Obeast

I am looking at the microshift stuff on ebay. Are they all indexed? Are there cheaper alternatives? or slightly better quality shimano or others? The only used Shimano bar end shifters I find are all Dura ace which cost too much for my commuting through the ghetto and survive transit.

alcjphil

If you buy indexed shifters, you have to make sure that they will work with the other components on your bike. No use buying inexpensive SRAM bar end shifters if they won't work with derailleurs you have. Microshift bar end shifters are not poor quality, they are just a brand that you don't know as well as Shimano. To set your bike up, you will first have to buy components that all work together. If you buy 9 speed shifters, you will need a matching chain and cassette along with derailleurs that will work with the shifters. Cheap stuff from Shimano may not be any better than cheap stuff made by anyone else

Obeast

so if I run vintage 8sp shimano mtb drivetrain then I will just get a shimano compatible 8sp bar end shifter? Is the left one usually friction rather than indexed? What about for shimano road 10sp?

Doug64

The left Microshift bar end shifter on on my daughter's Long Haul Trucker is friction. They seem like decent shifters. She has been using them for 3 years.

nzhu

Claris and Sora are good.
Those are usually put on the 400- $700 budget bikes.

veganbikes

For 9 speed and above Shimano only does bar ends in Dura-Ace, they work great and have been made for a while. I use some DA downtube shifters on my touring bike (mounted to Gevenalle Audax levers) and they are super reliable and haven't had issues. Also used their bar end 9 speed shifters on my Disc Trucker with no issues just smooth reliable shifting.

For 8 speed it is generally going to be Ultegra level but still similar quality.

Microshift makes a decent product and so far I haven't seen or heard anything bad from them.

Like all bar end shifter I have seen all these options will be friction for your front derailleur and usually indexed rear though you can find all sorts of neat friction shifters.

Obeast

thank you for dispensing very useful information. I think I will just buy the microshift for my 10sp set up. So the shifter for the front derailleur being friction are double and triple compatible? Is this for both road and mtb triple as well?

52telecaster

bar ends are generally always friction for the front. they will work with double or triple. bar ends are the bomb! plus microshift stuff is plenty fine.

mstateglfr 

Yes a front shifter will shift a double or triple crank. And itll pull enough for a road or mtb crank.

Also- microshift makes indexed only and indexed/friction bar end shifters.
Just be aware of whst you buy. I have some 11sp microshift bar ends and they are fantastic. Good quality and inexpensive. Mine can be set between indexed or friction.

Kontact

You can also buy just the mounting pods from Rivendell or Jagwire and use them with downtube shifters. That may be your cheapest option.

There's a listiing for the Jagwire Barcon mounts for cheap on Ebay right now. Check which bar diameter it is for, though.

Kontact

Sorry, this is a better deal:

Shimano SL-BS64 8SPD Barend Shifters | Jenson USA

indyfabz

OP needs to work on his game.

bcpriess

Microshift makes excellent indexed bar ends. They feel great, maintain friction, and provide a good audible/tactile cue. Since they are friction shifters at heart, the indexing behaves a little differently than it does on a brifter. The index is more of a tactile indicator that you have arrived at the right cog. There is a subtle but important trim technique on upshifts (to smaller cogs) that results in perfect shifting, every time, assuming your cable and barrel adjuster are set right. My guess is this trim technique would be common to all indexed bar ends.

jefnvk

I've got them on my Mazama, the 10spd Deore indexing version. Never had an issue with them, no reason for me to suspect they are anything but quality.

Kontact

As Microshift doesn't make an 8 speed bar end, and they are pricier than a new Shimano 8 speed bar end, I don't know why we are discussing Microshift.

fietsbob

Shimano's 8 speed bar end shifters got arbitrarily named after the Ultegra , 9 speed 'dura-ace', but other than the detent spacing they were the same,

that should work with your RD, left , friction as OK with any FD.


Some people have the hand skills to not need the indexing , but the job was easier before the more speeds = better marketing set in..


OP might look for a 2nd Job to fund their expensive bike parts tastes.






....

jefnvk

BS-A08 / BS-T08 ? microSHIFT ? Cycling Transmission Manufacturer

Kontact

I had never seen those before on MS's website, and I can't find them for sale anywhere. Can you?


I would buy the MTB version if these are available.

Kontact

That is incorrect.

The Dura Ace 8/9 shifter is marked that way because 9 speed detent spacing is the correct pull ratio to make the previous DA 7400 derailleur shift 8. If you try and use the 9 speed shifter on any other Shimano derailleur it will not be spaced correctly.

OP, do not buy a 9 speed shifter for your bike.

fietsbob

they got fitted on a lot of touring bike builds by the major companies, I suppose now microshift offers a better price as the speeds game keeps adding cogs.

and so the product managers specify those...

jefnvk

Drats, foiled by MS's wonderland website again. Was planning on ordering them too

Obeast

Does it matter the tube diameter of the handlebar? I thought they go inside the ends of the bar and you can adjust the diameter? I normally run the standard 1990s mtb handlebar (not sure size but probably smaller than 26) and 26mm handlebar on my road bike.

fietsbob

You get a Thumb shifter for an MTB bar, not a bar end shifter.. its the inside diameter of the handle bar at the end those go in..

you planning a drop bar conversion of a mountain bike or what?


a machine shop can bore out the inside of a thick tube wall .. its done for recumbents with an under the seat steering,
with bar ends to have brake lever and the gear shifting at hand.





....

Obeast

I am riding a conversion bike already but sorry I meant "road" handlebar. Itīs an old mtb bike frame, with 26 wheels but otherwise all Tiagra 10sp 4700 drive train. Right now my drop handlebar is a 26mm and I do plan to use bar end shifters only on drop handlebar. This where it gets confusing as there seems to be a 26 and 31.8 version drop handlebar. Do all road drop handlebars use the same "diameter" for bar end shifters? Like even vintage 1980s drop handlebar uses the same diameter bar end shifter?

Kontact

While the center sections of bars can be a variety of diameters, the diameter of the bars where the shifters, brake levers and bar ends attach has never changed since the '70s. 22.2mm for MTB and 23.8 for road.