The OM-1 is Rivendell’s original derailleur, something Grant has wanted to make for many years.
Of course, you can use it on bikes other than Rivendells too.
One of its biggest quirks is that it moves in the opposite direction from a conventional derailleur.
We really want people all over Japan — including those who live far away from our shops — to be able to try this derailleur, so I thought I’d go through some of the questions we get most often in-store.
The first two are always:
“How many speeds does it work with?” and “What shifters can I use with it?”
Let’s start with the shifter.
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The OM-1 is compatible only with friction shifters — the kind that move smoothly without fixed clicks.
It is NOT compatible with indexed shifters — the kind that click into each gear position.
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Hmm. That’s surprisingly difficult to explain with words alone, so let’s go through some actual examples.
① S!LVER SILVER-2 Shifters: First up are the two SILVER-2 Shifters from S!LVER, Rivendell’s component brand.
There’s the bar-end shifter, which mounts at the end of the handlebar, and the thumb shifter, which you operate with your thumb. 
If you’re not sure what to choose, just go with one of these two, commonly known as the S-2.
② Downtube Shifters
This is another Rivendell original shifter — the older S!LVER shifter we usually call the S-1.
On our online store, it’s listed as the Rivendell Silver W-Shift Lever.
Compared with the S-2, the lever itself is slightly longer, with a really simple and beautiful shape.
And again, it works perfectly with the OM-1.
If you’ve been wanting to clean up your cockpit, maybe it’s time to bring downtube shifters back into your life?
③ DIA-COMPE ENE Products
Rivendell’s shifters are made by DIA-COMPE, so the ratchet mechanism inside is basically the same.
Which means these are compatible too.
The old Campagnolo-inspired lever shape works beautifully on classic road bikes and sportifs.
You could also deliberately throw one onto a Rivendell just to do something a little different.
Or maybe you have a non-Rivendell frame and simply want to use a non-Rivendell shifter.
There’s also a bar-end version and a thumb-shifter version.
And there’s even a black version, which could be the detail that ties a whole build together.
From here, we’re getting into a few little tricks.
④ Shimano SL-BS77 9-Speed Bar-End Shifters — Turn the Indexing Off
Sadly, these legendary bar-end shifters were recently discontinued.
But since that only happened fairly recently, I imagine plenty of people still own or use a pair.
These are normally indexed shifters, but the right lever has a D-ring that lets you switch it over to friction mode.
If you already own these, you’re lucky. You can keep using the same shifter and simply introduce the OM-1 into your setup.
⑤ Use a Left Shifter as a Right Thumb Shifter
This is a slightly unusual setup, but when building a bike with one of Rivendell’s swept-back handlebars, we sometimes use a left shifter on the right side so the thumb lever can sit on the inside of the bar.
That lets you position the lever like this, on the inside of the handlebar where your thumb naturally sits.
A left shifter is normally meant to operate a front derailleur, and because it works in friction mode, you can simply connect it to the OM-1 and use it for the rear.
The bike above is my Charlie H. Gallop. I’m using an old Microshift left thumb shifter that I think came on a complete CLEM at some point, mounted on the right side.
How does it feel?
Well…
The S-2 feels better.
Using the same idea, if you have an old Shimano left downtube or bar-end shifter lying around, you can pair it with something like a THUMBIES mount and turn it into a friction thumb shifter for the right side.
Shimano bar-end shifters in particular are often DURA-ACE grade, and unsurprisingly, they feel really nice.
They’re light to operate, require very little finger pressure, and work really well with the OM-1.
⑥ Other Old or Vintage Shifters
Old-school bar-end shifters and downtube shifters are another option.
Some older shifters don’t use a ratchet mechanism at all and instead rely on simple friction from the internal bushing.
Those are friction shifters too, so in theory they can absolutely be connected to the OM-1.
We haven’t actually tried this setup in the shop yet though.
Someone please do it. And now for the other big question:
“How Many Speeds Does It Work With?”
This is also surprisingly hard to explain in writing.
The easiest answer is:
“8- or 9-speed works great.”
But then we also have to add:
“10-speed is okay too, and it’s not like 11-speed simply won’t work.”
Not exactly the cleanest answer.
Basically, because the shifter is friction-based, the number of sprockets itself doesn’t directly determine whether you can shift through them.
Which naturally makes you think:
“So doesn’t that mean it works with any number of gears?”
Well… sort of.
As you go from:
8 → 9 → 10 → 11 speeds…
the number of gears increases, and at the same time:
- the chain gets narrower
- the spacing between each sprocket gets smaller
And on the derailleur side, as drivetrains gain more gears:
- the space where the chain passes through becomes narrower
- the pulleys become thinner
So yes, an 11-speed cassette and chain can technically operate with the OM-1.
But because everything is packed closer together, even a tiny movement of the friction lever can make the chain start making noise or leave you sitting awkwardly between two gears.
Depending on the rider, that can make shifting feel a little fiddly or demanding.
So we can’t really say:
“It’s a 9-speed-only derailleur!”
But we also can’t simply say:
“It doesn’t work with 11-speed or Shimano LG!”
Which leaves us giving this slightly frustrating, not-quite-black-and-white explanation.
That was actually one of the reasons we didn’t sell the first batch online.
Overall, if you’re building a bike from scratch around the OM-1, I’d definitely recommend trying it with a 9-speed setup.
If you already have a bike running something other than 9-speed, keep the points above in mind.
They should help you understand the possible advantages and disadvantages, and also give you some clues when choosing a shifter.
Lastly, I want to leave you with something Grant told us.
“If friction shifting feels difficult, or if you miss a shift, don’t blame the derailleur.”
And:
“People naturally don’t want to move or think any more than necessary, which is why indexed shifting and 1x drivetrains are popular. The OM-1 isn’t really made for those people.”
My interpretation?
This is a derailleur for people who enjoy a little extra involvement.
A derailleur for enjoying low-tech.
For enjoying DIY.
Kind of like using a manual-focus camera.
Or playing a fretless guitar.
Or listening to records.
There are easier ways to do all of those things.
But that little bit of effort is part of what makes them enjoyable.
Hopefully, you can bring that same feeling to your bike with the OM-1.
