Custom WTB Multi Mount shifter re-issue – community feedback needed

Hi fellow xbikers,

some of you might have seen my custom-designed and 3D-printed shifter mount on my 1995 Trek 950 gravel/monstercross build with a drop bar, disc brake conversion, and 1×12 drivetrain. On the handlebars I use a self-designed, 3D-printed mount for a friction shifter.

I’ve received a lot of questions about this shifter mount, and I’m currently thinking about making it available to the xbiking community! For that, I’d really appreciate your feedback—I’d love to hear your thoughts on the concept and especially your answers to the questions at the bottom of this post.

Quick summary of the concept and what I’ve done so far:

My main goal was to achieve ergonomic shifting on a drop bar, something that feels close to STIs. Both bar-end and Gevenalle-style solutions didn’t fully convince me, since with both you need to let go of the bars or change hand position to shift. I also couldn’t find an integrated 12-speed shifting + braking solution that works with mechanical brakes. Since I built my Trek around some nice blue Paul Klampers, that compatibility was a must.

When I stumbled upon some extremely expensive original WTB Multi Mounts from the mid-1980s on eBay, I had the idea to develop a modern re-issue—compatible with mechanical shifters and drop-bar brake levers like TRP RRL, Tektro RL520, SRAM S500, Shimano BL400, Dia-Compe, etc.

My design is heavily inspired by the WTB mounts in terms of concept, but the shifter interface is made to fit a Microshift shifter (in my case the SL-M12-R for 12s Shimano MTB). I had the mount printed in aluminum and use it to shift a 12s XTR RD-M9120 rear derailleur across an 11–51 Garbaruk cassette. It works great so far!

I started with a plastic prototype, printed in PA12 using SLS. That version had problems with rigidity—the plastic flexed too much while shifting. To solve this, I had the final version for my Trek printed in aluminum. When it arrived from the supplier in China, I realized I had made a measurement error and introduced a design flaw… so I put it on my mill and corrected it by hand to save the (expensive) part.

The alloy version I ride now works really well. It’s stiff enough not to move at all under shifting load. The geometry feels ergonomic (at least for me with big hands). Shifting is intuitive, and you don’t have to change hand position much while riding in the hoods. It also allows to adjust cable tension with a built-in adjuster. I love the feeling of dumping a wide-range cassette with a single finger flick while riding in the hoods!

I’ve recently revised the design and added some ribs, in order to do another test with a plastic version. I’m currently waiting for it to arrive from the printing service. You can see this updated plastic version in the pictures. Once it’s here, I’ll test the rigidity again and see if the new design solves the problems of my first prototype.

My questions to you all:

1. Would you be interested in using the final product on one of your xbiking builds?

2. What price would you consider fair for (a) a plastic version and (b) an aluminum version? A set would include the mount, the piece that goes onto the handlebar, the clamp as well as all mounting hardware – the shifter and its main screw would NOT be included.

3. Which exact friction shifter models would you like to use with the mount? So far, I can only confirm compatibility with the Microshift SL-M12-R.

4. Do you have any suggestions to improve the design or features you’d like to see?

Thanks a lot for your feedback and comments!