Cycling UK Forum

If you're one with oddly long lower legs and think your knees may somehow hit them, Kellys (as mentioned by Si), Thumbies (Paul, SJS, VO, etc.) and Retroshift are all ways of re-locating traditional shifters whilst retaining their simplicity.

Worth noting though that Thumbies relocate BEs whilst Kellys and Retroshift relocate Down-tubes, I think. Or can those be interchangeable? I don't know.

I like bar ends a lot, but am presently experimenting with 2 sets of thumbies, and have some Kellys to play with at some point too, woohoo. Got some STIs in the garage too, but won't be fitting those on mine, can't stand them.

But... I've read reports of Dura Ace BEs having plastic parts (indexing?) that die before they get super old, and also heard tales of Shimano ending production of BEs. True?

My first tourer - a Surly Long Haul Trucker, was equipped with bar end shifters, and I HATED THEM.

Moved them onto to Paul Thumbies mounted on the tops. Better, but eventually I decided that I didn't much like the LHT and sold it.

When I built my current tourer (a Sabbath Silk Route), I decided to ignore the bar end shifter myth and fit STI levers. They have proved to very comfortable, very ergonomic and very reliable.

At first I was uncertain and carried a down tube shifter on tour as a spare. Now I don't bother.

I'm very pleased - delighted with my decision to ignore the dire predictions made by the retro-grouches.

Here she is:

Bar end shifters are for real men.

DaleFTW wrote:Bar end shifters are for real men.

Nah, real men have downtube friction shifters. Come to think of it, they probably eschew multiple gears. And freewheels. In fact it really ought to be a direct drive unicycle.

Seriously though, I love the ones that came on my Disc Trucker. I love the mechanical clunk of them. I feel like I'm operating the TARDIS.

I realise it moves the discussion on not a jot, but USS recumbent riders like me love bar end shifters! So please keep buying them for DFs or the supply might dry up.

Having said that I'm now using a Rohloff with twistgrip - still miss my BESs...

The case for is that they are simple - a good thing if either you are riding in the wilds a long way from decent bike shops, OR if you are flying and need to ride away from the airport - baggage handling is not perfect and STIs are more fragile.

They are less ergonomic, but I have never found it to be a significant problem. You can solve the knee-banging problem by running a Rapid-Rise (low-normal) rear mech. Then the levers are always up to change up, down for down.

Personally I err on the side of robustness when touring, but each to their own.

Bar end shifters are for dinosaurs.

I've flown loads of times with my bike and never had my STI's/Ergo's damaged. BES's are just as prone to damage as STI's, being on the end of the handlebar.

I have STI's on all 3 bikes. You can brake and change gear at the same time. It's surprisingly useful to be able to do that. Descending a hill with traffic lights at the bottom and the lights change to red, you can change down and brake at the same time - try that with bar end shifters.

Big T wrote:Bar end shifters are for dinosaurs.

I've flown loads of times with my bike and never had my STI's/Ergo's damaged. BES's are just as prone to damage as STI's, being on the end of the handlebar.

I have STI's on all 3 bikes. You can brake and change gear at the same time. It's surprisingly useful to be able to do that. Descending a hill with traffic lights at the bottom and the lights change to red, you can change down and brake at the same time - try that with bar end shifters.

But if you are able to ride making proper observations then you shouldn't need to be able to brake and change gear at the same time. Sorry, but if you are going to open by calling people dinosaurs just because they favour a different bit of kit then I have to point (strictly in jest of course) out that STIs are for people who can't ride properly The real dinosaurs being those who still flog the dead horse of the diamond frame bicycle .

The only thing I've ever missed when using bar-end shifters is being able to change gear when out of the saddle on a steep hill. With bar-end, it generally means sitting down whilst you change hand position, change, and move the hand back.
I have sometimes changed down to the granny by using my knee (as a deliberate act - I've never caught the shifter with my knee otherwise), but that's about the only shift possible without sitting.

andrew_s wrote:The only thing I've ever missed when using bar-end shifters is being able to change gear when out of the saddle on a steep hill. With bar-end, it generally means sitting down whilst you change hand position, change, and move the hand back.
I have sometimes changed down to the granny by using my knee (as a deliberate act - I've never caught the shifter with my knee otherwise), but that's about the only shift possible without sitting.

What? you mean you don't climb "Pantani-like.." holding onto the drops

you can change down and brake at the same time - try that with bar end shifters.

Since my bar-end shifters are on my USS 'bent, it's remarkably easy!

But if you really want to maximise gear changing convenience and robustness then you'll have a hub gear, which you can change stood still and doesn't have hangers to get trashed.

Pete.

Si wrote: The real dinosaurs being those who still flog the dead horse of the diamond frame bicycle .

Complete with a 150 year old dinosaur seat.

I have two bikes in my garage very similar one with STIs the other BES. I know which I prefer to ride and it ain't the STIs.

Hmm... thats all very clear then...

Al

Big T wrote:Bar end shifters are for dinosaurs.

I've flown loads of times with my bike and never had my STI's/Ergo's damaged. BES's are just as prone to damage as STI's, being on the end of the handlebar.

I have STI's on all 3 bikes. You can brake and change gear at the same time. It's surprisingly useful to be able to do that. Descending a hill with traffic lights at the bottom and the lights change to red, you can change down and brake at the same time - try that with bar end shifters.

Under impact the bar-end rotates in the bar, a big difference to STI.
Look, STIs are brilliant 99.9999% of the time. But explain to me how you fix an STI in India? Even riding in the USA you can be 100 miles from a bike shop in a lot of places.

However the main reason I use them is that I have hydraulic brakes and there are few other choices. Hydraulic STI levers (just appearing) also require DI2 electronic shifters. Do you consider electronic gears suitable for touring?

As for the change and brake, 5 yards before the line you tap the bar-end and it sweeps all the cogs in one go - which is less than a single crank rotation.