Originally Posted by
Tourist in MSN
Bar end shifters really is a personal preference, is there any reason you think you would now be happy with them when you were not before?
For great divide trail, would you rather have flat bars? I use drop bars for mountain biking, but I will admit that they are a hassle when you can't shift without moving your hand. If you would rather have flat bars, you should decide that now instead of later. Virtually every time I mountain bike somewhere with my drop bars, NOBODY else has drop bars. Someone above commented about the retroshifter, that could be an option if you really like that bike, then you could shift from the hoods.
You should be able to switch the shifter from one side to the other, that would also involve switching outer housing so that the cables go to the right places. I am not sure if you would have to take handlebar tape off to do that or not.
I use older Shimano bar end shifters on several bikes - if I recall the bolt in the part that is inside the handle bar tightens counter clockwise, not clockwise, but it as been years so I might be wrong? And those do not look like Shimano shifters.
I used to use dirt drop bars my mountain bike and now use something similar to a Jeff Jones Bend H-Bar. With my hands on the grips it is nearly the same as with my hands in the drops of the dirt drop. The advantage is that I can run MTB brakes and shifters which are vastly more rugged than brifters and so much more convenient than bar ends. Another advantage over a drop bar is that I don't have to use a super high rise stem to get the drops at the right level for riding in the dirt.
Dorktastic! (This is not my bike.)
Soma now has the Gator dirt drop that is compatible with MTB brakes and shifters in the grip area AND brifters further forward. The drop is shallow so a high rise stem may not be needed.
