Old Bar End Shifters
#1
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Lizzi
Joined: Oct 2021
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Old Bar End Shifters
Hello, I have a mismatched pair of bar end shifters that I took off of my old 3x8 Marin that had been converted to drop bars. They worked well there. I now have a new/used 3x9 bike that I'd like to convert to drop bars. I believe that they are just friction. I will attach pictures. One is Raleigh, and the other is Suntour. They each say the same company name on both sides of their lever. Will the right lever work on a 9 speed? Thank you!








#2
Francophile

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They are both SunTour shifters despite the Raleigh rubber cover. In my experience those old Suntour levers are great but do not pull enough cable to work with a nine speed cassette. Maybe someone else here has made them work, though - i am certain we will hear if so!
EDIT to dad tht I was always trying the Suntour shifters with a Campagnolo cassette. Maybe that explains why I was not able to get the shifters to work, as they apparently do for Shimano cassettes
EDIT to dad tht I was always trying the Suntour shifters with a Campagnolo cassette. Maybe that explains why I was not able to get the shifters to work, as they apparently do for Shimano cassettes
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Last edited by Aubergine; 01-14-26 at 10:50 PM.
#3
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I’m wondering if you can put something in the cable channel to make it slightly larger in circumference and get a bit more cable pull?
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#5
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Microshift are nice. And not too expensive. Sometimes you can find them on ebay and they have a friction mode I think.
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1987 Crest C'dale, 1987 Basso Gap, 1992 Rossin EL, 1990 Van Tuyl, 1985 Trek 670, 2003 Pinarello Surprise, 1990ish MBK Atlantique, 1987 Peugeot Isoard, 1987 Nishiki Tri-A, 1981 Faggin, 1996 C'dale M500, 1984 Mercian Pro, 1982 AD SuperLeicht, 1985 Massi ?, 1988 Daccordi Griffe , 1989 Fauxsin MTB, 1981 Ciocc Mockba, 1992 Bianchi Giro, 1977 Colnago Super, 1971 Raleigh Internat'l, 1998 Corratec U+D, 1991 Peugeot Slimestone, 1987 Bianchi Volpe, 1995 Trek 750
1987 Crest C'dale, 1987 Basso Gap, 1992 Rossin EL, 1990 Van Tuyl, 1985 Trek 670, 2003 Pinarello Surprise, 1990ish MBK Atlantique, 1987 Peugeot Isoard, 1987 Nishiki Tri-A, 1981 Faggin, 1996 C'dale M500, 1984 Mercian Pro, 1982 AD SuperLeicht, 1985 Massi ?, 1988 Daccordi Griffe , 1989 Fauxsin MTB, 1981 Ciocc Mockba, 1992 Bianchi Giro, 1977 Colnago Super, 1971 Raleigh Internat'l, 1998 Corratec U+D, 1991 Peugeot Slimestone, 1987 Bianchi Volpe, 1995 Trek 750
#6
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From: Goose Creek, SC
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#7
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Hello, I have a mismatched pair of bar end shifters that I took off of my old 3x8 Marin that had been converted to drop bars. They worked well there. I now have a new/used 3x9 bike that I'd like to convert to drop bars. I believe that they are just friction. I will attach pictures. One is Raleigh, and the other is Suntour. They each say the same company name on both sides of their lever. Will the right lever work on a 9 speed? Thank you!
They work great in all conditions, Campy 9 speed triple, same SunTour bar cons, fantastic.




#8
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I had Suntour bar end shifters with a 9 speed cassette on a bike for a while and it worked fine, but it might have just been luck that the intervals were perfect--I doubt there is much room for error. I certainly didn't do anything clever to make it work, it was just a bin build that I threw together.
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#10
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If you set everything just right it may work.
As jdawg mentioned, Mircoshift, and also Shimano both make ones that will certainly work. I have experience with the Shimano bar end shifters. They work either as friction or indexed with the turn of a d-ring.
As jdawg mentioned, Mircoshift, and also Shimano both make ones that will certainly work. I have experience with the Shimano bar end shifters. They work either as friction or indexed with the turn of a d-ring.
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#12
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Bikes: 1964(?) Frejus Tour de France, 1967(?) Dawes Double Blue, 1979 Trek 710, 1982 Claud Butler Dalesman, 1983 Schwinn Paramount Elite, 1984 Miyata 1000, 2014 Brompton, maybe a couple more
Sorry, bad use of terminology on my part, I wasn't thinking about index (because I never think about index), I was thinking about the total amount of cable pull versus the total interval from 1-9.
#13
Also of note - 8-10 speed cassettes all have the same overall width, so shifter throw shouldn’t be an issue unless you’re using a SRAM 1:1 or more modern Shimano derailleur that requires more pull.
#15
Francophile

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Another option is the Dia-Compe ENE shifters, which can pull enough cable for ten speed cassettes. At Velo Orange: https://velo-orange.com/products/dia...r-end-shifters
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