Touring - Barends on barends?

So, I was thinking about buying bar end shifters and putting them on some barends, this for my tour this summer.

How do you guys think that setup will work?

How do you mount the shifters?

Next year I'll buy I a drop bar and put them on those. But for this summer my current flat bar will have to do. I don't want to buy moutain bike shifters just to use the this one summer.

Greetings from Sweden
/Tomas

You may have a problem fitting the bar end shifters into the bar ends. If this is not the case, then there should not be any problems, apart from slightly awkward and ugly cable routing. The only way to find out is to try. And buy bar ends with as wide an interior diameter as possible.

I've seen it. The barends were inserted at the barends' end. You can see a photo here:

http://www.karavaniers.com/voyages/repertoire/bolivie_chili_velo/idee.html

Click on "Les inoubliables", a small window opens, click on on "Plein Écran", then "La descente". It's the first image. The other photos are worth watching.

What about swapping out for bullhorns, and putting shifters on the end? Either that or use brifters on the bullhorns....

Looks like it worked for those guys. I use barends, and they aren't all that wonderful as shifters go. Not the convenience/light touch of thumbies, brifters, or even downtube shifters (once your hand finally gets there). What is great about them is that if one wants drops they are in the best position (other than brifters), and with the yoke of the hand resting on the bar, half the hand is available to crank the shifter. I'm not sure I would like to use my index finger and thumb it just seems less secure and weaker for what are sometimes big drags on a cable.

Handlebars are something of an art sometimes. I like mine straight across with no bar ends, but my dad and my uncle both love having all kinds of crap attached. My dad at one point had 2 sets of bar ends and aero bars on his MTB.

It's been done before, of course-- so you could do it as well.

I'd hold off buying the parts on the web or even new. Not all barends are the size-- you'll need to find a pair that works. I'd look for someplace with a whole lot of used ones-- then you could try for the right fit.

Also take a look at Paul's Thumbies-- a great way to mount downtube shifters on the handlebars.

I've done this for guys who find that drop bars don't suit them.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/onbike/PICT0383-1.jpg

I've done this for guys who find that drop bars don't suit them.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/onbike/PICT0383-1.jpg

Another option is to run bullhorn handlebars with CX inline levers or aero levers or both, with the shifters in the ends of the horns. That way the hand positions will be a little bit more ergonomic and theb transitions less abrupt than a flat bar with bar ends. YMMV though. Looks better at least.