Take the plugs out of your handlebar ends and plug them into those. You just look down by your wrists and you can see quite well, theyre wide-angle, black plastic things. There was a bike shop at Sherway Gardens where I got mine originally, Trail Blazer Cycle fitted them to my Kona in '01 and Skiis and Biikes on Dundas in Sauga carries them as well. I think pretty well anyone can get them if theyre not a stock item, theyre cheap as well.

I talked to the guy at Central Cycle about the internal gear hubs, it seems my frame would have to be cut and have different mounts for the rear hub brazed into the rear fork. Unless I went with the Rohloff, he said they lose efficiency because the gears are nylon? He said I could also go with a single speed hub with a drum brake, not sure why I would want to do that... Second opinion...

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

That would mean slicing up my Brooks leather handlegrips or my repro Raleigh rubber ones...

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Crappy Tire has clamp-on chrome ones that come up and out slightly, you could clamp them inboard of your grips, wont look as clean but then chrome would probably be more at home on your bike than black plastic.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Did he say your rear dropout was too narrow? Or that you have the wrong shape ones? Its possible you have vertical dropouts which might not be compatible, but more likely that your rear triangle is too narrow. Not sure how new dropouts would accomodate that problem though...more details?
Efficiency in terms of friction? Not sure what he's getting at here either.
single speeds, with freewheel (must have this unless you like to live dangerously) are fun and certainly are great for smoothing out your stroke. IF you're going from a 3 speed to this, you'll be sorely disappointed.

MJ

What kind do you have? Are yours single pieces that slide up until the brake lever with the bar end integrated into it? Or is it tape wrap? If the rubber ones are tape wrap, its quite easy to do. Even if they aren't its not hard to do. The helmet ones are fine too. I personally just look under my armpit, or over my shoulder, but YMMV.

In North America, better than 19 out of 20 shops you visit will give you no or inaccurate information about internal-gear hubs. Most of them will feed you completely made-up bullcrap with a straight face.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

this is what I think is the case.

I asked about spreading the fork, he said nope, the fitments are different.

I cant see nylon gears being used in a $1000 hub. Would they not strip???

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

First stop: Harris Cyclery's internal gearhubs page.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

(Dan, I had something typed up , but ya beat me to it!)
The Rohloff cutaway on that page looks pretty robust, nary a plastic gear is visible. But, given one can drive a slant six distributor for thirty years, how bad can it be to have plastic gears?
I'm not in the market for a Rohloff, just advancing a principle.

A side note: Sheldon Brown of Harris Cyclery is a cool guy, and he will answer questions via email, if you can't find what you need on his site.

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Last one out , turn off the light

I am still camped out at this site reading the wheelbuilding article

coffee!

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Ive got a quote on a Nexus 7 speed wheelbuild with roller brake ($230 CDN+$30lab) and a twist shifter($30). It's a 130 mm spread. I may decide to ditch the front derailleur as well and just go with a single chainring, any suggestions what size to go with? 44,46 tooth? Again, I never go offroad with it, tire size is 26x1.5 city slickers in the summer, and 26x2s in the winter. I might even get this 2x2 trailer to haul stuff around in. Like cinderblocks.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.