Bulbous grip for rotatable bicycle gear shifter

A hand-rotatable shift actuator adapted to be coaxially mounted over a bicycle handlebar, said shift actuator comprising:

• a rotating member adapted to be rotated with respect to the handlebar to actuate a control cable of a bicycle gear shilling system and having an axis and a cylindrical exterior;
• and
• a resilient grip mounted on the cylindrical exterior of said rotating member and having an outer surface defining a bulbous shape in a direction parallel to the axis, the grip bulbous outer surface adapted to be engaged by an index finger at an inboard position on said grip and a middle finger at an outboard position on said grip, the outboard position being adjacent to the inboard position, a grip outer surface diameter at the inboard position being smaller than a grip outer surface diameter at the outboard position on said grip so that the inboard position on said grip ergonomically receives the index finger of the user's hand and the outboard position on said grip ergonomically receives the middle finger of the user's hand, the outboard grip position being closer to an end of the handlebar than the inboard grip position, the grip outer surface further defining:
• a plurality of elongated ridges formed substantially in parallel with the axis;
• and
• a plurality of elongated base regions angularly spacing apart adjacent ones of said elongated ridges, an outer surface of each of said ridges being radially outwardly displaced from an adjacent base region, an angular extent of said ridges and base regions being preselected such that said grip is adapted to be engaged by a thumb, at least an index finger, and a palm therebetween of a hand of a rider in such a way that the ridges engage only the crooks of the rider's hand formed by the thumb, finger and palm therebetween.

A resilient grip for a hand-rotatable shift actuator adapted to be coaxially mounted over a bicycle handlebar inboard of a customary handgrip and comprising a rotating member having an axis and an exterior surface generally formed as a surface of rotation, said grip mounted on the exterior surface of said rotating member and having an outer surface defining a bulbous shape in a direction parallel to the axis, the grip bulbous outer surface adapted to be engaged by an index finger at an inboard position on said grip, an outboard position of said grip being adjacent to said inboard position, said inboard position having a grip outer surface diameter that is smaller than a grip outer surface diameter at the outboard position on said grip, the outboard position adapted to be engaged by a middle finger, so that the inboard position on said grip ergonomically receives the index finger of the user's hand and the outboard position on said grip ergonomically receives the middle finger of the user's hand, the outboard grip position being closer to an end of the handlebar than the inboard grip position, the grip outer surface further defining:

• a plurality of elongated ridges formed substantially in parallel with the axis;
• a plurality of elongated base regions angularly spacing apart adjacent ones of said elongated ridges, an outer surface of each of said ridges being radially outwardly displaced from an adjacent base region, an angular extent of said ridges and base regions being pre selected such that said grip is adapted to be engaged by a thumb, at least an index finger, and a palm therebetween of a hand of a rider in such a way that the ridges engage only the crooks of the rider's hand formed by the thumb, finger and palm therebetween.

A hand-rotatable shift actuator adapted to be coaxially mounted over a bicycle handlebar inboard of a stationary handgrip, the shift actuator comprising:

• a rotating member adapted to be rotated with respect to the handlebar to actuate a control cable of a bicycle gear shifting system and having an axis and an exterior;
• a resilient grip mounted on the exterior of the rotating member;
• a general outer surface of the resilient grip having a bulbous profile in a direction parallel to the axis, a profile of the grip taken in a plane including the axis of the grip, a radius in said plane of said grip increasing from an inboard position of the grip to a middle position of the grip so that the inboard position on said grip ergonomically receives the index finger of the user's hand and the middle position on said grip ergonomically receives the middle finger of the user's hand;
• and
• a plurality of nubs formed on the general outer surface and extending radially outwardly therefrom, a profile of the plurality of the nubs in a direction parallel to the axis being bulbous.