I’m looking for a 9-speed thumb shifter to convert the 3×7 drivetrain of my 1997 Mongoose Tetra SX into a 1×9 one. I have a 9-speed Deore XT RD-M772 rear derailleur which came from my Killer V.
The bike has a classic 68 mm bottom bracket shell with a standard square taper bottom bracket. I’ve bought a Shimano BB-RS501 bottom bracket and Shimano RS510 Hollowtech II crankset to upgrade to a one-by drivetrain.
Obviously the 7-speed shifter currently sitting on the Mongoose won’t work with this setup, and since I’m such a fan of thumb shifters, I’m looking for a 9-speed thumb shifter to get with the rest.
There aren’t any vintage 9-speed thumb shifters, only 7-speed like the Shimano Deore XT SL-M730 ones I have on my Koga Miyata Adventure from 1986. Although I guess since there’s a friction mode on the right shifter, you could actually use it.
So I’ll be looking into all new options. Here’s what’s currently available on the market for 9-speed thumb shifters.
9-Speed thumb shifters
The following 9-speed thumb shifters can be bought as-is.
SunRace SLM96 R9 Thumb Shifter
The SunRace thumb shifters are offered in a 9-speed version and are indexed. There’s no option to set them to friction. They look nice and are the cheapest thumb shifters from a reputable brand.
The top screw doesn’t loosen or tighten the shifting-feel of the thumb shifter. It only serves to tighten or loosen the clamp.
They fit handlebars with a 22.2 mm diameter.
MicroSHIFT SL-M19-R thumb shifter
The MicroSHIFT SL-M19-R thumb shifter is a premium shifter with a CNC-machined 22.2 clamp.
They can be better fine tuned to suit your specific shifting needs with the bolt to control shifter drag.
Depending where you buy them, they are 2 to 3 times the price of the SunRace thumb shifter.
There’s a small dial to turn and operate the shifter either as a friction one or an indexed one.
The shifter is meant to be used with the Advent groupset and/or rear derailleur, but you can use it with a Shimano cassette (or SRAM) as well.
IRD XC-Pro Thumb Shifter
The IRD XC-Pro Thumb Shifter is a 9-speed shifter very similar in design as the microShift one. The biggest difference is the clamp, since this one has a CNC-machined hinged version.
The original XC-Pro shifters were friction only, whereas these ones are indexed only.
Dia Compe ENE thumb shifter
The Dia Compe Ene thumb shifter has a standard 26.0 mm CNC-machined clamp with optional shims to get it to either a 23.8 or 22.2 mm diameter.
It’s a friction shifter, not an indexed one, which makes it compatible with 8, 9, and 10 speed drivetrains.
It has a gorgeous vintage look with the ringed nut, and comes in black anodized or silver.
It’s very pricey at over 100 USD.
Specifications 9-speed thumb shifters
Name | shifting | clamp diameter | clamp |
|---|---|---|---|
SunRace SLM96 R9 | index | 22.2 mm | stamped steel |
MicroSHIFT SL-M19-R | index/friction | 22.2 mm | CNC-machined |
IRD XC-Pro | index | 26 mm / 22.2 mm | CNC-machined |
Dia Compe ENE | friction | 23.8 mm / 22.2 mm | CNC-machined |
Thumb shifter mounts
There are also thumb shifter mounts available. These mounts turn shifter levers originally mounted into the handlebars into those that can be mounted on your handlebars.
It means that the likes of Shimano and SRAM can also be turned into thumb shifters clamped onto handlebars.
These mounts can be had from Pauls Components. They offer more flexibility both in colors as in handlebar diameter.
Johan van Seijen
FoundeR Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His passion for cycling in general, and restoring older bikes turned into a website to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Starting out on his father’s road bike and riding classics as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege he has shifted his attention to trail, XC, and gravel riding since. No matter how much he loves writing about everything related to cycling, nothing beats actually using his ever-expanding bicycle collection.