(reposting to the correct forum from
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...hreadid=462967)
Let me preface this by saying that I am very new to cycling, so please forget me if I misuse some terminology
I just bought a used (older) bike for me and the only thing I don't like about it is that gear shifters are levers in the middle of the steering column. It makes switching gears somewhat uncomfortable, especially when riding on the streets.
I was wondering if it is possible (and doable by yourself) to install "finger shifters/end shifters" on the bike and what, if anything, you could recommend about how to go about it.
I would like to try and do it myself and not spend too much money on it
FYI: my bicycle has drop handle bars. It is a Schwinn bicycle, made probably in the 80's. Has 10 gears (2 in the front, 5 in the back)
Thanks in advance
Any bar-end shifters you can find for cheap will work in friction mode (some are index/friction, others are just friction). You probably would also need to buy a downtube cable stop like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Huret-Downtube-C...QQcmdZViewItem
Or this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Shimano-Vintage-...QQcmdZViewItem
Or you could find some clamp-on friction shifters for the downtube, like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Early-1970s-Camp...QQcmdZViewItem
Though campagnolo clamp-on shifters tend to end up being pricey. I've found shimano and suntour for cheap, but they're not too prevelant. Make sure they're for the downtube otherwise you'd just be buying what you already have.
I rebuilt an old nishiki for my wife that had stem shifters, it has barcons now and it's a nice little bike. There's nothing extravagant about switching from stem shifters to bar-cons or downtube shifters and if you like the bike it's worth the small expense.