Which touring bike . .again probably !

[Vorpal]

Out of interest what did you find the problem was?

After using STI type levers i found them difficult. I am of the generation that was raised on down tube levers for racing and touring but i took to the STI type easily. Personally i never ride on the drops, i ride on the hoods all the time, and found having to move to the drops clumsy and uncomfortable.

I still use down-tube as well as STI and bar-end shifters. I ride mostly on the hoods and sometimes on the drops. But I don't need to be riding on the drops in order to change gear with bar-end shifters. I just take one hand off the hoods and move the gear lever just the same as if I was using down-tube but only need to move ~20 cm to reach the bar-end rather than~40 cm to reach the down-tube shifters.
As you say it's a personal thing. There was someone on another thread who said they couldn't change gear with STIs whilst on the drops.

I haven't used bar end shifters in years, but I don't think they would give me any problems. When I was in the UK in June, I borrowed a bike to go for a ride, and it happened that the borrowed bike had down tube shifters. As soon as I ascertained which shifter was for what and which way they went (it had probably been 20 years since I had used down tube shifters), I was fine, with only a couple of mistakes, quickly remedied.

That said, given a choice, I would not elect to set off on LEJoG tomorrow with down tube or bar end shifters, unless there was a very good reason (e.g. mixed gearing systems).

[scottg]

Regular use of multiple shifter types is shown to reduce brain rot and promote
flexibility of mind according to the NIH.

What size bike do you ride, the LHT goes to 26in wheels in some sizes.
The Surly Pack Rat is good for lighter loads, ie hotel touring instead of campeur.

[hamster]

Having just taken part in a lejog adventure with a group of friends i can state, without reservation, that bar end gear levers are the work of the devil !!!
What possessed me to ride with them on my Jamis Aurora still baffles me .. especially as I had been given replacement 105 levers by fellow WIMPS before the start.

They are awful, and to be avoided at all costs !!

Just a personal opinion of course ............

Out of interest what did you find the problem was?

After using STI type levers i found them difficult. I am of the generation that was raised on down tube levers for racing and touring but i took to the STI type easily. Personally i never ride on the drops, i ride on the hoods all the time, and found having to move to the drops clumsy and uncomfortable.

This always puzzles me - people who ride with drops but never use them. IMV it's either that the bars are marginal on reach (both height and stem length) or that the drop is too deep (all too common with racing shapes).

They take getting used to, like any other shifter, but I am quite happy in London traffic on the tourer with bar-ends. My fast bikes both have Ergos - the big advantage is being able to shift when out of the saddle.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that they are more convenient or easier than Ergos. However, Shimano have made it nigh-on impossible to mix and match nowadays. They are also bulletproof, which is a big advantage for tourers in remote areas or when suffering unsympathetic handling on public transport, ferries, airlines etc.

[durhambiker]

Visited Spa and test drove a Dawes galaxy at the time.Then tried a Koga Miyata Randonneur and found the latter to be streets ahead.5 years on,Western highlands,germany denmark South Africa etc under my belt,have still not seen a tourer that comes close.

[Sweep]

Having just taken part in a lejog adventure with a group of friends i can state, without reservation, that bar end gear levers are the work of the devil !!!
What possessed me to ride with them on my Jamis Aurora still baffles me .. especially as I had been given replacement 105 levers by fellow WIMPS before the start.

They are awful, and to be avoided at all costs !!

Just a personal opinion of course ............

Out of interest what did you find the problem was?

After using STI type levers i found them difficult. I am of the generation that was raised on down tube levers for racing and touring but i took to the STI type easily. Personally i never ride on the drops, i ride on the hoods all the time, and found having to move to the drops clumsy and uncomfortable.

Time to simplify things even further then and drop the drops?

[pjclinch]

Having just taken part in a lejog adventure with a group of friends i can state, without reservation, that bar end gear levers are the work of the devil !!!
What possessed me to ride with them on my Jamis Aurora still baffles me .. especially as I had been given replacement 105 levers by fellow WIMPS before the start.

They are awful, and to be avoided at all costs !!

Just a personal opinion of course ............

On the end of underseat steering 'bent handlebars they're as close to perfect a shifting system as there is! Always to hand (or rather, always to thumb or finger), tactile feedback of where the shifter is, don't get in the way, no strange contrivances making braking and changing at the same time more interesting. Of course, you do need a 'bent with underseat steering for this to work...

Pete.

[landsurfer]

Out of interest what did you find the problem was?

After using STI type levers i found them difficult. I am of the generation that was raised on down tube levers for racing and touring but i took to the STI type easily. Personally i never ride on the drops, i ride on the hoods all the time, and found having to move to the drops clumsy and uncomfortable.

Time to simplify things even further then and drop the drops?

And replace them with what that will allow me to ride on the hoods and rest on the centre of the bars ?
With no expenditure on new brake levers ?

[durhambiker]

Regular use of multiple shifter types is shown to reduce brain rot and promote
flexibility of mind according to the NIH.
ROFL