Modifying the cockpit for one handed use.

Hi guys,

Recently scooped up a 2024 Marin Bobcat Trail 4 L frame 29er, and ran into my usual issue anytime I get a bike (10 years since my last one). My right arm is mostly paralyzed, and mainly I can reach and grip just enough to help balance downhill and to keep weight forward going up steep inclines. I don't do hardcore riding, but I live in the mountains and enjoy some rough gravel and dirt on ridiculous grades.

So my first ordeal is always getting the cockpit right, and on a budget. Thankfully now the Bobcat 4 models come standard with Shimano fixings instead of the microshift still standard on the 3, so there's definitely more in the way of interchangeability. Also, I love how modern bikes have erred away from front derailleurs, as this simplifies things for me a lot.

Firstly, we threw on a riser and swapped the shifter left, meaning it is upside down, but still easily reachable by thumb and index knuckle. Same for the rear brake; reversed to left side with no modifications needed. The tricky part was getting the front brake set up. In this arrangement, I opted away from a double lever to save a few bucks and not deal with the headache for now. We replaced the lever with a significantly shorter one, and now I can easily use two fingers on each lever or use just the rear if I want to. The only con here is I have to be very conscious of the brake line protruding left, but I don't see it being an issue.

The last 2 pics you'll see my old setup on my Diamondback Overdrive V for comparison; it left a lot to be desired. Upgraded the rear to disc, front brake deleted altogether, but the brake lever was retained because I used the stock shifter for front derailleur (single unit), which as you can see was in a sketchy location. Tbh idk how I made do with it, but I clocked thousands of miles with it over ten years and it treated me well. Ended up just being somewhat limited on riding because the one brake it has would overheat and fade easily on long passes. The idea now is to convert it to a gravel bike and modernize it with a full custom build. Knowing what I learned on this Marin, I'm hoping to bring it back to life with a little more pep in its step while the Marin fills it's old shoes.

Thanks for reading my novel. The guys at the LBS loved figuring out this cockpit with me, thought it'd be worth a share. If any of you have any other ideas or suggestions for a left handed cockpit, please feel free to share!