Bar End Shifter Question
 

I'm thinking of trying some bar end shifters, but I don't know much about them or have never used the before.

This will be a friction only setup 5 or 6 speed not sure as of yet, and just wondered if any bar end shifters will work? I do have a triple up front if that matters......... Also, any suggestions on which ones would be a good choice?

I assume any will work, and I guess I would need to find some DT cable stops as well, anything else?

Suntour barcons are readily available, not too pricey, and work better than any of their contemporaries (with the possible exception of the Shimano barcons which used a counter-spring instead of friction, but they're pretty rare).

SP
Bend, OR

+1 for the suntour. I had a Gran Turismo just like yours, and it came with suntour barcons. I really liked riding that bike. It was my first bike with barcons as well as a rando style bar and I found it to be a very nice combo.

Hey, how did you know which bike I was going to be putting them on?LOL..... So, will any of the suntours work with my setup?

Yes. However, you probably want to find the older Power Ratchet type, like these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=300526086983
There are some newer Suntour bar-end shifters that index with Suntour derailleurs but also have an friction mode. These are more rare and harder to make work with your setup.

Well the triple is a dead giveaway, and I had the same exact Univega, just one size bigger. As soon as I saw yours, I thought it needed barcons. I'd be curious to know which they came with from the factory, but Univega catalogs seem to be nonexistent.

I have run Suntour Barcons on several bicycles and loved them each time. The most recent build, my Legnano Nocostalotta...
http://www.mytenspeeds.com/My_TenSpe..._Brake_L_1.jpg

I have both but never tried them. Which ones are better? - Suntour ratcheting, or the Shimano barcons?

I recently put Suntour barcons on my commuter and a week in, all I can say is.... nice! They have the ratcheting action. Someone on these boards described them as one of the most perfect mechanical designs ever, and I can see why. They are friction shifters, but on the 3 x 7 mid-90s Shimano Indexed Shifting gears on my bike, the barcons are almost as precise as indexed shifting.

I've got 4 bikes with Suntour racheting barcons, and I love them. I'm building another bike now which I believe will get them as well. They work from 5 to 8 speeds on the rear (so far thats all I've tried), and double or triple front. Just a pleasure to use.

I have a 9-speed cassette laying around that I plan to try at some point. I already have the cassette and I'm not using it for anything else, so what could it hurt? I will try with the existing 7-speed chain but kind of expect that to not work so well. But before going for a new chain I'll try it anyways.

i'm a fan of the silvers you can pick up at rivendell. elegant looking, ratcheting.. not too expensive. much less plasticky than the new shimanos, and not as bulbous as the old suntours. pure friction-- so no compatibility issues either.

There are a few components universally accepted by the classic crowd as iconic. Suntour pre-index Bar-Cons is one of them. And unlike some of the other candidates, these are affordable and gets the job done!

http://www.fivenineclimber.com/image...lenge/feb7.jpg

Thank you all for your help, and info it's what I wanted to hear:thumb:

Well, I'm on the hunt for Suntour ratcheting bar end shifters...... If anyone has a pair they don't need let me know or it's off to ebay.

I have SunTour barcons on almost all of my derailler-equipped bikes, but for a couple of the standouts of the fleet, I use the DiaCompe Silver bar-end shifters. They have lighter action than the SunTour and look a bit more elegant, imo.

Neal

^ +1

I love ratcheting Bar Cons. They work very well and are reliable. I recently installed a set of the Dia Compe Silvers and I agree with Neal's assessment. They have lighter action, look really swell and the longer "handle" gives you a bit more leverage.

I just bought a couple pairs of the pods that Rivendell sells. I'll be making a pair of Simplex Retrofriction bar ends with one.