Thursday, August 5

Bar End Shifter Week

Shimano Bar End Shifter on Cannondale Road Bike
Earphones
I’ve been riding the road bike to work with bar end shifters for a bit over a week now, and I have to say they are a bit different than the STI shifters. On the plus side, it’s much easier to shift multiple gears either up or down. Trimming the chain with the front derailleur is also simpler, unless it’s dark and I have earphones on. Finally, the “fiddle factor” is less with the simpler bar end shifters, which need no odd springs or exotic lubricants and which are immune to things like earwax. On the minus side, I’ve knocked the shifter a couple of times when getting on or off the bike, or when leaning it against stuff. I also occasionally have to THINK about which way is up versus down shifting, and have to remember where the shifter is, but those will both get automatic with time. All in all, a very practical alternate to STI, Campy Ergo or SRAM lever shifters.

7 comments:

Khal said...

I had bar-end shifter on my old commuter and still have them on one of our tandems. Still not convinced that STI has anything over a good set of bar-ends.

GreenComotion said...

I have bar-end shifters on my Co-Motion and I love them. Glad you are enjoying them as well!

Peace :)

Moopheus said...

Why are you sticking your shift levers in your ears? That's bad!

Apertome said...

I have bar-end shifters on the Trucker and STI on the Bianchi. It's very confusing going from one bike to another. I am always reaching for the bar ends on the Bianchi, or trying to shift with the brake levers on the Trucker.

I prefer the STIs for convenience' sake, but the barends are easier to work on/adjust.

Chuck Davis said...

My last "new" bikes, a Soma DoubleCross, Smoothie ES, and Saga all have bar cons, as does my old RedLine CX

I have an Aegis Aro avec DA STI that I have knot ridden in three years

While STIs et al are reasonably trouble free and reliable, when they stop working they gen stay stopped until they get on a r stand which doesn't always get them functioning again

Velouria said...

I might have missed this in your previous post, but what have you done with the old STI shifters? I am in the market for a used one for a vintage Trek I've just picked up...

Steve A said...

Velouria, Send an email to my profile email address. The right (rear) one is not working, though it worked up until my derailleur broke on July 13. The front one works OK. If you know someone that can fix the rear affordably, I'll ship them to you and eventually you'll be looking to unload something that is comparable.

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