Sometimes it really is the little things that are really appreciated. Paul Comp has been dedicated to developing simple, functional, american-made components from their Chico, CA home for several decades. And as the new year gets under way they’ve add a few small bits of machined goodness to solve some more common (and less so) setup problems. What that amounts to are new solutions to matching whatever size disc brake rotors you choose for any frame, a now complete front and rear set of canti brake stops, and a new pair of thumbshift mounts for use with Shimano bar-end shifters for more gearing options. Check it all out after the break…
Most recently we’ve covered Paul Set N’ Forget thru-axle skewers, the new Klamper disc brake, and an interview with the man himself, Paul Price. But the newest and most interesting out of this new group of CNC-machined goodies is probably the new Disc Adapters. Available for both IS or Post Mount, Paul has everything to get your 140mm bikes up to 180s and 160mm bikes up to 203mm rotors (maybe check with your bike/fork maker before jumping up 2 rotor sizes.) The IS mounts come in +0, +20 and +40mm options and Post mount comes in +20 and +40mm (since +0 isn’t needed.) Each aluminum adapter is available in clear silver or black anodized for just $20 and includes the appropriate length mounting bolts with thread locker already applied.
The canti mounts are the Funky Monkeys that we have actually seen in the past. It looks like the new deal may just be the offering them both standard for the rear mount on the seatpost (with the integrated hinge to get good cable angle no matter the seatangle) and for a steerer tube mount for the front brake. Front comes in 1 1/8” and 1” sizes, rear in 27.2mm only, and both sell for $49.
The Thumbies are an update back to Shimano compatibility and now are being made to fit either at the stem on oversized bars or at the grips on flat-ended bars. We had taken a look at the previous generation that was specifically designed to work with Microshift bar-end controls, but this newest version goes back to Shimano as they tend to be a bit easier to get ahold of, and there are more options for indexed gearing floating around out there and add in a friction option on many for 8-11 speeds. Pricing stays the same at $39 for one or $74 for the pair (mounts only, buy your shifters separately.) They are a great option for flat-bar road conversions, or even for touring bikes where having a separate brake and shift lever is good practice for worldwide durability. The 60g Paul Thumbies have a hinged clamp for easy install, and are available for either 22.2 or 31.8mm bars. They are available in either clear ano silver or black.
And if you haven’t seen it, their Bottle Opener is pretty sweet too. Machined out of 6061 it includes a 15mm set of wrenching flats for canti adjusting (and the occasional pedal, we’ve heard) and a slot for rotor truing. At $20 it usually comes in silver or black, but is often available in limited color runs, like the current orange and blue seen here. If you want a closer look at how Paul is churning out parts, you might take a look at the factory tour we did with them back in 2013. We’re pretty sure those lathes have been churning out parts the whole time since.
