I recently picked up a 1978 Raleigh Super Course. The bike is all original minus tires/tape/cables and in great shape. I took 'er out for a spin yesterday with my girlfriend and enjoyed the ride very much. But I have a question about how the Barcon shifters should feel, especially when downshifting to an easier gear in the rear. The ratchet mechanism is working, but the lever seems awfully hard to pull up. Moreso than the regular DT friction shifter on my '85 Trek. Is this normal? How should these feel? It's my first time around with these shifters, so I'm not too sure.

Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

I would make sure the cables move freely, to start. They do have a little heavier feel, but shouldn't be difficult.

True. After replacing cables and/or housings as necessary and lubricating the cables and the derailleurs, the next step is to back off on the lever's tension. This is fundamentally a friction system, with the ratchet to help protect against automatic shifting.

Cool, thanks for the tips! The previous owner did replace the shift housing and cables but I'll check to make sure everything's moving freely. Also, dumb question, but the ratcheting should kick in when pulling against the derailer, correct? As in when downshifting? Also, how would I go about backing off the tension?

Each shifter has a screw going in from the right side and two nuts on the left side. One of those is a round cover nut and the second is beneath that and is a hex recessed into the shifter body. You may need to remove the cover nut first and then loosen the one on the right to get the right shifting tension and then reinstall the cover nut on the left to lock against the hex. Once it is snug enough to prevent self-shifting it then becomes a matter of strength and taste as to how strong you want it.

Cool, thanks again. I will mess with it and see how it goes.