Just me or do others not like bar end shifters ?
 

Just me or do others not like bar end shifters ?

This year I pickup up a very nice, like museum quality, 1987 Masi Nuova Strada Campagnolo Super Record 62cm Joe Bell Custom Painted bike. I of course love the modern brake shifters and used the down tube shifters as a kid and still do on one of my fav rides, a mid 80s Colnago super.

I just dont like the bar end shifters and this Masi has SunTour 6-spd Index Bar Ends. Wish it had braze ons for the down tube shifters but does not and I just cant seem to go thru the conversion to clamp on the campy record shifters I have. Really should not be such a big deal but bothering me. Is it just me ? Should I just do the retro conversion and be happy ?

http://www.woodtennis.com/italian_ro...lPaintJob3.jpg

feel free to send me all of your bar end shifters.

I've never liked bar end shifters. Maybe one day? Probably not.

I'd swap out for what you like. A bike is meant to be enjoyed, I wouldn't sacrifice looks for my eternal happiness.

I had never had bar end shifters on anything, but I always thought they looked really cool. I really wanted desperately to like them. So I put some on my hybrid, and took the bike on the road.

Road was narrow, with no bike lane, 55 mph, with heavy weekend traffic. Cars are buzzing past me at 60-65 mph, and I'm trying to figure out these damned shifters. Tried to go from the middle ring into the big ring, and got dumped into my "granny" gear and almost crashed. Everything is upside down compared to downtube shifters, which I've used for decades. I simply can't get used to the shifting scheme on these. Usually I just guess which way to turn the levers, and I'm usually wrong and go up a gear when I wanted to shift down.

The worst part of using these, IMO, is having the bike swerve while I'm monkeying around trying to find the right gear. Say what you will about downtube shifters (or even stem-mounted shifters) at least they don't throw off your steering when you use them.

Put me in the "hate bar end shifters" category. I've gotten a little more used to them, but overall, I think they're a very bad idea and probably my least favorite method of shifting gears. And I really wanted to like them, but feel as though a few hundred miles is a good enough test. And they're expensive too, indexed ones cost as much as a set of brifters. I don't see any reason to use them, YMMV.

I've got one on my commuter/only bike at the moment and I don't live in a hilly or particularly busy area. I think of it as a functional solution to not wanting to spend too much money on what is meant to be a utilitarian bike. I do not want to put them on anything else.
Also, a question: is it just me or is the RD too stretched out (for lack of knowing the correct term)?

When I was younger, first thing I did to any bike I owned was to switch to barcons.

Now that I'm older - and more experienced - I tend to put brifters on all my rides, assuming the rear triangle and components are compatible.

But in an odd twist of fate, one thing I've done for the last decade is to buy bikes with barcons, strip the barcons and sell them separately at a swap, slap some other shifters on to replace the barcons, fix up the bike and sell it separately. Poetic justice, I suppose, and a complete reversal of what I did long ago.

Bar end shifters, stem shifters, and downtube shifters are extinct. It's mind boggling to me that people are even still riding bicycles so equipped in the 21st Century.

I actually built my Surly from a frameset, primarily, because I refuse to ride a drop bar bicycle with anything other than integrated shifters.

I put SunTour Barcons on my bike in 1975. Great for loaded touring, since you don't have to bend over to reach the shifters. Doing that while climbing with a lot of gear can get you weaving on a busy highway. SunTour Command shifters are better, closer to the hoods where I spend most of my time. Brifters are even better for shifting, but indexing means more complications, more to go wrong, IMO. The Genevalle shifters may be the best of both worlds, especially if you're a friction shifter like me.

I like them, but have not tried the Suntour indexed ones. They are uglier than others for sure. Do they index with the Campy SR RD?

Oh, and nice bike. Does it have a tab on the downtube for banded clamp-on shifters? If so, I'd just convert to those.

It's mind boggling to me that you think bar end, stem and downtube shifters are extinct. They're still being sold new by a few companies.

You don't have to like them, it's nice to have choices.

Bar end shifters aren't generally my preference. Mainly I don't like having to worry about my knees bumping them. I do like them on the Albatross bars on my Clem.

However, that bike has apparently been converted. It would bug me to no end to have unused cable stops on the head tube, and a clamp on shifter boss on a modern-ish bike. Therefore, I'd stick with the bar ends and get used to them. (yes, 1987 is modern-ish ;))

Gevenalle type shifters are worth considering as a compromise. At a minimum, I'd put some silver microratchet shifters on there instead of ugly black Suntours. Gran Compe ENE will match the campy parts and work better.

Are those shifters actually indexing with the SR rear derailleur? If so, I can't imagine that is optimal, and could be part of the issue. Friction is cool.

I love 'em on moustache bars, but I'm not so wild about 'em on drop bars. To my mind, if you're riding on the ramps, tops, or hoods, you have to move almost as far to shift as you would for downtube shifters.

Have you considered Suntour Command (butterfly) shifters? I really like them, and they're easier to use with older drivetrains than brifters are.

Also, that's some wonky cable routing. Too long.

Heh. EVERYTHING'S BACKWARD WTF TRAAAAFFIC SO FAST ARRRRGLEBARGLE CRASHING NOW!!
Maybe it ain't the shifters.

Barcons are pretty awesome, though I don't go out of my way to put them on everything.
I'm indifferent when it comes to the Shimano version.

Long live "obsolete" tech! I just overhauled some 40 y/o barcons... how's the wrenching on that integrated lever going?

+1 the cabling is really bad. I think the Shimano indexed bar end shifters are pretty, pretty good. Suntours too. I agree with someone else who said they are better on more upright bars. I do want to try the Genevalle shifters.

Yes, they index with the Campy SR RD, but to me if feels loose and sloppy, rather have friction in this case.

No tab downtube for banded clamp-on shifters. Maybe cleaned off with Joe B. custom paint job ? Just dont like the idea of clamping on that beautiful paint/overcoat.

Yes, I think the cabling bothers me more than the shifters.

Yes, either back to the classic downtube shifters or brifters, which are really the big improvement.

Perhaps thats the case on a smaller bike. On my bikes i have to reach dpwn 5 or 6" for bar ends. To get to downtubes, i have to reach down 15".

Seems significantly different to me

Its mind boggling that indexed bar end shifters are considered extinct.
I used some 9sp bar ends to build up a touring bike. Quick and easy shifting and allows for an old mtb triple to work with a road triple front derailleur.

I used some 11sp bar ends to build up a 2x11 gravel bike with Gevenalle shifters. Again- quick and accurate shifting, and infinite trim front is nice. My frobt derailleur shifts as fast as indexed.




They are excellent because they bridge the divide between road and mtb components without needing aftermarket converters.

They arent for everyone, and thats what makes the different shifting options so grest- something for anyone.
I never understand the leg hittibg the shifters concern as that hasnt happened to me...ever. but we all ride differently.


Anyways, id vote for you to modernize that bike. As much as i love bar end shifters, my road bikes have STI shifters and i leave bar ends for my other drop bar bikes.

Two other quick notes...

The long/wonky cable routing (which, with modern housing, is really a nonissue in terms of performance) is easily remedied by only staying under the bar tape until the bend in the drops. Not as elegant aesthetically, I'll grant you that. But superb functionality.

And the "everything backward" issue is really just a matter of mindset. Even though their rotation around a similar axis is reversed, the rider's physical action is unchanged. Pull for big ring, push for small. Pull for large cogs, push for small. So really nothing is reversed at all. Except it is. ;)

I don't really see how insulting other people makes your own personal opinion any more valid. If anything, it probably demonstrates the opposite.

But no, I don't like 'em, and see no value in wasting the time it would take to adjust to them. If I wanna reach down every time I shift (which I don't) downtube shifters are just as easy to reach for, and I have lots of those as spares if I ever change my mind and decide that reaching down for every shift is what I truly desire.

Like mine.
Best, Ben

You're welcome to prefer whatever you like.

Integrated shifters are the greatest innovation in drop bar bicycles in many generations. If their ergonomic merits isn't enough to convince you, then ride whatever you like. As you say, there are plenty of choices. This is certainly an innovation that I would not be without unless there was a damn good reason.