Background:
Since around 8 years I am using indexed Microshift 9 speed Bar-End Shifters, first on my mountain bike which I swapped together with my mustache handlebar to my current road bike. Since this time they are working very well with my Deore rear derailleur.
History:
Bar-End Shifters have a long history. They were available when the first multi-speed cassettes at the rear wheel emerged as a more comfortable alternative to the down tube shifters on race bikes. Some racers used Bar End Shifters during training rides and even during mountain stages. They were the standard in cycle cross and can even be found on modern triathlon bikes and on time trial bikes for shifting in the forward slipstream position.
For me, they were a reliable solution for my mustache handlebar. Due to the larger diameter of the bar my available mountain bike shifters would not fit. I did not want to invest in STI Shifters, in which the shifting lever/s is/are integrated into the brakes levers. So I bought a set of bar end shifters and a set of brake levers for roughly 1/2 price of the combined shifters.
Montage
- Material: A set of bar end shifters with cables, one handle bar with an inner diameter of 19-21 mm, long allen or hex keys (4 mm) as found on multi-tools.
- Montage and Setup
of bar end shifters are a very simple and straightforward affair.
1. Separate the shifter from its body through the outer screw and the post if necessary (4 mm hex key).
2. Place the body (with the plug) into the handlebar and tighten the expansion plug with the internal screw (clockwise) until it sits tightly in the bar
3. Screw the shifter back onto the body (4 mm hex key); but be aware that the tightness of this screw influences the 'resistance' or ease of the shifting! Push the shifter on its body downwards to its lowest point.
4. Fiddle the shifter cable through the hole of the shifter, through the hole of the shifter body and through the cable housing to the rear derailleur.
5. You're done with the shifter, the final setup is made at the front or rear derailleur .
Summery
I've used the same bar end shifters for many, many thousands of trouble-free kilometers; through sunshine, rain and even one typhoon. I used them without, with summer and with winter gloves and never a single misshift or any other shifter related problem. I've changed the rear cassette and chain several times but never the bar end shifters. It's no surprise that many travel bikes come with bar end shifters, one less thing to worry.
They are so simple to use and such a joy that I will use them on my next project, a Gavel Bike Bar or Monstercross Bar on my road bike.
Advantage:
- cheap to buy
- montage and set up is a simple matter
- maintenance free
- versatile: I could shift from the lowest to the highest gear or vise versa with one movement
of my wrist while pedaling
- reliable shifting for 10.000's of kilometers
Disadvantage
- one hand can not shift and brake simultaneously
- slightly slower shifting speed than combined STI shifter
- some people would call the shifting 'awkward'
A Word of Caution
Always ride with a helmet and in a way that you are in control of the bike and not the other way around. It is senseless to gain some seconds but spend weeks to recover in a hospital and at home! Ride responsible, defensively and safe; I am sure your body, parents, family and friends will appreciate your precautions during a bike ride.
Take care, Gerhard
I've owned and own these bottles, used and use them over a period of time. I've paid for them and I am n o t endorsed by anyone. Subscribers or followers are more than welcome!
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