BAR END SHIFTERS

Haven't biked in over a decade and have been looking at some of the web
sites and noticed some road bikes with bar end shifters. The TREK 520
is one example. Just wondered what the advantage is to this set up, if
there is any.
Biker Bob

On Sat, 08 Jan 2005 20:06:36 -0800, biker bob wrote:

Just wondered what the advantage is to this set up, if
there is any.

Compared to brifters I'd think bar-ends + brake levers are a bit cheaper
(you can get a nice set of both for around 100 usd) and mechanically
simpler, but I think folks use them for other various reasons.

I'd use them on a touring bike that I was to ride into the middle of
nowhere because you can switch them from index to friction. So if you
crunch your Deore derailleur in Mongolia, and some nice guy sells you a
Suntour changer from '87--you can make it work just fine. :P

On 8 Jan 2005 20:06:36 -0800, "biker bob"
wrote:

Haven't biked in over a decade and have been looking at some of the web
sites and noticed some road bikes with bar end shifters. The TREK 520
is one example. Just wondered what the advantage is to this set up, if
there is any.
Biker Bob

Advantages? A bit cheaper. Much simpler mechanically (find an exploded
diagram of a Shimano brifter- scary!). You can pick up used aero brake
levers for cheap because few people want them. If you want to try
different shaped brake levers, it is cheaper. If you want to move from
8 to 9 to 10 speed, it is cheaper. Compared to downtube shifters, I
find them easier to shift. If something goes wrong with a Shimano
brifter, you basically throw it away and buy a new one (Campy brifters
can be rebuilt).

Disadvantages- not as convenient as brifters. The cable housing is a
unique look (you can run them along the handlebars under the tape if
you like). Brifters have been around long enough that almost all the
bugs are worked out and they are pretty reliable, so you don't gain
much in reliability with bar ends.

Try them on a test ride. Like anything new, they'll be strange at
first. And like most things on a bike, once you ride it for a while it
will seem fine. Be sure to test brifters, also.

you can see what gear your in. it's far harder to over shift with them. you can
shift your whole gear range in one stroke or stop where you want accurately.

--
Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes
Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices
See http://www.knight-toolworks.com For prices and ordering instructions.

biker bob wrote:

Haven't biked in over a decade and have been looking at some of the web
sites and noticed some road bikes with bar end shifters. The TREK 520
is one example. Just wondered what the advantage is to this set up, if
there is any.

I have a 520 and like the bar ends.

As others have stated, they're cheaper, simpler, can
convert from indexed to friction if necessary, and
allow for wide range of shifts (something that can be
quite useful when touring on a heavily loaded bike).

On my particular bike, I'm not certain brake lever
shifting would work since my handlebar bag comes quite
close to the brake levers; brifters might clunk up
against the bag, limiting the shift.

STI shifting is very convenient, and I think concerns
over its "complexity" while touring are over-stated.
But I'm quite happy with the bar-ends and would prefer
them on any new tourer I'd ever buy.


SMH

On 8 Jan 2005 20:06:36 -0800, "biker bob" wrote:

Haven't biked in over a decade and have been looking at some of the web
sites and noticed some road bikes with bar end shifters. The TREK 520
is one example. Just wondered what the advantage is to this set up, if
there is any.

In addition to all the other really good answers, they have the benefit of
tradition. This is what touring and cross bikes have used forever.

Ron

Thanks for all the replies. Good information. It's obvious that at the
bar end, your hand would be right next to the shift lever, and you
wouldn't have to be taking your hands completely off the bars to shift,
as I do on my down tube shifters. Of course if this is the case, a
person would have to be relatively comfortable with that riding
position. Then I guess you would shift with your palm and fingers. I'm
probably really showing my ignorance here. Any more comments would be
appreciated.

Thanks again,
Bob

biker bob wrote:

Thanks for all the replies. Good information. It's obvious that at the
bar end, your hand would be right next to the shift lever, and you
wouldn't have to be taking your hands completely off the bars to shift,
as I do on my down tube shifters. Of course if this is the case, a
person would have to be relatively comfortable with that riding
position. Then I guess you would shift with your palm and fingers. I'm
probably really showing my ignorance here. Any more comments would be
appreciated.

OK.

I have bar ends on my touring bike, commuting bike and tandem. I spend
only a tiny percentage of time riding with my hands at the ends of the
bars. I mostly ride on the hoods or on the top bends of the bars.

The barcons are a little less convenient than brifters, but not terribly
so. For me, the simplicity, ruggedness, reliability and rebuildability
are very important. I'm willing to move my hand 8" or less to gain
those advantages.

I guess I'd gain even more of those attributes by going (back) to
downtube shifters, but I'm not willing to do those 20 inch, one-handed
push ups every time I shift.

So, like everything else, it's a compromise, and people choose their own
compromises.


Anecdotes:

My daughter's brand new bike came with STI. My touring bike, like my
wife's, have barcons. On our coast-to-coast loaded tour, my daughter's
was the only bike with shifting problems. It frequently required a
"double pump" to stay in the biggest rear cog. Try as I might, I
couldn't fix that - and I'm pretty darned competent as a mechanic.

Another friend bought a brand new bike before a supported 350 mile tour.
On its second test ride, the right STI shifter locked up solid. IIRC,
it was replaced under warranty.

I know the vast majority of people get very good service out of STI -
but things like this don't inspire me with confidence. I like to know I
can fix everything on my bike.


--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]

On 10 Jan 2005 15:50:21 -0800, "biker bob"
wrote:

Thanks for all the replies. Good information. It's obvious that at the
bar end, your hand would be right next to the shift lever, and you
wouldn't have to be taking your hands completely off the bars to shift,
as I do on my down tube shifters. Of course if this is the case, a
person would have to be relatively comfortable with that riding
position. Then I guess you would shift with your palm and fingers. I'm
probably really showing my ignorance here. Any more comments would be
appreciated.

Thanks again,
Bob

I ride mostly on the brake hoods. When I need to shift, I move my hand
to the shifter. I don't need to grab the drops; a light touch is all
it takes. For moving the lever up, I think I put my thumb on top of
the shifter body and use my index finger. For moving the lever down, I
probably just reverse this- index finger and thumb.

Part of any convenience issue depends on how often you think that you
will be shifting. Since I grew up with ten speeds, downtube shifters
with no indexing, and since only 6 of those speeds were actually
useful, I learned to ride without shifting every fifteen seconds to
deal with a slight change of grade. I just pedaled harder or faster.

Even with 9/27 speeds now, more often than not my shifts are over two
cogs in the rear, not one. It just doesn't occur to me to be
constantly paying attention to slight variances in cadence and effort.
I have other things I like to pay attention to while riding. Of course
I am not racing and I am not using a heart rate monitor and worrying
about keeping my pulse at some optimum place.

If I did have brifters, I could very easily end up shifting all the
time and find it becomes second nature.

Maybe just ride the present bike for a bit, short calm rides. Where do
you want to place your hands? How hard would it be to reach the drop
bar ends? How often do you really want to shift?

On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 17:50:03 -0800, Dan Daniel wrote:

On 10 Jan 2005 15:50:21 -0800, "biker bob"
wrote:

Thanks for all the replies. Good information. It's obvious that at the
bar end, your hand would be right next to the shift lever, and you
wouldn't have to be taking your hands completely off the bars to shift,
as I do on my down tube shifters. Of course if this is the case, a
person would have to be relatively comfortable with that riding
position. Then I guess you would shift with your palm and fingers. I'm
probably really showing my ignorance here. Any more comments would be
appreciated.

Thanks again,
Bob


Other observations re barcons:

1. I don't think that STI type shifters (i.e., "brifters") readily
accommodate the V-brakes that are needed for the typically wider tires on
touring and some other bikes. Why such bikes don't use MTB-style shifters
I don't know, but perhaps they are not designed for drop bars. Or maybe
it's a matter of style... Some folding bikes also use barcons (e.g., Bike
Friday, which also has wider tires and V-brakes).

2. For touring with heavy loads, it is deemed preferable to be able to
keep one's hands on the bars when shifting, rather than having to reach
for downtube shifters. Thus the barcons in this case.

3. Like some other posters, I have a Trek 520, and moved to this bike from
a mountain-style bike with index shifters that were mounted on the bars
near the brake levers. At first I found the barcons rather awkward, but
over time I've grown used to them, and shifting is now fairly automatic,
so to speak. I sometimes pedal while in the drops (like occasionally when
climbing) and shifting the barcons when in this position is easiest, of
course. But (and also like some other posters on this thread) I find
myself most often riding on the hoods, necessitating a reach in order to
shift. As I say, however, doing this has become fairly automatic over time.

4. Note that some time-trial bikes (like, e.g., the one LA has ridden in
recent Tours de France) have barcons, perhaps because it's hard to
accomodate brifters to the aero bars. So when you hear that nice, solid
"click," you can close your eyes and imagine you are Lance! (Don't keep
them closed for too long, though.)

Have fun.