Originally Posted by
carlfreddy
(1) Frischknect's a pro, we're not.
(2) That has to be the most uncomfortable way of shouldering a bike evAr.
(3) I'll never use bar-end shifters, ever. I dont to move my hands in order to shift.
(1) Irrelevant. Frischie
beat a pro who had drop bars.
(2) Wrong. But if you need another option, you can also reach in front of headtube to grab the left side of bars. Or under the downtube, for that matter.
(3) I don't think you're familiar with the Paul thumbie, which turns a bar-end shifter into a thumb shifter (see photo). Also, I guess those Shimano 10-speed run about $150, not crazy but not nothing. Incidentally if you can shift without moving your hand, you have some mighty telekinesis.
The take-home message is there is no deal-breaking impediment to using flat bars in cross races, if it's what you want to do.
