Originally Posted by lego
Hey moxfyre, from what I know about MTB shifters, I agree with you. BTW, I currently ride a Kona Jake equipped with the stock Shimano 105 shifters, but I've been thinking about building a beater/winter bike with bull bars and bar-end shifters as a cheap alternative to another set of Shimanos. I've never used bar-end shifters - what makes them so great in your eyes? Is it a big adjustment to make going from something like road brake/shifter levers?
Cheers.
To be honest I haven't made the transition in the direction that you have... I am too poor to justify buying brand-new STIs so didn't have any till recently
I don't think bar-end shifters will be a huge adjustment in any case. I put them on my commuter/touring bike because I wanted something reliable and cheap. I find the hand position very comfortable. You simply move your hand a few inches and pull up or down. They are MUCH better than downtube shifters, because you don't have to move your hand in towards the center of the bike. I don't have very good balance or reflexes, and the downtube shifting movement always feels precarious to me.
Bar-ends don't have any of the "sloppy" feeling that STIs sometimes do, there are no internal mechanisms to go out of wack, the movement is quick and precise. I think they are the best option for any road bike not being used for racing when you must have instant access to the brakes.