Hi,

Im currently building up a Surly LHT for touring and decided to go with a 105 derailleur set. My buddy just put the exact same set up on his old Bianchi and he had bar end shifters...which he is finding to be not compatible...Im pretty sure he went with ultegra shifters....does anyone know any bar ends that would be compatible?

Sounds like your buddy doesn't know how to set up a derailleur.

Shimano bar-end shifters are compatible with all shimano front and rear derailleurs... as long as you have the number of sprockets for which the shifter is designed... and in some combinations it will even sorta work if you don't have the same number of sprockets...

...and there is always 'friction' mode.

Gawd I love my bar-end shifters.

Except pre-9-speed Dura-Ace derailleurs if you want bar-ends indexed.

Pre-9-speed Dura-Ace required particular bar-ends for indexing. They were part number SL-BS50-8 (8-speed) while the non-Dura-Ace shifters were part number SL-BS64-8 (also 8-speed).

Shimano bar-ends work on the weirdest combinations:
https://home.comcast.net/~jeff_wills/alloro/index.htm

I think thats where the problem lies.... hes running a triple up front and a 7 speed cassette... which is what I will be running... being a touring bike I wanted to run the largest chain possible....I went with a wipperman 8 spd chain. So if I have a Shimano 105 triple crank with 105 derailleurs and an 8 spd chain...Ill be OK ?

If you have a set of (non-dura-ace) 7 sp. bar end shifters (or friction) then you will be ok.

edit: wait a second - what do you mean by "run the largest chain?" Large as in 'widest?' Or 'Longest?' Or did you mean 'largest chainrings?'

I meant widest...as in most durable for touring...didnt want to run a 9 or 10 speed chain for touring so I settled for a wipperman 8 spd which is a pretty bomb proof chain.

The main problem is Shimano doesnt make a 7sp bar end they only have an 8 9 10... is anyone running an 8spd shifter with seven speed cassette ?

Shimano did make them- I have a couple sets. You might be able to get some off of Ebay. Also, you could put a set of 7-speed shift levers on Silver mounts.

An 8-speed shifter won't index on a 7-speed cluster. Some people say it can be done, but I never got mine to work right.

I think this was mentioned above - use friction mode and you should have no problems. I have a bike with dura-ace 9 speed bar ends and a 7 speed cassette that works fine.

If the widest chain is your plan then go with 8 speed - 8 speed uses the same chain as 7 speed!

Just with 8 speeds you get 1/7th more gear choices.

is the crankset (the 105 crank) a current model? I think the current ones have 10-speed chain rings. I don't know if this would cause any problem for you or not but i'd imagine that they're of a lower profile than a 7(or 8)-speed chainring.