[farmboybiker]

WE just upgraded to a 9 speed rear wheel after breaking a axle on the 7 speed freewheel. I'm thinking about upgrading the bar end friction shifters. Most new tandems seem like they come with brake shifters. Is this what most are using now? I think what I would like to know is given a choice between bar end or brake shifters, which do you prefer?

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[Michel Gagnon]

I prefer bar-end shifters for four reasons :

1. Closer and easier to use from my favourite hand position (on the drops).

2. No wiggling of the brake lever when I brake.

3. With bar-end shifters, front is friction, rear is either friction or indexed (just turn a knob).

4. The bar-end shifters double up as indicators of your gear selection. With STI, you need to buy the expensive Flight Deck computer to see what gears you are in.

By the way, if you don't feel like changing your shifters now, use them in friction mode.

[Retro Grouch]

I prefer STI's.

Gosh, I guess that it's been a couple of tandems ago that I made the decision not to go to Magura hydraulic rim brakes. I love the brakes but it would have ment giving up my STIs. I don't regret the decision. I find STI's quicker and more convenient to use and I don't have any trouble keeping them adjusted and operational.

Oh man! Now I have to give up some of my retro grouch points again.

[TandemGeek]

I think what I would like to know is given a choice between bar end or brake shifters, which do you prefer?

Campy Ergos: We have these fitted to both road tandems, both of my personal road bikes, and Debbie's personal road bike. Note: There are several different ways to use Campy shifters with Shimano 9 speed rear derailleurs and/or Shimano 9 speed rear cassettes.

Shimano STI: Just not a good ergonomic fit for my small hands. Used them from '91 through '97 on my personal road bikes before switching over to Campy Ergos (actually, a Shimano 8 speed compatible Sachs P5000 version of Campy's Veloce shifter) when we bought our Santana Arriva.

Bar-End Shifters: Used them a long time ago as well as downtube shifters when there wasn't anything else available and reluctantly switched to Shimano STI in '91. STI was great but a little more problematic than Bar-End and downtube shifters. The '97 Santana had bar-ends and they didn't make it out of the showroom. I tend to ride on the tops and hoods and have modified my riding style over the years to routinely shift while standing and climbing and just prefer to keep my hands on the hoods vs. reaching down for the bar-end.

Bottom Line: Go with what works for you.

[Murrays]

I think what I would like to know is given a choice between bar end or brake shifters, which do you prefer?

I think the question is what do you prefer? What do you have on your single bike(s)?

Personally, I have DA STI shifters on my single and I wanted our tandem to be as similar to my single as possible.

-murray

[zonatandem]

Dura Ace STI shifters: $400+
Dura Ace Barcons: under $100
Have tried both on the tandem. Personal preference: barcons: simple/effective, trouble-free. STI is over-engineered (way too many itsy parts), difficult to trim front der. properly.
Our opinion/experience after 30+ years of tandeming.

Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

[SRidge]

I like barcons mainly because all I have to do is look down at them and I can tell what gear I'm in.

[BluesDawg]

I agree with those saying go with what you like. My new KHS tandem is the first bike I've owned with STI brifters. Yes, I'm a dinosaur. I tried to like them, but after all those years of bar end shifting I just couldn't get used to them. I found the rear shifting to feel too unrelated to what was happening at the derailleur. It worked fine but it just didn't feel right to me. But then I use friction bar ends on my solo bike.
The bigger problem for me was the front shifting. Indexed front shifting just doesn't seem like a good idea. At least on the 105 brifters, I could never get the front to be quiet.
I took a set of 8 speed Shimano bar end shifters (front is friction, rear is index or friction) off of my solo bike and put them on the tandem. They work and feel fine. The brifters will go on a bike I'll be building for my son. My solo bike now sports a set of NOS Suntour friction-only bar ends from the 80s. Maybe the most perfect bicycle part ever made (imho).

[halfbiked]

Last year I bought my first roadbike (single) in nearly 20 years and we (gf and I) bought a tandem. The bar-cons on the roadbike were new to me, and I find them to be perfect for that bike. However, we have STI on the tandem, and its a great system for that bike. Riding alone I am very comfortable riding with my hands anywhere; with 2, 1 or 0 hands on the bars, etc. However, on the tandem, I am not yet at that level. It is very nice to have my hands on the bars, near the gears & brakes whether in the drops or on the hoods. I don't have to let go to shift - having the levers right there is really nice. With more miles on the tandem I might get to the point of not preferring one over the other, but as a low-mileage team its nice to have both hands on the bars at nearly all times.

[mtbcyclist]

I vote for STI (Ultegra). My new ride has them and you can't go wrong with them. Its all in what you prefer. Kind of like asking 20 people if they like chocholate milk or plain milk. I think they are both good systems and in the end its what you like. If you can try out a few bikes with different setups.