Originally Posted by
late
OTOH, if you like the gearing, you might want to swap the bar ends for Tiagra or 105 brifters.
I kind of like the idea of bar end shifters on a touring bike. They give you a lot of flexability in choosing front chainrings so you can pick a really widelt spaced gearset. Also, as much as I like 'brifters', they aren't fool proof. If you happen to be someplace like Agra, Kansas when your's craps out, you're going to have a 2 day layover waiting for a replacement.