Baby powder on your 2 wheeled baby?

[steve216c]

I regularly sprinkle baby powder over my black triangle gear shifter. Why? My 2nd Hand Rohloff came with the original gear shifter where the replacement rubbers are no longer manufactured. And the shifter rubber was constantly sticky and coming off on my hands and gloves.
Using a trick picked up on a camera forum for sticky rubber grips on old lenses I tried sprinkling baby powder over the shifter and rubbing it in to the rubber. I just repeat this every few weeks when ever it starts to feel like it is getting tacky again.

In the meantime I did find a new old stock replacement triangle rubber grip from a bike store in Prague, and got a buddy to pick it up for me. I haven’t fitted it yet as the talc solution works pretty well. But my wife pointed out that I can still keep the old one as a spare while it is still usable but sticky.

A cheaper solution than switching to the new style shifter which might have been on the cards.

Anyone got other tips for extending life of rubber components that are hard to come by?

[Matt2matt2002]

I had problems with the old style grip.
It became very worn and smooth. Hard to grip in hot climates.
Changed to a new grip 2 years ago and much better. However I don't think it's  going to last another 2 years.

[John Saxby]

I've had the wave-style shifter grip for a few years now (five? can't recall the exact date), with no problems at all.  Mind you, Matt, you've probably done a few more miles than I have.

In the realm of Other Fixes:  I seem to recall George (mickeg) recommending applying about three strips of equally-spaced black Shoe-Goo from the inner edge of the grip to the outer. 

(Note that black Shoe-Goo is not easily found--I have been unable to find a retailer here in Canada. Prices have also changed quite a bit in the last few years: today, a package of two tubes of the black stuff costs ~$50 + shipping from the U.S., and two tubes of clear shoe-Goo from Canadian supplier for C$22. No bargains there -- DIY supplies inflated by pandemic demand?  )

[PH]

Changed to a new grip 2 years ago and much better. However I don't think it's  going to last another 2 years.

The mechanism or the grip?  I had to replace the grip on mine after I'd simply worn it out, once it started going it went quite quickly.  can't remember how much it was, but not a lot of money, certainly a lot cheaper than a full shifter.

[steve216c]

Changed to a new grip 2 years ago and much better. However I don't think it's  going to last another 2 years.

The mechanism or the grip?  I had to replace the grip on mine after I'd simply worn it out, once it started going it went quite quickly.  can't remember how much it was, but not a lot of money, certainly a lot cheaper than a full shifter.

For me, it is the grip and not the mechanism. As I have the old style grip, it proved tricksy to track down a replacement rubber that wasn’t grossly overpriced and where buying a complete new style shifter would have made more sense. I don’t know how it is in the UK for finding stocks of replacement old style triangle grips, but in Germany they are as rare as funny jokes. Eventually I found a store in Denmark who wanted an obscene shipping fee for sending to Germany and a store in Prague who had these in stock. The rubber had been deteriorating quickly but I had slowed it with the talc trick and around 5000km later it is still usable as long as I keep it talcumed up. The replacement cost me around Eur 13- (or whatever Rohloff‘s list price was) and I plan to switch it out with the next oil change in a month or so. As the old triangle shifter is from my 2nd hand 2008 bike, I am hoping the replacement will last more than just a couple of years.

[Tiberius]

I use a Co-motion shifter on my drop bar/Rohloff bike.

Really REALLY well made, a lovely thing. I initially thought that it was expensive but it's not. It is a world away from the Rohloff shifters and worth every single penny. If you are the sort of person who appreciates 'nice' things then you will get it.

As ever, IMHO....

[Pavel]

I've had the wave-style shifter grip for a few years now (five? can't recall the exact date), with no problems at all.  Mind you, Matt, you've probably done a few more miles than I have.

In the realm of Other Fixes:  I seem to recall George (mickeg) recommending applying about three strips of equally-spaced black Shoe-Goo from the inner edge of the grip to the outer. 

(Note that black Shoe-Goo is not easily found--I have been unable to find a retailer here in Canada. Prices have also changed quite a bit in the last few years: today, a package of two tubes of the black stuff costs ~$50 + shipping from the U.S., and two tubes of clear shoe-Goo from Canadian supplier for C$22. No bargains there -- DIY supplies inflated by pandemic demand?  )

Wow, I'm shocked at the idea that someone could even imagine charging that much for Shoe Goo.  Do people put it in their pipes and smoke it?  Here the clear stuff is 3.58 at my local Lowes, and the black Shoe Goo is 5.19.  Is it only the color that is different?  I fixed a pair of old shoes using the stuff and it is tenacious. 

My Canadian sister in law just sent me a box of cigars, since she could not visit this year. I didn't realize that there is no entry for Canadians to the US until this morning.  As a Canadian Citizen with a USA green card, what are the entry rules I wonder?  Perhaps I could take a trip, and smuggle up three or four  tubes of Shoe Goo. Will trade for Cuban cigars John.