Can someone 'splain me bar end shifters?
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Some of us aren't, ooohm, bendable enough to ride the drops for long. So bar-ends would mean moving a hand anyway, most of the time.
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However, I'm a drop bar rider, so I cannot relate to moving from the hoods to the bar ends to shift.
Touring guys do it all the time.
STI's are obviously intended for hood riders, and even the pros ride the hoods a lot, so you may want to check those out.
Changing positions to shift makes some difference in efficiency, if you have criterium or racing tendencies.
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I've got some shimano indexed bar ends, and some upgraded Shimano Tourney stuff. Shifts so smooth and quiet. I wasn't a huge fan of the suntour barcons, and since I used to have the accushift setup, I figured I'll stay with indexing.
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One thing about bar-ends is that you can't shift both derailleurs at the same time, unless you move both your hands (or unless you ride with your hands at the end of the bars, which I never do).
One nice thing about dt shifters is that you can do the double shift with one hand.
One nice thing about dt shifters is that you can do the double shift with one hand.
#30
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One thing about bar-ends is that you can't shift both derailleurs at the same time, unless you move both your hands (or unless you ride with your hands at the end of the bars, which I never do).
One nice thing about dt shifters is that you can do the double shift with one hand.
One nice thing about dt shifters is that you can do the double shift with one hand.
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#31
You gonna eat that?
I used to be one of those who thought the aesthetic of bar-ends was all wrong for a drop bar road bike. These two appendages jutting out beyond the smooth curves of the bar. Then those two antennae-like cable housings near the fork and wheels! Ugh! and what about the chance of striking them with ones' knees?!? I was a corncob-DT-racing weight wienie back in my youth.
These loops were the reason I didn't like the look of Shimano brifters too. Not to mention cost. It was no alternatives that drew me to bar-ends for my more modern rides.
This Fall I installed Shimano Ultegra bar-ends to 2 of my bikes...a CX and an aluminum road model.
To address the routing appearance, I ran their housing under the bar wrap for a cleaner appearance. There is no loss of functionality.
I had no experience with their use, but found them easy to operate just like DT shifters. I even reached down to ghost shift a DT shifter, old habits are hard to break. There is no safety concerns with them. I think they are great, and wished I had a more open mind back then. I would've used them on more of my bikes.
These loops were the reason I didn't like the look of Shimano brifters too. Not to mention cost. It was no alternatives that drew me to bar-ends for my more modern rides.
This Fall I installed Shimano Ultegra bar-ends to 2 of my bikes...a CX and an aluminum road model.
To address the routing appearance, I ran their housing under the bar wrap for a cleaner appearance. There is no loss of functionality.
I had no experience with their use, but found them easy to operate just like DT shifters. I even reached down to ghost shift a DT shifter, old habits are hard to break. There is no safety concerns with them. I think they are great, and wished I had a more open mind back then. I would've used them on more of my bikes.
Not as good as brifters I suppose, in that I have to move my hand to shift, but superior to everything else in that when shifting I still have that hand on the handlebar, so it is very stable. I like the concept of DT shifting- very simple, no cable housing near the shifter, but I never could get used to friction shifting with DT shifters. Shifting is far more precise with the bar-end shifters.
My commuter (the purple bike above) had Shimano 3 x 7 indexed shifting. It shifts just about as good as it did with the indexed shifters, and I never have to worry about adjustment.
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#32
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Bar-end shifters are particularly useful on a loaded touring bike, as you can maintain a good grip on the bars whilst shifting.
#33
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One thing about bar-ends is that you can't shift both derailleurs at the same time, unless you move both your hands (or unless you ride with your hands at the end of the bars, which I never do).
One nice thing about dt shifters is that you can do the double shift with one hand.
One nice thing about dt shifters is that you can do the double shift with one hand.
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#34
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One thing not mentioned here is the effect of having more cable housing and two more housing ends. It may not matter nowadays with modern, nearly frictionless housings, but in the old days one noticed a marked improvement in shifting after switching from stem shifters to DT shifters. Bar-ends give back that marvelous directness.
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#35
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Bar ends have the same number of housing ends as stem shifters. How can you claim they give more directness than stem shifters? I find stem shifters to be more positive than bar ends, but only slightly. Maybe you only tried lousy stem shifters.
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#36
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#37
What??? Only 2 wheels?
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DT shifters pull directly on the cable under the DT. Both bar-ends and stem shifters require another housing section between the lever and the DT. When I replaced my stem shifters with DT shifters the improvement was tangible, so I was never tempted to give it back. Trying bar-ends would have required giving it back, and since I've never tasted that particular dish I am sure I don't like it.
As to whether the shifters were lousy, well, ah, they were the Simplex levers which came on my UO8. Which GB claimed once that UO8's never came with stem shifters, now didn't he, but mine did and still has the braze-on housing stops to prove it.
But this is getting off-topic, I think. Clearly a lot of people like bar-ends.
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#39
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I <3 Bar Ends... doesn't matter to me if it's on drop bars or bullhorns either.. as for the double shifting part you guys are talking about I can see people finding it vexing on drop bars especially if they just are begining to deal with bar ends.. this however is my main commuters cockpit.
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Love, love, love bar end shifters. I've got them on both my bikes and my son has them on one of his.
I really prefer the Suntours, they just feel right.
I really prefer the Suntours, they just feel right.
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Can't add much here other than to say that, like many others, I find bar ends to be a superior option for my style of riding.
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I know many people find them ugly as sin, but I have to say I love Kelly Take Offs. Similar concept and bombproofness to bar ends, but up near the hoods and tops where I spend my time. I friction shift all the time from the tops and hoods with just a couple of finger tips.
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#43
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I've had barends on a number of bikes: they work fine. However, in 40 years of cycling, I still prefer downtubes. Hitting the right barend with your knee when you're standing up on a steep section is always a blast!
#44
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I've heard this complaint, but that's not my experience. I've not come close to knee-shifting, and I'm slightly bow-legged. Do you use narrow bars?
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The first day I got my LHT, I was going over 20 mph and got confused and shifted my left bar end shifter with my right hand. This is the way I shifted downtube shifters on my old bike. I accidentally hit the handlebar and got a lil squirrely. Didn't lose it. That's the only incident I had with bar ends. 3000 miles and wouldn't have it any other way!
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Oh, sometimes when I come to a stop my knee hits the right bar shifter and knocks it out of place. I found a solution for this-move it back! I may get shorter shifters someday.
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the only problem I have with my barends is remembering that on the Nexus IGH pointing the lever down puts it into lower (easier) gears. I sometimes find myself at a stoplight in 8th gear, not that it is an isue with IGH
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#50
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I'm a recent convert to bar-ends, a pair of SunTours on my Katakura Silk, and I love them. Until I discovered them my favourite levers were dt Retrofriction but I ride a 61cm frame and find them a bit of a reach sometimes. I like the bar-ends so much that I'm thinking of fitting them to all my geared bikes. I'd like to fit one to my Hetchins MO but the bars have sealed ends...
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