Ever wanted to attach a computer, GPS, motor controller, or phone right near your hands? Ever wanted to attach something like a mirror to the ends your handlebars, but you have Bar End Shifters, so there wasn't any way to do it? Well, now there is! This mount uses a special clamp with a Cable Tunnel in it that attaches to the end of your handlebars right under your Bar End Shifters. The clamp extends forward and inward a little bit, and holds the T-shaped mounting tube that goes up and over. Since the clamp goes inward a little bit, your hands slide right past it. You'll barely notice it's there as you go from braking to shifting and back. What you will notice is that your mirror is now right where you want it to be, and that you can easily see your phone and operate the buttons on your motor controller. It can be installed on the right or left side of the trike.
FAQ
1. What does this mount do?
A lot of trikers would like to mount accessories near their hands. When you have Bar End Shifters, the ends of the handlebars are full and there's no place to put things. This mount solves that by providing a clamp with a notch in it to go around the shifter cable. We make two versions, one for when the cable is in the front, and one for when the cable is in the back.
Since your hands need to move up and down from the brakes to the shifters and back, the clamp is angled and specially shaped to stay out of the way. It's curved and doesn't have any sharp corners, so as your fingers brush past it, you'll hardly notice it's there. The L shaped tubular mount goes up and out, putting an adjustable height horizontal tube about 2 inches (50mm) above and in front of the shifters. It works on both the left and right sides by simply flipping the components around.
2. What can I put on it?
All sorts of things- mirrors, computers, phones, GPSs, motor controllers, etc. Anything you want close at hand.
3. Can I use it as a hand rest?
Yes, it's strong enough to rest your hands for a while as you ride, but we don't recommend you use it to actively steer your trike. It's designed to be a lightweight accessory mount, not a handlebar extension.
4. Can I use it as an exit assist?
Unfortunately, no. The handlebars themselves are often not strong enough, and the clamp is designed to be small and light and it's not strong enough to hold that much weight. We make actual exit assists as well, they are made very differently.
5. How hard is it to install?
Not hard at all. You don't have to decable the shifter, but you do have to move it up temporarily.
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
Installation is straightforward but does involve popping the bar end shifter out temporarily. If you are unfamiliar with shifters or are uncomfortable taking things apart, we recommend finding someone to help you that's done things like this before. It's not hard, but there are some details you want to pay attention to. Installation goes like this: release the handlebar clamp inside the shifter, pull the shifter up, slide the clamp arm over the cable housing, push the clamp onto the end of the handlebar, and put the shifter back the way it was. Here are the detailed steps to install:
- While pedaling, shift into the gear where the lever is vertical. Then, without pedaling, shift so the lever is horizontal. This puts slack in the cable, which makes the shifter easier to take apart.
- Examine the shifter. One side of it rotates with the shifter arm, and the other side does not. There will be two bolts, one on each side. Remove the bolt from the fixed (non shifter arm) side.
- Swing the shift lever aside. You should now be able to see down inside the handlebar to the clamp that holds the shifter in place. Loosen the clamp bolt 1 (one!) turn. This should be enough to release the clamp. You don't want to overloosen the clamp as the parts may fall down inside the handlebar. Just barely loose is all you need.
- Gently pull the shifter base up out of the handlebar. The handlebar grip will be gripping the cable housing, but a slow steady pull will allow you to pull it up enough to get it out. Once it's out, there's no need to pull it any further.
- There are two pinch bolts in the new clamp. They cross the long curved slot in the clamp. The cable housing needs to slide through that slot, so temporarily remove the bolts.
- Orient the clamp so the open end will point slightly inward towards the middle of the trike when the clamp is on the end of the handlebar. With the clamp in that orientation, slide the cable housing through the slot in the clamp, all the way to the inside where the cable tunnel is.
- Push the cable housing in to the tunnel and push the clamp down onto the end of the handlebar. Most handlebar grips will happily push down the 1/2 inch (12.7mm) that the clamp requires. Push the clamp down until the end of the handlebar is flush with the top of the clamp. Reinstall the clamp bolts and lightly clamp it to the handlebar while you reinstall the shifter.
- Put the shifter clamp back into the end of the handlebar, and while gently pulling on the shifter cable, push the shifter base back into the handlebar until it seats. Align the shifter base so the swing of the shifter arm is where you want it and tighten the clamp bolt down inside the handlebar.
- Put the shifter arm back on the base. There is usually a square or D shaped protrusion on the arm that needs to go back into a corresponding pocket on the side of the base. Rotate the arm and snap it into the pocket. Reinstall the bolt that holds the arm to the base. Pull the shifter arm back to vertical to retension the cable.
- Loosen the bolts on the new clamp and install the L arm. Adjust the height and angle of the arm and the clamp, then tighten the clamp bolts. Once they take tension, tighten them alternately until they are both medium tight.
All Done! Now, mount whatever you'd like!
ADDITIONAL INFO
- Machined from 6061T6 aluminum, anodized black. Fasteners are stainless steel. Clamp attaches the end of your 7/8 handlebar and has a tunnel that goes around the shifter cable. The L shaped Accessory Mounting tube provided is black powder coated 7/8 diameter 6061T4 tube.
- There are two versions of the clamp part of this mount. One has the cable tunnel on the front (most trikes, like Catrike, TerraTrike, HPVT, Azub, Performer, etc.), and the other has the cable tunnel on the back (ICE trikes assembled in the UK).
- The clamp is designed to be installed without needing to decable the shifter. Once you've done one, you can install one in about 2 minutes. It's one of those things that's more work to explain than to do.
- The clamp is designed to clamp around a painted or anodized 7/8 inch (22.2mm) handlebar tube. Only 1/2 inch (12.7mm) of handlebar space is required. The width of the cable tunnel allows about 10 degrees of side to side angular adjustment.
- The T shaped Accessory Mounting Tube is also 7/8 inch in diameter and has a total height of about 5 inches (127mm). The Accessory Mounting tube is adjustable up and down and radially.
- This mount is designed to hold accessories like mirrors, phones, GPSs, and motor controllers. It is not designed for heavy loads or to carry steering forces.
- Fits any bike or trike with bar end shifters where you'd like to mount other things near the end of the handlebars.
