first batch set out to customers in late June and installed the shifter/brake levers on my Ritchey Breakaway cyclocross bike. I took this on vacation to Seattle where I put the system to the test.
Style and Build Quality
The Versa shifter is advertised as coming in Silver or Black, but only the black version was available at the time they were ready to ship. The overall look and build quality is high. They feel like solid parts that will hold up to repeated use. The shifter cable on the right side comes out of the side with a barrel adjuster like Shimano systems while the brake cables are routed under the bar tape. This system assumes no front derailleur so there is no shifter on the left side.
The design of the hoods is similar to Shimano STI. This means they jut out quite a bit from the bar although the top is not as bulbous. I normally ride pre-2009 Campy shifters so I was not as used to this design and found them uncomfortable on longer rides. If you ride Shimano STI without complaint, you’ll be able to set these up similarly without problem. The brake levers also angle outward rather than straight up and down. This took a little getting used to on my traditional round bend drops but is less noticeable on drops with the ergonomic bend.
Function
I rode about 150 miles in Seattle with this system including over 2000 feet of climbing. The shifting worked well with no missed shifts even under load. The up shifts take a little more effort similar to up shifts on Sora level shifters or Campy front derailleur shifts. This was not a noticeable problem for me, but if you want ultra light shifting action, look elsewhere.
I only had a Nexus hub on hand and was concerned that it would not perform well under load, i.e. out of the saddle climbing or sprinting. The hub held up fine with a solid feel. My largest issue with the hub is gear spacing, part of the limitations of the system. I set up my drive-train with a 21 T cog in the back and 48 T crank. Since you are fitting eight gears in the range equivalent to a compact crank, the jumps between gears are quite a bit larger than I was used to on road drive-trains. On the flats, I struggled to find just the right gearing bouncing between mashing and insanely fast spinning. This would not be too much of an issue for general commuting, but I think it could be problematic for longer riding.
The other issue for some with this system is weight. The internally geared hubs add a couple pounds to your bike compared to high end derailleurs and hubs. This weight was not noticeable on the ride, but it definitely was noticeable when you picked up the bike. If you are a weight weenie or have to carry your bike regularly up stairs, this is probably not your system. If you already ride a bike loaded or with a backpack, you’ll likely not notice much difference. On my steel bike with this hub, I was able to keep up with my brother on his super light aluminum Cannondale on all the climbs. You can save a little weight with the Alfine as it is built for a 32 spoke wheel over the Nexus 36 spokes. The Alfine is also supposed to shift smoother and quieter and roll more efficiently.
Installing the shifter is the same as any STI shifter and setting up the internal hub is much easier than dialing in a derailleur. Just put the shifter in four gear and adjust the barrel until two yellow lines line up on the hub. One thing to keep in mind is that you likely will need a chain tensioner if your bike has vertical dropouts. Since you don’t have a derailleur, the chain needs to be tensioned by position of the hub with horizontal dropouts or with a tensioner. Of course, you could get lucky like me. I had ordered a tensioner that did not come in before my trip, but when I put the chain on, it just happened to fit close to perfectly.
Conclusion
The internally geared hub offers a compelling option for those wanting the clean look of a single speed with a low maintenance wide range shifting system. The Versa shifter is a welcome addition that allows bikes with road drops to elegantly use this system. While I would probably not race or do long touring with an internal hub, this would definitely be a great option for a fast commuter or around town bike, possibly the odd cyclocross race. I am in the process of building a light touring/road bike for Marcus with my current Versa set, but plan on getting another for myself soon.
Related posts:
- Coming Soon: A Review of the Versa Road Shifters for Shimano Internally Geared Hubs ...
- STI Style Road Shifters for Shimano Internally Geared Hubs available this summer ...
- Product Review: Yuba Mundo 21 Speed ...
- A Series of Tubes: Final buildup on Marcus Rando Light Touring Bike ...
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on Aug 15th, 2009 at 1:24 am
I’ve just returned from touring the US on my Nexus/Versa equipped Co-Motion and can add some more thoughts. I put well over 1000 miles on these levers from Vancouver BC to San Francisco, CA over 3 weeks of loaded touring.
1) The fascia’s on the levers are badly designed. The RH one popped off while riding in the first couple of days, the LH one fell off as I was packing the bike up in SFO airport, so both levers are now open to rain/dust etc.
2) The metal collar in the Ritchey barrel adjuster fractured early on, it still works, but could do with a replacement.
3) But the most important factor: The shifting and braking action was faultless, easily operated from the hoods or drops. These levers plus my red-band Nexus were a great setup for touring. 44:22 gearing gave me a low enough gear to climb everything I encountered, but I did spin out on some of the downhills.
on Oct 2nd, 2009 at 2:53 am
The gear range problem could be solved if these shifters were available for a 14 speed Rohloff hub.
Are there plans for one of these?
on Oct 2nd, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Tony,
I don’t know, but due to it’s high price, I think the Rohloff hub option is a much more limited market. I’d be guess you’d see it from the Rohloff folks before a third party solution.
on Nov 19th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Tony:
I solved the gear range problem by running a double front chainring setup ( 44/32 Surly Mr. Whirley combo, dropped the granny ring off). I am running an Alfine IGH wheelset in 2 x 8 configuration, using the Alfine front and rear trigger shifters. Alas, it looks like these levers are rear shifting only though so I’d have to run a mismatched pair of levers if I want to run 2×8 with drops.
While the Rohloff may be the grail of IGH’s, you cannot buy the Rohloff hub alone for the the price of a complete Alfine wheelset, chain tensioner (if needed) and shifters. And the Alfine uses a standard shifter cable which is a plus too. The Rohloff sure is pretty though…
on Nov 19th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Tony,
The shell of this shifter is the same as those made by Microshift. They make conventional shifters for Nashbar and Sampson Sport: http://austinontwowheels.org/2009/02/08/the-mystery-of-the-sti-style-road-shifter-for-shimano-internally-geared-hubs/. You could get one of the Micros shift re-badged shifters for the left if you are running that setup. They might not look exactly the same but the ergonomics would be.
I do have a question though. Are you running this setup with a chain tensioner? While you still get the low maintenance of an internal hub, once you add a tensioner I think it takes away some of the simplicity in the internal hub setup.
on Dec 19th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
STI for a Roholff will be a dream for a long time. The Roholff has over 9cm+ cable travel and the requires you to pull a cable to shift up as well as down.
on Jan 10th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
How would those levers suit a rider with small hands?
on Jan 11th, 2010 at 9:14 am
Eric,
I think as long as you had either a shorter stem or handlebars with less reach, they would be OK. They extend quiet a bit out, so those with both small hands and short arms would have their body extended out too much.