Commuting - Bar End of STI Shifter?

I am fixing up my older steel frame road bike for work commuting and occasional weekend (and annually longer) touring. I am not planning to tour outside US or Europe.... I have both Bar End Dura Ace and STI Ultegra shifters, but am having difficulty to decide which one to install. I will be using handbar bag as well as lights ( I may mount these on the fork). I will also have cantilever breaks installed. I thought that the STI cables would interfere with the bag. The STI are more convenitent, but I hear that there is a reliability to consider. The Bar End shifters can be put in full friction mode. I am anxious to hear your recommendations and the reasons behind it. Thanks in advance.

A couple of thoughts. The bar end shifters with their friction option are simple, reliable and offer some options the STI don't. For instance, in friction mode the number of rear cogs becomes irrelevant. You can stick on any freewheel 5-8 speeds or number of cassette cogs and use your friction mode. I don't know if this would ever even be an issue for you, but there it is. I like STI because I often do group rides including tight pacelines. With STI my hands never have to move away from the brakes in order to shift. For commuting and touring this isn't really a problem.

I have 9 sp STI on 3 bikes (1-105 and 2 DA). My lbs had to send one DA back to Shimano because it stopped shifting. A tiny screw fell out of one of the 105 shifters (rear) causing it to stop shifting. The LBS was able to replace it. Another rear DA is having problems but I haven't had a chance to really check it out so I don't know yet if it is the shifter or the rear der.
FWIW,
Raymond

Originally posted by RainmanP

I have 9 sp STI on 3 bikes (1-105 and 2 DA). My lbs had to send one DA back to Shimano because it stopped shifting. A tiny screw fell out of one of the 105 shifters (rear) causing it to stop shifting. The LBS was able to replace it. Another rear DA is having problems but I haven't had a chance to really check it out so I don't know yet if it is the shifter or the rear der.
FWIW,
Raymond

Raymond, did you ever figure out what went wrong with the STI shifter on the bike you lent me on our ride a couple of weeks ago?

Mike,
That's the one. What little time I have had for bike work has been spent on my other bikes.

Which reminds me. I want it noted in the record that the shifter was working fine before Mike used my bike.
:D

Shifter? Why would you want a shifter on that bike. Fix that thang!

Dave

Originally posted by RainmanP
For instance, in friction mode the number of rear cogs becomes irrelevant. You can stick on any freewheel 5-8 speeds or number of cassette cogs and use your friction mode.

Please forgive my ignorance, but I don't understand the statement above. Would you please elabrate? In "friction mode" (BTW, I'm not even sure what that means), do you ride between gears, thus creating new gear ratios?

ThanX Raymond! :)

In friction mode, you can place the rear derailleur in any position, you are not limited to certain number of pre-set indexed positions.

Each type of indexing (7/8/9/10speed, Shimano/Campy) is different, and more or less incompatable in the cog spacing.
With friction shifting, you can mix and match any rear mech, cog spacing and cog numbers.
This aspect is more useful on a long tour, where you may have top replace a fancy derailleur with a low-end cheapo model from a toy store bike shop.

MichaelW bopped it on the noggin. Later model Shimano downtube and bar end shifters were set up with indexing which shifts the derailleur a predetermined amount with each "click" of the shift lever. Indexing is specific to the number of cogs for which it is designed - 5,6,7,8,9. However these shifters also have a "friction" mode. By turning (usually) a wire bail you engaged the friction mode in which the shift lever has enough friction to stay wherever you put it without being moved by the tension on the derailleur return spring. In friction mode you can move the lever, and therefore the derailleur, to any postion continuously and leave it there. So you manually move the lever and derailleur until the next cog is engaged, and you can move it through any number of cogs since you are not limited by the number of "clicks". All older downtube levers were friction only so if you had an old 10 speed in the 60s or 70s you had friction shifting.

ThanX for the education Michael and Raymond. I think that I understand now! :)

This site rocks!!!!
I have just been schooled!!!!

Originally posted by Ti-Carbo
This site rocks!!!!
I have just been schooled!!!!

And this is one school where ditching class to ride your bike is not only condoned but encouraged! :D

Everytime I think I'm all deep on bicycles I read a post or 2 here that reminds me...

That I'm still a freshman!!! :eek:

But my son thinks I'm a genius. ;)

Thanks to this site :D :beer:

See you on the road!

for years i only used downtube shifters. this year i finally graduated to STI, and i'll never go back. love it.

i've never used bar-end shifters but i can't imagine them being as slick as STIs, unless you ride on your drops a lot.

Originally posted by RainmanP
Mike,
That's the one. What little time I have had for bike work has been spent on my other bikes.

Which reminds me. I want it noted in the record that the shifter was working fine before Mike used my bike.
:D

DOH! :eek:

So what's the verdict?

Aside from having greater potential versatility (ala friction mode) in a remote breakdown, is there any advantage to bar end shifters over STI? I have never used bar ends, but I have to imagine that they are less convenient than STI.

I am trying to decide between a used Trek 1800c and a Trek 520. The appreciable differences seem to be that the 520 has a larger range on the rear cassette (11-32 vs. 12-25, which could be good when pulling gear up hill) and it has bar end shifters (which I am viewing as a drawback).

What are your thoughts?

thanks,
Aharon

So what's the verdict?

Aside from having greater potential versatility (ala friction mode) in a remote breakdown, is there any advantage to bar end shifters over STI? I have never used bar ends, but I have to imagine that they are less convenient than STI.

I am trying to decide between a used Trek 1800c and a Trek 520. The appreciable differences seem to be that the 520 has a larger range on the rear cassette (11-32 vs. 12-25, which could be good when pulling gear up hill) and it has bar end shifters (which I am viewing as a drawback).

What are your thoughts?

thanks,
Aharon

Barend shifters set to friction don't require as much maintenance as indexed STI's, which require periodic adjustment. But screw that, STI's rule.

The 520 is a dedicated tourer, will have mounts for racks and fender, take wide tires, etc. The 1800c is an odd "sports tourer", has wide enough tires (28) and will take a rear rack but no fenders(?). And a suspension seatpost which you should get rid of if the original owner hasn't already.

Screw barcons. I own two barcon bikes and I don't ride either of them because of the crappy shifters.

At least the one with indexed shifters is tolerable. The one with friction just sucks.

-------

I wonder what all these people are smoking when they talk about "requires less adjustment". My primary commuter was bought used, and I've put probably 5000 miles on it now. 105 shifters, Ultegra derailleurs and I haven't touched an adjustment screw once.

Friction barcons have to be adjusted EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU SHIFT, not to mention moving your hand position EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU SHIFT.

Sorry, I guess I failed to receive my retro-grouch merit badge.

barcons on all my drop bar road bikes, set to friction. bar end shifters work great!

bonus to commuters, they are worth less and make bike look "old"

of course if you bought a bike that was uncomfortable in the drops so you had to always ride on the hoods i guess having complicated shifters built in your brakes makes sense. i like my bikes a bit simpler, more robust and sized better than that.