Author Topic: moving bar end shifters?  (Read 15378 times)

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Offline James

moving bar end shifters?
« on: February 10, 2011, 07:45:50 pm »
Does anyone know if the internal washers on a bar end shifter will fit on a down tube shifter boss?  I have a Trek 520 which has 9 speed bar end shifters, and I would like to move them to the down tube shifter bosses if possible.  I want to install treking bars, or flat bars with bar ends on this bike and I like the way those shifters work so would like to save them.  I haven't been able to find other indexed down tube shifters (other than dura ace) and don't want to sped that much at this point. Any info or ideas would be much appreciated.

Offline Galloper

Re: moving bar end shifters?
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2011, 09:15:09 am »
Just a thought, if you're thinking of trekking bars, why not fit shifter pods.  Much more convenient to use than down tube shifters.   I fitted trekking bars to my Surly LHT with Shimano shifter pods and SRAM brake levers.   Works very well.

Offline DaveB

Re: moving bar end shifters?
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2011, 10:49:32 am »
I believe the mechanism for barend and downtube shifters are the same and the barends just include the mounting bosses on their handlebar brackets.  Why not try remounting one as an experiment since you already have both the shifters and a bike with downtube bosses?

AFAIK, the only 9-speed (and 10-speed) downtube shifters Shimano makes are labeled "Dura Ace" so that's your only choice.

Offline paddleboy17

Re: moving bar end shifters?
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2011, 10:52:01 am »
Does anyone know if the internal washers on a bar end shifter will fit on a down tube shifter boss?  I have a Trek 520 which has 9 speed bar end shifters, and I would like to move them to the down tube shifter bosses if possible.  I want to install treking bars, or flat bars with bar ends on this bike and I like the way those shifters work so would like to save them.  I haven't been able to find other indexed down tube shifters (other than dura ace) and don't want to sped that much at this point. Any info or ideas would be much appreciated.

I used to think that barcon shifters were down tube shifters with a special fitting.  Turns out the design is the same, but the length of the levers is different.  I believe that there is a fitting that you will need to reuse them as down tube shifters.  You might try the junk drawer at your local bike shop or loose screws.com.  Personally, I think you will hate down tube shifters, I know I did.  You might look into Paul Thumbies, that will let you mount your levers on top of your bars.  They used to be $80 or so.
Danno

Offline whittierider

Re: moving bar end shifters?
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2011, 03:29:18 pm »

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AFAIK, the only 9-speed (and 10-speed) downtube shifters Shimano makes are labeled "Dura Ace" so that's your only choice.

You can probably still find older ones on eBay.  Two or three years ago I bought a new-in-box pair of Dura Ace 7-speed down-tube shifters for one of our bikes.

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Personally, I think you will hate down tube shifters.  I know I did.
Only the location might be inconvenient.  They have the best response of all the types because the cables are shortest and there's little to no cable housing.  Last fall I went to shift and reached for a down-tube shifter which was funny because I haven't been using down-tube shifters in years.

Offline DaveB

Re: moving bar end shifters?
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2011, 12:48:53 pm »
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Personally, I think you will hate down tube shifters.  I know I did.
Only the location might be inconvenient.  They have the best response of all the types because the cables are shortest and there's little to no cable housing.
Down tube shifters may have the best theoretical response but their location is more than enough to disqualify them.   Don't sell the convenience part short. 

I rode with dt shifters, first friction and then indexing, for many years.  As soon as brifters came along I made the switch and have never regretted it in the slightest.  Consider shifting when you misjusdge how steep a hill is and you are standing to keep the pedals turning.  Dt shifters will be just about inaccessable, brifters make the shift without a second thought.   
 

Offline whittierider

Re: moving bar end shifters?
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2011, 09:47:50 pm »
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Down tube shifters may have the best theoretical response but their location is more than enough to disqualify them.  Don't sell the convenience part short.
The position I rode in all the time when I had DT shifters required rotating my arm back a bit to reach the shifters.  The shifters were the same distance from my shoulder as the place I held the bar, so my torso did not have to move at all to shift.

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I rode with dt shifters, first friction and then indexing, for many years.  As soon as brifters came along I made the switch and have never regretted it in the slightest.  Consider shifting when you misjusdge how steep a hill is and you are standing to keep the pedals turning.  Dt shifters will be just about inaccessable, brifters make the shift without a second thought.
Shifting without letting the pressure off is hard on the equipment, and letting off the pressure while keeping the pedals turning is not easy to do while standing.  Pros shift under power because they're paid to win, not to make the equipment last.  I had brifters for 10,000 miles and never really did like them, even though they worked perfectly, and I won't ever buy any more.

There were shifters on the brake levers at least as far back as 1949, but they have only recently been popular.
« Last Edit: February 13, 2011, 09:50:09 pm by whittierider »

Offline DaveB

Re: moving bar end shifters?
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2011, 09:36:01 am »
[The position I rode in all the time when I had DT shifters required rotating my arm back a bit to reach the shifters.  The shifters were the same distance from my shoulder as the place I held the bar, so my torso did not have to move at all to shift.
While sitting that's fine.  Try it while standing

Shifting without letting the pressure off is hard on the equipment, and letting off the pressure while keeping the pedals turning is not easy to do while standing.  Pros shift under power because they're paid to win, not to make the equipment last.  I had brifters for 10,000 miles and never really did like them, even though they worked perfectly, and I won't ever buy any more.

There were shifters on the brake levers at least as far back as 1949, but they have only recently been popular.
I'm not advocating shifting under high chain tension as a routine but as an emergency measure.  When you must shift NOW brifters are by far the fastest and most convenient way to do it.   I've had them for over 100,000 miles and would never go back to dt shifters.

Yes, there were brake lever mounted shift levers decades ago just as index shifting was offered decades ago but the technology and manufacturing precision at the time made them impractical or unreliable.  That's no longer true.

Offline staehpj1

Re: moving bar end shifters?
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2011, 10:34:06 am »
While sitting that's fine.  Try it while standing
I've am in the brifter camp, but down tube shifters are my second choice.  I have never had a problem shifting while standing and do not find it particularly awkward.  I actually have found bar ends more awkward than down tube shifters both when sitting and standing.

That said I am on a smallish frame and like my bars low, so bar ends and down tube shifters are at about the same height.  With larger frames and or higher bars down tube shifters may be a lot lower than bar ends, so any issue with d/t shifters may be more pronounced for those who require a large frame and or want to sit more upright.


Offline James

Re: moving bar end shifters?
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2011, 01:07:16 am »
Hey everyone, just wanted to say thanks for the input.  Dave, you were right, the square bar end washer portion of the bar end shifter fits the down tube shifter boss just fine.  I am a happy camper so far.  the shifters are more crisp than before, probably due to shorter cable travel and less cable housing. 

Down tube shifters suit me fine, they are about the same reach as bar ends, and the shifting works very well for touring.  But I am old school, having ridden many years with down tube shifters.  If my experience was different, perhaps  my opinion would be different.