uncle uncle

I have been having a string of issues with a Centurion Iron Man bike I purchased. The latest issue is that the downtube shifters weren't complete when I purchased the bike, and the braze-ons are the funky Shimano only type A ones that make it hard to find/fix the issue. A friend suggested I try bar end shifters, but I have never used them, so I'm reluctant to invest the money for the switch. My friend offered up a bicycle that I could try out, but that doesn't appear (now) to be something that is going to happen (my friend keeps putting off a time for us to meet up). I was hoping some of you could share your insights, especially what the transition was like to first use bar end shifters, and how things go when one of your bike has them and the others don't.

scozim 

I've put them on my drop bar conversions (Suntour friction) but am not convinced I would put the on my regular road riding bikes. Maybe it's because I ride much harder on those other bikes. I tend to run the cables/housing along the bar. Never been a fan of the housing shooting out in an arc from the bottom of the bend in the bar. My 16 yo son like the looks of the bar ends enough that I'm building him a bike with them.

From a functionality perspective they work really well. They trim the gears well and are easy to service if needed.

wrk101

In my keeper fleet of road bikes, I have STI shifters, DT friction shifter, DT indexed, and bar ends. I don't see any problems switching from bike to bike. I am a big fan of both STI and bar ends, and prefer the durability of the bar ends.

tarwheel 

I love bar-end shifters. I've got STIs, bar ends and down tube shifters on various bikes. I like DTs the least, but find STIs and bar-ends comparable. Bar-ends are much less expensive than STIs, however, and supposedly more durable. When my STIs wear out, I plan to replace them with bar-ends.

dbakl

I've put barends on a few of my bikes, can't say they're my favorite setup, but they work. I prefer DT shifters just because that's what I've always used...

squirtdad

I tried barcons when I updated my miyata 1400 to ultegra triple. got the durace model. They shifted flawlessly and were easy to set up.

I simply didn't like them. I did feel there was an advantage over reaching for the downtube (which I had done forever so I was used to) and I kept hitting the rightr had shifter at lights and started out with a unplanned shift change.

I went to STI and love them.

Try the forsale page to get a set of shifters that work is a suggestion.

hairnet

I have been in love ever since I got my hands on a pair of Suntour bar cons. I am not a fan of the newer Shimano shifters shape, but they work well. They way to go if you want index shifting too, you can mount index DT shifters to them if you want to stick with 6 or 7 speed.

zukahn1

Bar-ends are great for a bike that is used for commuting touring. Functional they work pretty much the same as DT shifters. The only real drawback is on a road bike that is riden aggressively some riders have issues with bumping the shifters occasionally and the somwwhat akward cable routing. Also on the OP's bike figuring out the cable stops on the DT may be a issue it will require finding stops that will fit the Shimano braze ons to get the cabling right.

RobbieTunes 

I've had them, along with DT's and STI's. My last bike with them was a Ti bike.
I liked them just fine. The more you ride them, the more you like them.
If you can learn to use the heel of your hand and your little finger to flick them, you'll like that.

I ride the drops, so it was naturally more convenient, just slightly less so than STI's.
A whole lot cheaper. I also routed them along the bars, right to the cable stops.

You must have an '85 Ironman. Help is available for the asking.

Yo Spiff

I was standing to hammer up a steep hill yesterday and had to be careful not to bump the shifter with my knee. An unplanned upshift wouls have done me in for that climb.

Otherwise, I love them. More convenient than DT levers, though not as quick and convenient to shift as brifters. I don't put them on a bike that needs lighting fast shifting. They are certainly a much more affordable upgrade than changing out the rest of the drivetrain to be compatible with brifters.

I have a used pair of Suntour barcons that I got from EBay.

the_tool_man

I retrofitted Suntour bar ends (NOS bought on Ebay) to my Fuji TS IV. I absolutely love them. After using DT shifters for 20+ years, I had little trouble getting used to the bar ends. I spend the majority of my time either in the drops or on the hoods. While in the drops the shifters are at my fingertips. From the hoods, I can move to the drop and shift much more quickly than to the down tube. I routed the cables from the bar ends, along the bar to the brake hoods, where they loop out to transition to the frame. I did have to add a zip tie under each hood to keep the cable housing from eating my foam Grabons. But if you use bar tape, this probably isn't needed. I have yet to accidentally shift while standing, but I don't really stand that much. I have hit a shifter with my knee when starting a couple of times, but this diminishes with experience. The only other time I've accidentally shifted is when transporting my bike. I lay it in the back of my SUV, so the shifters get bumped sometimes. I've developed the habit of checking for this when mounting the bike, so it's not really much of an issue. All things considered, they work very well. That's probably why the Fuji TS V came with them standard.

brian3069

Bar end shifters doesn't completely solve your problem. Cable stops for those ephing Shimano bosses don't exist. You'll have to modify cable stops to make them fit.

due ruote 

Well that's a drag. I suppose you could just use a clamp on cable stop, but the bosses would be in the way, unless you mounted the clamp a few inches lower. Not the best aesthetically, but it would work.

I like barends and have them on a couple bikes (one Suntour, the other Shimano). My method places the shifter between the first joint of my ring finger and pinkie, which by my count still leaves a thumb and two fingers to grab the drop. Other people surely have developed different habits, as Robbie suggested.

It took me a few rides to get used to the shift action, coming from dt shifters exclusively. Lifting the right shifter up to downshift felt backward, but maybe I'm the only one.

RFC

I'm confused here. I have installed the standard cable stops on two Ironman bikes.

brian3069

Your bikes probably didn't have 'B' type shifter bosses. I think the last year Shimano used them was 1985.

hairnet

Origin 8 makes a clamp on housing stop that solves the routing issue