azza_333

What bar end shifters will work with 3x10 speed Shimano XT front and rear mechs?

HillRider

Front shifting is no problem since barends are all friction in front and will work with nearly anything. Rear is more difficult since Shimano 10-speed MTB rear derailleurs are not compatible with 10-speed road shifters. You will need a 9-speed or earlier rear derailleur to work with 10-speed road shifters of any type.

Tim_Iowa

What @HillRider said is correct. Shimano doesn't make a bar-end that is compatible with 10-speed MTB "Dyna-sys" derailleurs, but the combo of 10-speed road shifters and a 9-speed MTB rear derailleur works very well. I have that setup on my touring bike.

However, Microshift does make bar-end shifters that are compatible with Shimano 10-speed MTB "Dyna-sys". They're called the BS-M10.

HillRider

Yes, I forgot about those.

Also, Gevenelle (aka Retroshift) sells "brifters" that use these shift levers mounted on brake levers that are compatible with Dyna-sys derailleurs in both 10 and 11-speed format and compatible with both short and long pull brakes. I find this arrangement far more convenient than bar ends. Look here: GX - Compatible with Shimano Dyna-Sys Deraileurs - Gevenalle

fietsbob

& Shimano's 10 lacks the friction option of the 8&9.. They make them for tri and time trial bikes , touring builds just adapt.,

there are advantages to not catching upgrade-itis.. as said above, some build specs use the 9 MTB RD
as its Usable With the bar end 10 & cassette.

but whole 9 speed drive train should be fine (happily toured with a 3 by 7, for decades , myself )

Tim_Iowa

Yes, those do look cool. I may try them sometime.
I think they use the Microshift shifters. Microshift sells thumbie-mount versions as well.

Correct, the current BS79 10s road bar-end shifters do not have a friction option.
However, the BS78 10s bar-end shifter does have a friction option. It can still be found NOS or used.

6, 7, 8, 9, whatever speeds, you can make them work for you. The older stuff can be found pretty cheaply.

Personally, I've been slowly upgrading my bikes to 9 or 10 speed; I like how tight the spacing of an 11-32 10s cassette is, compared to an 8s 11-32 cassette (more gears, smaller jumps).

HillRider

No brifters offer a friction option either and I find the lack of one on current downtube and barends a non-issue. They are very reliable without it. That said, the Microshift barends Tim_Iowa linked to and the ones Gevenalle supplies (which are Microshifts) do have a rear friction option.

KenshiBiker

Dura Ace bar ends allows you to use either index or friction shifting. I replaced my old Suntour Barcons on my winter commuter, and friction mode allows the DA to work just fine with Campy Chorus 8-speed. Just another option if you're not wedded to index shifting. BTW the DA shifters are very smooth and fast shifting - don't miss not having index on this bike at all.

HillRider

Pre-SL-BS79 versions of Shimano's barends did offer a friction option. Their newest 10 and 11-speed barends don't.

fietsbob

In actuality the Shimano 9 and 8 0ther than the detent piece with the klick spacing in the right one , have the same material quality.

calling one Ultegra and the other Dura Ace is just Marketing ..

alcjphil

Do you already have the derailleurs? If not, simplify things and buy the 9 speed version which will work perfectly with regular Shimano or Microshift 10 speed bar ends