Bar ends inboard of brake levers

[iandusud]

On our tandem I use drop bars and ride 90% on the hoods where I am very comfortable. I occasionally ride on the centre top and on the drops only on fast downhill sections, mainly so that I can get better braking from the drop STI levers. I have therefore been wondering if a better setup for me might be some sort of flat bar with "bar ends" mounted inboard of the brake levers, giving me my favoured position "on the hoods" but the advantage of flat bar brake levers and a wider bar for better control when circumstances call for it. My thoughts are to mount bar-end shifters (of which I am a big fan) on the end of the "bar ends" (a la TT aero bars) so that I can make shifts from my favoured position. Has anyone here ever tried such a setup? I appreciate that I might need to change my brakes to suit different brake levers.

[simonineaston]

Have you considered cross-levers? (Don't ask me why they're so-called...!)

[NUKe]

Have you considered cross-levers? (Don't ask me why they're so-called...!)

cyclo cross was where they became popular.

[Cyckelgalen]

Gevenalle make drop bar levers with bar-end type shifters "grafted" onto them. Have a look...

https://www.gevenalle.com/product/audax/

[iandusud]

Have you considered cross-levers? (Don't ask me why they're so-called...!)

Thanks but wouldn't give me the leverage necessary on a tandem at high speed.

[iandusud]

Gevenalle make drop bar levers with bar-end type shifters "grafted" onto them. Have a look...

https://www.gevenalle.com/product/audax/

Thanks bu not really what I'm trying to achieve. It would have no advantage over my current setup with STI levers.

[simonineaston]

Thanks but wouldn't give me the leverage necessary on a tandem at high speed.

I know from my own experience that that is true... they fit into the category of, "not great - but better than not having them"!

[tenbikes]

Salsa Moloko bar? I might have mis spelled that......

That aside, i think you are on the right lines. I'd go ahead and give it a go. (Ex tandem off road mtb racer

[Cyckelgalen]

Sorry, I missed the point that you were aiming at straight bars rather than drops.
I also favour bar end shifters for their durability, simplicity and ability to choose index or friction modes. The Gevenalle shifters offer all those advantages over regular STIs while allowing more comfortable shifting from the hoods, which looks to me like a very desirable set up for touring, But I have never seen them in the flesh, let alone tried them, so I am not really sure if they are worth the money they cost.

If you want bar end shifters mounted onto a straight bar, there are a number of adapters that you can use.

[Cyril Haearn]

I was a bit puzzled by the title, 'bar end shifters', I think you mean

[MartinC]

If you normally ride on the hoods than a flat bar is a very different position for your wrists and hands. My default position is on the hoods but I find flat straight bars very uncomfortable, I need about 30 degrees of sweep to be comfortable.

[mattsccm]

Your idea might not be far off. You could also consider the Cinelli Spinacis .A mini TT bar popular for abput 10 minutes before the UCI banned them.

[iandusud]

If you normally ride on the hoods than a flat bar is a very different position for your wrists and hands. My default position is on the hoods but I find flat straight bars very uncomfortable, I need about 30 degrees of sweep to be comfortable.

That's why I want to fit bar ends inboard of the brake levers, to emulate the position that the hoods give. I agree about wrist position on most flats and would definitely opt for a swept back bar.

[iandusud]

I was a bit puzzled by the title, 'bar end shifters', I think you mean

No,I did mean bar ends You might need to re-read my original post. What I'm thinking of is fitting bar ends on flat bars but in-board of the brake levers, and then to fit bar-end shifters on the bar ends! I know, confusing.

[iandusud]

Something along these lines but with bar-end shifters on the "bar ends" - not on the end of the bars!