Bicycle Mechanics - Why are bar con shifters so $$$?

Looking at some bar con shifters and well didn't expect the sticker shock. I thought these are old archaic stuff compared to STIs. So far I found Shimano DA and Ultegra. Any cheaper alternatives?

I would guess they don't have a large of as a market share like STI's and Ergos do. Mostly for retrogrouches, TT'ists and touring.

I've found the ultegra 8 speeds as low as $65 @ niagra cycles.

Another cheaper option if you don't mind friction shifting is the bar end shifter pods from Rivendell. These let you mount normal downtube shifters like bar ends.

http://www.rivbike.com/products/show/bar-end-shifter-pods-mounts-pair/17-068

i can't tell if the op is serious. 8speed barcons are $56 on jensonusa.com; 9 speed are $84. You can't touch new brifters for that price. Factor in the longer service-life of the barcons, and comparing the prices becomes outright silly, even compensating for the brake levers.

-rob

When STI became the norm Shimano discontinued all lever shifters except Ultegra and Dura-Ace (at that time Dura-Ace used a dufferent cable pull than everything else). When 9 speed shifters came out the Dura-Ace used the same cable pull as everthing else so Shimano discontinued the Ultegra.

Shimano views lever shifters as a premium item.

Microshift makes a set of cheap indexed shifters and Dia-Compe makes a nice set of friction shifters.

i can't tell if the op is serious. 8speed barcons are $56 on jensonusa.com; 9 speed are $84. You can't touch new brifters for that price. Factor in the longer service-life of the barcons, and comparing the prices becomes outright silly, even compensating for the brake levers.

-rob

I remember a thread just like this one some months back and those who posted in it eventually concluded that the OP was being serious.

I know, I know...

The only thing cheaper than bar-end shifters with the words "Dura Ace" on it still made is a 9-spd chain! Perhaps cleats too.

i can't tell if the op is serious. 8speed barcons are $56 on jensonusa.com; 9 speed are $84. You can't touch new brifters for that price. Factor in the longer service-life of the barcons, and comparing the prices becomes outright silly, even compensating for the brake levers.

-rob

I beleive there was a time that shifters cost less than brake levers.

you just have to know where to buy them ;)

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/pp/road-track-bike/Gearshift-Levers-Road-and-TT/GRSH
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/pp/road-track-bike/Gearshift-and-Brake-Lever-Sets-Road/GRSS

campy ultrashift ergo levers are the best deals as far as shifters go.

you just have to know where to buy them ;)

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/pp/road-track-bike/Gearshift-Levers-Road-and-TT/GRSH
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/pp/road-track-bike/Gearshift-and-Brake-Lever-Sets-Road/GRSS

campy ultrashift ergo levers are the best deals as far as shifters go.

Uh exactly what are you referring to as cheap? The Ultegra 8spd is $73.33!

I guess I always thought for such seemingly low tech devices, they should be around $30 or something.

I asked around until the shop manager at my LBS here found a couple of pairs, one of ancient Shimanos and one of ancient Suntours. I took the Shimanos for $20. Probably too much, but I wanted barcons that badly for my commuter... I don't have time to screw around with indexing anymore, there was no way to fit downtube shifters on my MTB frame, and bar-tops weren't cutting it on drop bars. I do not regret this decision. They are bulletproof, if a little prone to getting loosey-goosey and needing to be tightened periodically.

Also, Rivendell has the Silver Shifters downtube shifters, and the matching bar-end pods available separately, but it's still $70ish. I ran into a guy at the GranFondo with a set, and they look very nice.

Edit: or these (but still... $50+):
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Dia-Compe_Bar_End_Gear_Shifter_Set/5360043252

Also, Rivendell has the Silver Shifters downtube shifters, and the matching bar-end pods available separately, but it's still $70ish. I ran into a guy at the GranFondo with a set, and they look very nice.


The one advantage to the pods is that downtube levers are more common than bar ends. If the OP could find a coop I bet a pair would be found rather cheaply.

The one advantage to the pods is that downtube levers are more common than bar ends. If the OP could find a coop I bet a pair would be found rather cheaply.

+1 for asking around and dumpster diving!

yup, ask for help.

I just picked up a brand new set Dura Ace Bar cons from Amazon for 79.99 and don’t forget they include cable and cable housing and other mounting hardware . If you are a Amazon prime member shipping is free also

http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-SL-BS77-Double-Shifters-9-Speed/dp/B000F5HXFA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1288261538&sr=8-2

It's a conspiracy: A company in the 1970's actually came up with a super-efficient bar con shifter, but the government bought the patent and pulled it off the market so the price would remain inflated.

all i'm say is, the barcon is the best shifter i've used, and i imagine that it's the best shifter for all cyclists, excepting competitive racing cyclists. the shimano ones are well-finished, trouble-free, adaptable to many set-ups, and all but the rubbery thing that covers the tip will last forever. (The rubbery/plasticky cover will last half of forever, or until my cat decides he wants to chew it.

And, they cost half of what a comparable set of brifters costs, and they allow you to use whatever brake levers you want.

You're right; total rip-off

-rob

i understand the op's beef. You would think for the simplicity that they would be $20 or $30. However compared to brifters they are dirtcheap. Of course, I think brifters are hands down the MOST ridiculously overpriced part of the bike, especially when you consider that they are an absolute necessity on every road bike. At least with barcons there is a very limited market so your not selling nearly as many and the price should be a bit of a premium. But brifters are out of control.

well.. brifters are hilariously expensive considering they're the first things you'd probably destroy in a crash.. :D seems like the perfect place to put an outrageously expensive part, of course!

i dunno.. is $60 too expensive for the silvers? i mean.. they're friction.. but that's a win as far as i'm concerned, but apparently i'm a 'retrogrouch'... but why is $60 too spendy? you can reframe it and consider it a savings over those exorbitantly priced bar end caps... :D.

all kidding aside-- whats 'too expensive' about them? gads... everything else nowadays seems so INexpensive compared to when i was racing in the 80's and campy stuff and framesets were seemingly insurmountably expensive for a teenager..

Uh exactly what are you referring to as cheap? The Ultegra 8spd is $73.33!

I guess I always thought for such seemingly low tech devices, they should be around $30 or something.

You are right--but that is $30 EACH!:( I agree that they are priced too high, but in a world where gas costs $3.00 or more a gallon, I'll take the bar ends if it keeps me riding!:thumb:

They are priced to what the market will pay. The cost if very low. I can blieve that brifters are labor intensive to build but not what the pricing indicates.

Heh. Can't help to but detect a defensive stance on bar-con lovers. That is fine. I was just experiencing sticker shock on what looks to be an 70s or 80s thing. Atleast to me. I can kinda see why STIs are expensive since it integrates shifting and brakes in one unit. Especially STIs are more ergonomic than bar-cons in terms of ability to brake and shift at the same time. Also Flightdeck compatible. :lol:

Anyhow, I will continue to search. I know of no local Co-op nearby. MEC a coop but that's like REI type. Maybe I'll visit my LBS to see if they have used bar-cons. Then again, they seem to specialise on racing bikes. :(

A grip shifter is very cheap ($10), but it's a little bulky if mounted at the end of the bar. I now have an 8-speed Rapidfire at the end of the bar. Flick up the lever for a higher gear, and push down the lever for a lower gear. Only minor complain is the need to over-shift by about 20% after the initial "click" when selecting a lower gear. This ensures that the rear derailleur is positioned directly beneath the cassette cog...common problem with Shimano 2:1 pull ratio. May try to experiment with a different brand of compression-less cable to see if I can reduce the over-shift to less than 10%. Upshift is dead-on with all gears.

Rapidfire shifter eh?
Was it awkward for the mounting position?

... Weak $ and several layers of margins in distribution and retail markup add up.

. order a pallet of cases and you get manufacturer's price.
then price per unit is low.

. Forgo indexing, get used or old stock, and they are pretty cheap..
I have several ratchet Sun Tours and a couple old Campag ones on my bikes ..

. Wait till the dollar really goes further in the terlet,
and all things imported will really go up.

:injured:

If you are willing to go with friction-only shifting, the least expensive option is the bar-end shifter pods sold by Rivendell (already suggested earlier). If you buy some really cheap downtube shifters to mount on the shifter pods, it will likely only cost around $50-$60 total. That is WAY cheaper than most any other shifter option.

Another alternative is to mount downtube shifters on a pair of Kelley take-offs. They cost about the same as the bar-end pods from Rivendell, but position the shifters up next to the brake levers. That way, you can shift with your thumbs while keeping your hands on the brake hoods.

I own two bikes. One has Dura-Ace bar ends, the other has Kelley Take Offs. Both work well enough for me, and there is little to go wrong or break with those set ups.

:popcorn:

Brifters are outrageously overpriced... the shimano version is basically a set of brake levers mounted on a sideways set of rapidfire levers . Basic brake levers are $30 and Alivio rapidfire levers are $40 - so why are sora brifters $200? Whateverer - prices are set by what people will pay. Not me, but other people are willing to pay. If you don't like it buy used or ride a single speed - it's that simple.

Also, barcons do not cost half of what comparable brifters cost... Dura-Ace 10sp bar cons - $150 at Jenson USA, Dura-Ace 10sp brifters - $450 at Jenson USA - barcons are 1/3 the cost of brifters.


It's a conspiracy: A company in the 1970's actually came up with a super-efficient bar con shifter, but the government bought the patent and pulled it off the market so the price would remain inflated.

100% true. THe same thing happened when a guy invented the perfect tinfoil hat back in the '80s. Professionally made tinfoil hats became too expensive, and now if you want to stop the government from controlling your thoughts you have to make your own tinfoil hat!

Rapidfire shifter eh?
Was it awkward for the mounting position?

Not for me. Secure the clip all the way to the end of the bar with the cable end pointing toward the front of the bike. Rotate the body so that the gear indicator windows points straight up. This will allow you to shift by pushing/pulling on the two levers. No problem checking on the gear position with my older style Rapidfire. 7-speed shifter works fine with 8-speed cassette. I simply use the derailleur adjusting screw to lock-out the smallest rear cog. You can also lock-out the largest cog.

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/SL302A00-Shimano+Lx+M580+9Sp+Trigger+Shifters.aspx

https://shop.sunrisecyclery.com/item/10284/

http://www.outsideoutfitters.com/p-816-shimano-mc40-rapidfire-shifters.aspx

"why are bar cons shfters so $$$?"

supply and demand.

Uh exactly what are you referring to as cheap? The Ultegra 8spd is $73.33!

I guess I always thought for such seemingly low tech devices, they should be around $30 or something.

Priced Campy yet? Used go for almost $100 on ebay and new, well they're really expensive.

I'd rather have old Suntour shifters. The levers aren't as sharp and the whole assembly is stronger. I fell over on a bike with recently installed DuraAce bar ends and now it's bent in a few degrees. The Suntour assembly holds the lever by both sides, the Durace holds it on one side.

I'd rather have old Suntour shifters. The levers aren't as sharp and the whole assembly is stronger. I fell over on a bike with recently installed DuraAce bar ends and now it's bent in a few degrees. The Suntour assembly holds the lever by both sides, the Durace holds it on one side.

You can't have modern indexed levers supported on both sides unless the plug is VERY wide. The weight penalty would be more than most would tolerate.

That's the price you pay with Dura Ace. The worst my Ultegra 8 speeds have seen in a fall was getting twisted in the handlebar slightly. A remove and reinstall fixed that just fine.

There's no such thing* as "Dura-Ace" and "Ultegra" bar-end shifters. Shimano's only made one grade of bar-end since they were introduced in 1988(-ish). They've always been non-series components, like the R450 long-reach brakes and the R600 "small hands" brifters.

*Except pre-1997 Dura-Ace shifters, which used a different cable pull to match the Dura-Ace derailleur.

There's no such thing* as "Dura-Ace" and "Ultegra" bar-end shifters. Shimano's only made one grade of bar-end since they were introduced in 1988(-ish). They've always been non-series components, like the R450 long-reach brakes and the R600 "small hands" brifters.

*Except pre-1997 Dura-Ace shifters, which used a different cable pull to match the Dura-Ace derailleur.

Shimano doesn't call them DA or Ultegra. It's usually the retailer. Still they are a lot cheaper than brifters.

Not for me. Secure the clip all the way to the end of the bar with the cable end pointing toward the front of the bike. Rotate the body so that the gear indicator windows points straight up. This will allow you to shift by pushing/pulling on the two levers. No problem checking on the gear position with my older style Rapidfire. 7-speed shifter works fine with 8-speed cassette. I simply use the derailleur adjusting screw to lock-out the smallest rear cog. You can also lock-out the largest cog.


I would like to see pictures of this setup. Do you have any?

I'd rather have old Suntour shifters. The levers aren't as sharp and the whole assembly is stronger. I fell over on a bike with recently installed DuraAce bar ends and now it's bent in a few degrees. The Suntour assembly holds the lever by both sides, the Durace holds it on one side.

as opposed to when my bike with the suntour shift levers fell over, they just sheered off cleanly.

They are less pointy though, and the rubber covers seem to last longer.

Uh exactly what are you referring to as cheap? The Ultegra 8spd is $73.33!

I guess I always thought for such seemingly low tech devices, they should be around $30 or something.

You're just going to have to learn supply and demand. If demand was low, they would be cheap, but if demand was low and inventory was also low, they would be expensive. You want a commodity that's out of production, at least I think it's out of production, and the seller can charge what they want, because they know someone will pay that price. It's just not you.

Besides, they're not that low tech. For the amount of abuse that barcons will take, with all the sweat and abrasion from the hands, they hold up pretty well. They also come with DT cable stops of similar quality, a set of DA/XTR shifter cables, cable housing and that trapezoidal thing that protects the cable housing from being crushed.

Like I said, if you want the best deal, go for the campy veloce ultrashift levers. They're a great deal at $123+S&H since they come with campy cables too.

If you think barcons are expensive, you should see what shimano and campy charge for their cablesets.
And yes, sometimes using their cables is what will solve the problem.

I would like to see pictures of this setup. Do you have any?

Thumb is on low-gear lever (push down). Index is on high-gear lever (pull up). Note the forward-facing end of the rear shift cable at the lower left of picture.
Due to the 2:1 pull ratio of Shimano rear shifters, you'll probably have to over shoot the initial "click" by 10-20% when shifting to a larger rear cog to ensure that the upper pulley is directly below the cog. Shifting to a smaller cog is dead-on.
SRAM's "X" series use 1:1 ratio to reduce the need to over-shif176131

Expensive is a relative term.

I'm not clear on why some people (notably the cyclocross crowd) prefer barcons to brifters...

Sure, brifters are a rip-off, but the design of the machine was simply incomplete until they came along.

I use bar-cons 'cos I have a drop-bar bike with v-brakes. I don't mind moving my hands off the brake hoods once in a while. Bar-cons are also great if you like to mix and match mountain and road stuff. One could make the case that they are more durable, but for real durability I think downtube shifters are where it's at. They're also nice 'cos you can switch to friction if the indexing is out and you can't fix it yourself... almost anyone can be shown how to switch barcons to friction mode.

I'm not clear on why some people (notably the cyclocross crowd) prefer barcons to brifters...

Sure, brifters are a rip-off, but the design of the machine was simply incomplete until they came along.

I don't race cross, but i know ppl who do. All of them rock brifters on their race bike, but they're personal trans bikes have barcons or DTs. The reason racers love brifters so is b/c they're the only thing that'll allow you to brake and shift with the same hand pretty much simultaneously. The kelly take-offs come close to this, but the ergonomics are different.

Personally, i've never touched a set, but it's my understanding that the sram brifters are easiest to work on/modify. If you're running a 1x10 on your cross bike, for instance, you can actually remove all the shiftiness from the left brifter, to shave weight and keep it p!mp. If you're curious, you can take the bridter apart and reassemble. You can on a ergo shifter, too, but it isn't as simple. And, i've read that you *can* rebuild STI brifters, but i've heard that reassembly is wrought with peril.

I'm fat and lazy, so i don't race, and don't need/want brifters. For anyone who isn't riding competitively, the barcon is probably the best option in terms of reliability, tunability, and simplicity. But, if i was racing, i'd definitely get some brifters on my race bikes.

-rob

My commute is a race! Brifters for me. Dodge and turn baby! :thumb:

I'm not clear on why some people (notably the cyclocross crowd) prefer barcons to brifters...

Sure, brifters are a rip-off, but the design of the machine was simply incomplete until they came along.

you cannot have friction shifting with brifters.

If you're racing and want to stay competitive, brifters are a no-brainer.
If you're touring/commuting/riding just for fun/whatever, bar-cons are an excellent choice.

I never see cx racers use bar-cons...

Unfortunately I have. This is one instance where I envy the price of a new set of Shimano bar end shifters. I wish I could find some new Campy bar end shifters (even a 9 sp) for the price of a nice new Shimano unit.


Priced Campy yet? Used go for almost $100 on ebay and new, well they're really expensive.

There's no such thing* as "Dura-Ace" and "Ultegra" bar-end shifters. Shimano's only made one grade of bar-end since they were introduced in 1988(-ish). They've always been non-series components, like the R450 long-reach brakes and the R600 "small hands" brifters.

*Except pre-1997 Dura-Ace shifters, which used a different cable pull to match the Dura-Ace derailleur.

Shimano considers these to be part of the Dura Ace line. (http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/road/di2.html#/site/product/detail/SL-BS79)

Also, I'm pretty sure I've seen Shimano bar ends with "Dura Ace" printed on the lever somewhere.

Shimano considers these to be part of the Dura Ace line. (http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/road/di2.html#/site/product/detail/SL-BS79)

Also, I'm pretty sure I've seen Shimano bar ends with "Dura Ace" printed on the lever somewhere.

The bar end levers are not marked as Dura Ace but are listed as Dura Ace parts. The downtube levers are marked as Dura Ace.

Shimano considers these to be part of the Dura Ace line. (http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/road/di2.html#/site/product/detail/SL-BS79)

Also, I'm pretty sure I've seen Shimano bar ends with "Dura Ace" printed on the lever somewhere.

I've seen bar-end packaging with "Dura-Ace" printed on it, but never the levers themselves.

However, I'm going to have to reverse field and call "BS" on myself. The Shimano service small parts sheets clearly call the last several iterations of bar-cons "Dura-Ace":
http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/techdocs/content/cycle/EV/bikecomponents/SL/EV-SL-BS77-1664_v1_m56577569830628723.pdf
http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/techdocs/content/cycle/EV/bikecomponents/SL/EV-SL-BS78-2282_v1_m56577569830609202.pdf
http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/techdocs/content/cycle/EV/bikecomponents/SL/EV-SL-BS79-2873A_v1_m56577569830728256.pdf

Well, how do you do...

SL-BS77
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa131/AEObikes/bike%20parts/th_coolpartst1.jpg (http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa131/AEObikes/bike%20parts/coolpartst1.jpg)

7800: SL-BS78
7900: SL-BS79

SL-BS77
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa131/AEObikes/bike%20parts/th_coolpartst1.jpg (http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa131/AEObikes/bike%20parts/coolpartst1.jpg)

7800: SL-BS78
7900: SL-BS79

Let's see close-ups of the levers.