Long climbs push riders onto the tops of the bars, where an upright position opens the chest and makes breathing easier during sustained efforts. The problem is that your hands end up nowhere near the shift levers, which means you either reach awkwardly for the hoods or stay in a gear that stops making sense as the gradient changes. Shimano's SW-RS801-T Shift Switch Set addresses this by placing dedicated shift buttons on the flat section of the bar near the stem, right where your hands naturally rest during seated climbing.

Each switch connects to the satellite port on 12-speed Di2 levers through an integrated 260mm wire. That length gives you enough reach to route from the tops down to the lever body with clean lines under your bar tape. The 31.8mm clamp fits the standard diameter of road handlebars at the tops, and you can position each switch wherever feels most natural for your hand placement. Once secured, the bar tape wraps over the wire, leaving only the button exposed.

The single-button design works with Synchro Shift when you have that mode enabled, so one press coordinates both derailleurs automatically. If you prefer manual control, you can program each switch independently through the E-Tube app. The signal travels from the switch to your STI lever, which then sends the command wirelessly to the derailleurs. There's no additional junction box or complex routing involved in the installation.... Read More