Bar-end or Downtube shifters?
Paul Myron Hobson
simpler and the frame already has the bosses for them.
Am I missing anything advantageous about bar-ends besides the
potentially more convenient location? (DTs are $20 cheaper than BEs at
nashbar, btw)
\\paul
Ozark Bicycle
> I'm leaning towards downtube shifters b/c the cable routing seems
> simpler and the frame already has the bosses for them.
>
> Am I missing anything advantageous about bar-ends besides the
> potentially more convenient location?
Darned if I can think of one....
> (DTs are $20 cheaper than BEs at nashbar, btw)
Hmmm.....the diff was larger than that in the past.
andre...@aol.com
Also, if you ever want to fix, swap, do stuff to the handlebar or
stem, you don't have to remove or replace so much stuff.
Andres
Andy M-S
I don't think you're missing anything. For some people, that location
is important; I prefer the aesthetics and peformance/feel of DT
shifters, myself...
larrylike...@yahoo.com
>
> Am I missing anything advantageous about bar-ends besides the
> potentially more convenient location?
Strike potentially and you have the reason that bar ends have an
advantage. Bar ends mean never having to take your hands of the bars
when shifting; nice for racing, not a big deal for just riding.
Qui si parla Campagnolo
Nope..
RonSonic
wrote:
You can shift without having your knees in the way.
Ron
russell...@yahoo.com
> I'm leaning towards downtube shifters b/c the cable routing seems
> simpler and the frame already has the bosses for them.
>
> Am I missing anything advantageous about bar-ends besides the
> potentially more convenient location?
Not potentially more convenient location. Actual, real more
convenient location. No potential to it. Cable routing is easier on
downtube. So what. You only redo the cables a couple times a
decade. The downtube bosses are used by the bar end shifters for the
cable stops. They won't be left uncovered.
Sir Ridesalot
Hi there.
In my opinion the answer is yes and no.
Once upon a time in a bicycle world far away down tube shifters were
touted as giving faster crisper shifts than bar ends due to their much
shorter cable runs, less cable housing and lack of long looping curved
cables from the bar ends.
Of course this was in the same era where a well known bicycling mag
bemoaned the increasing popularity of 15 gear bikes. Their mantra was
that 10 gears were plenty.
If you take a bar end equipped bike onto narrow trails there is a
potential for a cable to snag.
Many people still prefer down tube shifters. For some it is because of
their aesthetically clean look. Some of those who like index shifting
buy the bar ends and mount them on the down tube. Weight concious
riders might like the down tube shifter because their is only the
short section of cable housing at the rear deraileur.
Many others still prefer the location of bar ends. They can be used
with out removing your hand from the bar. They were very popular on
touring bikes at one time because of that. Some people also like the
look of the loops of cable housing.
Oh, here is a thought. If you ride a big frame you might find the
reach to a down tube shifter awkward. Bar ends *might* be better for
large riders.
Down tube shifters have an advantage if you change from drop to
upright bars becayse you can still use the same shifters. I have known
people who have switched their bar temporarily due to a slight, bot
necessarilly a bicycle related, injury where the upright position
allowed them to ride while recovering.
What it all boils down to is what you find most comfortable and/or
aesthetically pleasing for you.
Cheers from Peter
Ryan Cousineau
larrylike...@yahoo.com wrote:
Do you know why racers basically never used bar end shifters?
Because your competitors could shift for you.
A friend with racing experience from back then swears this actually
happened,
--
Ryan Cousineau rcou...@sfu.ca http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
frkr...@gmail.com
I think the more convenient location is by far the biggest
difference. In some cases, bar end shifters have cables flying out in
front of the head tube, which I don't like. But I fixed that by
running my shifter cables under the handlebar tape to a location close
to the stem.
Removing handlebars is slightly easier with downtube shifters, if
that's an issue for you.
On the balance, the more convenient location wins easily for me.
After years of down tube shifters, I got tired of doing a mini-one-
hand-pushup every time I wanted to shift. I fell in love with bar
ends as soon as I tried them.
How much this matters probably depends how often a person likes to
shift. Some folks shift rarely. I shift a lot.
BTW, if you don't mind reaching down, there's always the choice of an
old direct-lever-actuated front changer. No cable run at all!
- Frank Krygowski
Dave Reckoning
news:pi86435s8hk0171pp...@4ax.com...
Or with bar end you can shift with your knees...
Dave
Hank Wirtz
Back in the day, there was the "DTs have better shifting" argument,
but that's been mooted by compressionless housing.
BCDrums
I got bar-ends in the late '70s and have had them to this day. I found
them way better than downtube shifters. Maybe it's just me, but I always
had to look for the DT shifter to grab it. Not so with BEs. Just slide
my hands along the bar, eyes stay on the road.
Hands never leave the bar; better control.
BC
shifty
Ozark Bicycle
> In article <1178800165.155355.207...@e51g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>,
>
> larrylikesthecir...@yahoo.com wrote:
> > On May 10, 1:40 am, Paul Myron Hobson <phob...@gatech.edu> wrote:
>
> > > Am I missing anything advantageous about bar-ends besides the
> > > potentially more convenient location?
>
> > Strike potentially and you have the reason that bar ends have an
> > advantage. Bar ends mean never having to take your hands of the bars
> > when shifting; nice for racing, not a big deal for just riding.
>
> Do you know why racers basically never used bar end shifters?
>
> Because your competitors could shift for you.
>
> A friend with racing experience from back then swears this actually
> happened,
>
ISTR that one of the earliest racing caveats regarding DA SIS was that
others would know when you were shifting from hearing the clicks. That
didn't slow the Indexed Shifting Revolution much, did it?
Lotsa mythology in the ol' peleton, IMO.
Jay Beattie
But with SIS, you got the shift! IME, I only got pounced when I was
fussing around with friction shifting.
As far as someone shifting bar-ends for you, see Breaking Away -- it
can happen with DT shifters too, particularly if you race against the
unscrupulous Cinzano team.
I have a somewhat dissenting view on bar-ends. I used them on my
touring bike for many years but never did like the fact that I could
whack them with my knees when climbing out of the saddle. I didn't
like them on my tandem because when pulling up on the non-indexed
front shifter, I tended to swing the bar a little and steer the bike
(a peculiarity of the stiff FD and the cable run on that tandem). I
went to STI on the touring bike and first gen Sachs Ergo on the
tandem. -- Jay Beattie.
Clive George
news:1178818363....@e51g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
>> Do you know why racers basically never used bar end shifters?
>>
>> Because your competitors could shift for you.
>>
>> A friend with racing experience from back then swears this actually
>> happened,
>
> ISTR that one of the earliest racing caveats regarding DA SIS was that
> others would know when you were shifting from hearing the clicks. That
> didn't slow the Indexed Shifting Revolution much, did it?
>
> Lotsa mythology in the ol' peleton, IMO.
I've had it done to me and done it to others, though we weren't racing, just
being silly. Dropping you into either granny from big ring or top gear from
bottom while climbing is remarkably effective at slowing you up :-)
cheers,
clive
Sir Ridesalot
>
Hi.
I remember hearing that too. I also remember hearing that some riders
would fool their opponents by shifting with the index feature to get
them used to hearing a click and then later shifting with the friction
option engaged thus catching t he opponent unawares.
Cheers from Peter
Ryan Cousineau
"Dave Reckoning" <Jo...@smith.com> wrote:
You're not trying hard enough. When I feel like it (this is purely a
stunt, not a something I do on a daily basis) I can bang out some shifts
with the DT shifters on my commuter using my knees.
I think the one semi-useful circumstance is one corner on my commute
which combines a descending approach with a sharp uphill after the
corner. Since I'm braking on the approach to the corner, if I have
forgotten to drop to the middle ring before I get to the corner, I may
have a problem. A well-placed knee has been the solution once or twice.
I'm 5'6" and ride 52-54 cm frames. I would not be surprised to find this
was a morphologically specific stunt.
Ozark Bicycle
You Canadians are more devious than we in the US! ;-)
Booker C. Bense
In article <rcousine-B5C38F...@news.telus.net>,
Ryan Cousineau <rcou...@sfu.ca> wrote:
>
>
>You're not trying hard enough. When I feel like it (this is purely a
>stunt, not a something I do on a daily basis) I can bang out some shifts
>with the DT shifters on my commuter using my knees.
>
>I think the one semi-useful circumstance is one corner on my commute
>which combines a descending approach with a sharp uphill after the
>corner. Since I'm braking on the approach to the corner, if I have
>forgotten to drop to the middle ring before I get to the corner, I may
>have a problem. A well-placed knee has been the solution once or twice.
>
>I'm 5'6" and ride 52-54 cm frames. I would not be surprised to find this
>was a morphologically specific stunt.
>
_ I've been doing that for 30 years in exactly those
circumstances. I'm roughly the same height as you.
_ Booker C. Bense
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Aeek
wrote:
>I have a somewhat dissenting view on bar-ends. I used them on my
>touring bike for many years but never did like the fact that I could
>whack them with my knees when climbing out of the saddle.
That's down to the bars. My new bars solved that problem, um, as
standard on a built Surly Crosscheck. Wider at the bottom.
frkr...@gmail.com
> On 10 May 2007 10:49:16 -0700, Jay Beattie <jbeat...@lindsayhart.com>
> wrote:
>
> >I have a somewhat dissenting view on bar-ends. I used them on my
> >touring bike for many years but never did like the fact that I could
> >whack them with my knees when climbing out of the saddle.
>
> That's down to the bars. My new bars solved that problem, um, as
> standard on a built Surly Crosscheck. Wider at the bottom.
The other solution is to saw an inch or two off the ends of the drop
bars before installation. This should solve the problem, unless your
knees hit the handlebar plugs when you have no shifters there.
And just think of the grams you'll save!
- Frank Krygowski
John Forrest Tomlinson
>Bar ends mean never having to take your hands of the bars
>when shifting; nice for racing,
? What about if your hands are on the hoods or tops? Do you slide
them along the bar? That doesn't sound wise. I imagine you'd have to
take your hands off the bars.
--
JT
****************************
Remove "remove" to reply
Visit http://www.jt10000.com
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John Forrest Tomlinson
wrote:
>Do you know why racers basically never used bar end shifters?
>
>Because your competitors could shift for you.
>
>A friend with racing experience from back then swears this actually
>happened,
I don't believe this was at all common. It would have resulted in
fights, protests, etc. Plus crashes.
John Forrest Tomlinson
<bicycle...@ozarkbicycleservice.com> wrote:
>ISTR that one of the earliest racing caveats regarding DA SIS was that
>others would know when you were shifting from hearing the clicks. That
>didn't slow the Indexed Shifting Revolution much, did it?
>
>Lotsa mythology in the ol' peleton, IMO.
Is it mythology if almost no one cares about it?
Booker C. Bense
still me <wheel...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>On Thu, 10 May 2007 18:26:04 -0400, John Forrest Tomlinson
><usenet...@jt10000.com> wrote:
>
>>? What about if your hands are on the hoods or tops? Do you slide
>>them along the bar? That doesn't sound wise. I imagine you'd have to
>>take your hands off the bars.
>>
>
>end (rare for me) then you are not very far from the downtube shifter
>anyway. If you are crouched and in the curve of the drops, then it
>actually seems more natural to reach the downtube as your body is
>curled tight. Getting to the bar ends is a crunch.
>
>I see an advantage to bar ends with an all rounder type bar as you are
>likely upright, or maybe with mustache bars where you lean forward
>rather than downward (although I still can't figure out why you'd need
>mustache bars).
>
_ IMHO, the one advantage of bar ends is that you can easily
shift while steering in rough terrain where you don't want to let
go of the bars. That's something that I never figured out with
downtube shifters.
_ Booker c. Bense
BCDrums
> I have a somewhat dissenting view on bar-ends. I used them on my
> touring bike for many years but never did like the fact that I could
> whack them with my knees when climbing out of the saddle. I didn't
> like them on my tandem because when pulling up on the non-indexed
> front shifter, I tended to swing the bar a little and steer the bike
> (a peculiarity of the stiff FD and the cable run on that tandem). I
> went to STI on the touring bike and first gen Sachs Ergo on the
> tandem. -- Jay Beattie.
>
I have never hit a bar-end with my knee while riding. It sounds
difficult, but I guess you managed!
BC
wide bar
Jay Beattie
Not difficult if you are tall and have long thighs, and in fact, this
was a common gripe back when fingertips were more popular. -- Jay
Beattie.
jobst....@stanfordalumni.org
>> Bar ends mean never having to take your hands of the bars when
>> shifting; nice for racing,
> What about if your hands are on the hoods or tops? Do you slide
> them along the bar? That doesn't sound wise. I imagine you'd have
> to take your hands off the bars.
The way you say that it sounds like one cannot reasonably ride unless
both hands are securely on the bars and that shifting is something
that becomes necessary suddenly and spontaneously... and that we are
all top class racers in contention for some huge gain.
I don't buy it.
Jobst Brandt
jobst....@stanfordalumni.org
>>Do you know why racers basically never used bar end shifters?
>>Because your competitors could shift for you.
>> A friend with racing experience from back then swears this actually
>> happened,
I see you'll believe any lore that gets retold, like ranchers shooting
trespassers with rock salt shotgun loads. How many times have we heard
that one?
> I don't believe this was at all common. It would have resulted in
> fights, protests, etc. Plus crashes.
We've done that for kicks (on downtube shifters) but not in a race.
Let's keep the BS down to a bearable level!
Jobst Brandt
jobst....@stanfordalumni.org
>> ISTR that one of the earliest racing caveats regarding DA SIS was that
>> others would know when you were shifting from hearing the clicks. That
>> didn't slow the Indexed Shifting Revolution much, did it?
>> Lotsa mythology in the ol' peleton, IMO.
> Is it mythology if almost no one cares about it?
That no one cares about it may be one thing but no one cares what gear
you are in. If you watch videos you will note that the riders are not
pedaling synchronously in the same gear. Why do type of gear shift
levers raise so much BS?
Jobst Brandt
John Forrest Tomlinson
>John Forrest Tomlinson writes:
>
>>> Bar ends mean never having to take your hands of the bars when
>>> shifting; nice for racing,
>
>> What about if your hands are on the hoods or tops? Do you slide
>> them along the bar? That doesn't sound wise. I imagine you'd have
>> to take your hands off the bars.
>
>The way you say that it sounds like one cannot reasonably ride unless
>both hands are securely on the bars
No, the person I quoted said that. I'm asking how that is so with bar
ends.
> and that shifting is something
>that becomes necessary suddenly and spontaneously...
It can in bike races when someone does something to surprise you.
>and that we are
>all top class racers in contention for some huge gain.
The person I'm quoting referred to racing, so I'm interested in that.
If you're not intereted in racing, ignore the discussion.
Also, here I am with one hand off the handlebars on a bike -- you
might want to imagine that I'm gesturing at you
http://www.jt10000.com/team/tgal/ssfloyd00jt.htm
John Forrest Tomlinson
>John Forrest Tomlinson writes:
>
>>>Do you know why racers basically never used bar end shifters?
>
>>>Because your competitors could shift for you.
>
>>> A friend with racing experience from back then swears this actually
>>> happened,
>
>I see you'll believe any lore that gets retold,
Who is the "you" to which you are referring?
> like ranchers shooting
>trespassers with rock salt shotgun loads.
WTF are you talking about?
John Forrest Tomlinson
>That no one cares about it may be one thing but no one cares what gear
>you are in. If you watch videos you will note that the riders are not
>pedaling synchronously in the same gear. Why do type of gear shift
>levers raise so much BS?
Jobst, I know you are a hammer on the bike and a great engineer. But
you have demonstrated, repeatedly, profound ignorance and
misconceptions about bike racing (I assume that is what you mean by
watch videos). You refer to lore and bad practice from years ago, and
singular anecdotes, to make pronouncements about bike racing. Often
flawed.
If you watch bike racing, there is relatively little variation in
cadence among riders in similar situations at the high end of the
sport. And even where there is variation among riders, most riders
follow the same patterns of when they shift up or down. And those
same riders tend to perform best within relatively narrow bands of
cadences.
If you're not racing and just want to not shift, more power to you.
But simply becuse cadence doesn't matter to you, or even, perhaps, to
most people, doesn't mean it doesn't matter to anyone.
RonSonic
That original line came from one of the Cycling mags of that day - I remember
reading it and snorting. Roughly contemporaneous with Calvin's subscription to
"Chewing: the magazine."
The idea was to write a sentence that was critical of this new product in a way
that did nothing to discourage anyone from shelling out money for it. After all
the writer should be even-handed and this proves it.
It's just wordplay and marketing. Nobody except the most completely mag-fed Fred
ever worried for more than a moment about that. In reality they simply didn't
see the advantage of clicky DT shifters.
Ron
Camilo
> I'm leaning towards downtube shifters b/c the cable routing seems
> simpler and the frame already has the bosses for them.
>
> nashbar, btw)
>
Back in the day, a looong time ago, the "conventional wisdom" I heard
(urban legend?) was that down tube shifters would produce quicker,
crisper shifting because there is so much less cable length than bar-
end shifters. FWIW. I haven't had bar-end shifters since my Windsor
was stolen in 1978, but I rode with down tube shifters until this
spring when I finally acquired an STI bike.
I can't really remember the bar-end shifting except that it was so
much better than the POS bike it replaced (a late 90s Gitane w/ Huret)
that I was very happy at the time. I do know that I always felt very
comfortable with downtube. THink of it this way: until a few years
ago, almost every serious cyclist and racer in the world used down
tube shifters.
jobst....@stanfordalumni.org
>> I'm leaning towards downtube shifters b/c the cable routing seems
>> simpler and the frame already has the bosses for them.
>> Am I missing anything advantageous about bar-ends besides the
>> potentially more convenient location? (DTs are $20 cheaper than BEs at
>> nashbar, btw)
> Back in the day, a looong time ago, the "conventional wisdom" I
> heard (urban legend?) was that down tube shifters would produce
> quicker, crisper shifting because there is so much less cable length
> than bar- end shifters. FWIW. I haven't had bar-end shifters since
> my Windsor was stolen in 1978, but I rode with down tube shifters
> until this spring when I finally acquired an STI bike.
> I can't really remember the bar-end shifting except that it was so
> much better than the POS bike it replaced (a late 90s Gitane w/
> Huret) that I was very happy at the time. I do know that I always
> felt very comfortable with downtube. Think of it this way: until a
> few years ago, almost every serious cyclist and racer in the world
> used down tube shifters.
I think you missed something there. To shift a bar-end shifter you
must first grasp the bar-end and then use your little finger or the
heel of your hand to move the lever. You cannot just hit the lever
into top gear, for instance, as one could with a DT lever, or for that
matter kick it down a gear without grasping the downtube.
I don't know anyone who rides grasping the tail end of drop bars, but
that is the position required for shifting bar-end levers. If you
don't, you'll wobble all over the road when shifting by introducing
steering motions.
You must have forgotten about that effect.
Jobst Brandt
Dane Buson
>
> I think you missed something there. To shift a bar-end shifter you
> must first grasp the bar-end and then use your little finger or the
> heel of your hand to move the lever. You cannot just hit the lever
> into top gear, for instance, as one could with a DT lever, or for that
> matter kick it down a gear without grasping the downtube.
Well, for upshifting, I do have to grasp the lever or bar I'll admit.
For downshifting, I do that without grasping the bar all the time.
Though you do get better control grasping it.
> I don't know anyone who rides grasping the tail end of drop bars, but
> that is the position required for shifting bar-end levers.
Actually, I see people doing that all the time here in Seattle. I just
write it off to a poorly fit bike.
> If you don't, you'll wobble all over the road when shifting by introducing
> steering motions.
Eh, I've never noticed it, but I'm not going to say you're wrong.
> You must have forgotten about that effect.
Rather, it's so trivial to shift without wobbling that even the least
accomplished cyclist probably doesn't do it after a short while of using
barcons. I generally only shift with one hand at a time, so the other
hand steadies the bar. [0] YMMV, OVWP, IANAL, PDSICE [1].
Also, the old trope [2] about not being able to shift while standing
with bar-cons is not true. Oh, it's not as easy as I'd like, but it's
certainly doable. I spent about 15 miles doing it last summer when I
broke my seatpost bolt.
[0] If I double shift, I do drop my hands down to the end of the drops.
[1] CQFVPR - Cyrnfr Qba'g Fubbg, V'z Pnanqvna. Ru?
[2] Yes, I know noone has brought it up, but why not throw some fuel on
the fire? Didn't the last bar-con thread blow up to 1000 posts or
something ludicrous like that?
--
Dane Buson - sig...@unixbigots.org
"The trouble with getting a life is making the payments."
frkr...@gmail.com
>
> I think you missed something there. To shift a bar-end shifter you
> must first grasp the bar-end and then use your little finger or the
> heel of your hand to move the lever. You cannot just hit the lever
> into top gear, for instance, as one could with a DT lever, or for that
> matter kick it down a gear without grasping the downtube.
Well, on my bar-end bikes, I never shift while grasping the
downtube. ;-)
> I don't know anyone who rides grasping the tail end of drop bars, but
> that is the position required for shifting bar-end levers. If you
> don't, you'll wobble all over the road when shifting by introducing
> steering motions.
>
> You must have forgotten about that effect.
I have _certainly_ forgotten about that effect!
Admittedly, I haven't ridden one of my bar-end bikes since yesterday.
But I don't think my memory is that bad yet!
Anyone capable of riding one-handed should be able to shift a bar end
with no extra wobble, just as I do. Anyone who can't ride one-handed
should learn that easy skill.
- Frank Krygowski
Günther Schwarz
> Anyone capable of riding one-handed should be able to shift a bar end
> with no extra wobble, just as I do. Anyone who can't ride one-handed
> should learn that easy skill.
Well spoken, but this applies to down tube shifters also. Plus they
allow for shifting both front and rear with just one hand.
As for the OP, I can see only little reason not to use brifters on a
road bike. They are convenient and work well. No need to buy the
overpriced top class models.
Günther
Peter Cole
> I'm leaning towards downtube shifters b/c the cable routing seems
> simpler and the frame already has the bosses for them.
>
> Am I missing anything advantageous about bar-ends besides the
> potentially more convenient location? (DTs are $20 cheaper than BEs at
> nashbar, btw)
>
I hate DT, love BE, YMMV.
Peter Cole
I'm somewhat of a long thigh expert, and have always used bar ends. I
haven't had this problem since I retired my 70's style fashionably
narrow bars.
jobst....@stanfordalumni.org
>> Anyone capable of riding one-handed should be able to shift a bar
>> end with no extra wobble, just as I do. Anyone who can't ride
>> one-handed should learn that easy skill.
You may say that but I've ridden with enough guys who had bar-end
shifters to recall that they didn't just hit the lever, but grasped
the bar before moving to another gear. That one can ride standing
while grasping the bar-ends is no proof that it is convenient or
analogous to shifting STI while standing.
> Well spoken, but this applies to down tube shifters also. Plus they
> allow for shifting both front and rear with just one hand. As for
> the OP, I can see only little reason not to use brifters on a road
> bike. They are convenient and work well. No need to buy the
> overpriced top class models.
On the other hand, we have handlebar controls of various kinds because
too many riders cannot ride with only one hand on the bars.
No hands... no way!
Jobst Brandt
John Forrest Tomlinson
> On the other hand, we have handlebar
> controls of various kinds because
> too many riders cannot ride with only one hand on the bars.
I like integrated shifters because I can shift while out of the
saddle. I couldn't do that when going hard with downtube shifters.
I'm not sure you're interested in doing that with downtube shifters,
but if you wanted to, could you?
G.T.
<jobst....@stanfordalumni.org> wrote in message
news:4644f904$0$14104$742e...@news.sonic.net...
Günther Schwarz writes:
>> Anyone capable of riding one-handed should be able to shift a bar
>> end with no extra wobble, just as I do. Anyone who can't ride
>> one-handed should learn that easy skill.
> You may say that but I've ridden with enough guys who had bar-end
> shifters to recall that they didn't just hit the lever, but grasped
> the bar before moving to another gear.
BS. My Ultegra bar-end shifters are so light action that I absolutely do
not need to grab the bar to shift. I can shift them just like downtube
shifters.
Greg
--
Ticketbastard tax tracker:
http://ticketmastersucks.org/tracker.html
Dethink to survive - Mclusky
RonSonic
And it is still one hell of a lot easier than shifting DTs while standing.
>[0] If I double shift, I do drop my hands down to the end of the drops.
>[1] CQFVPR - Cyrnfr Qba'g Fubbg, V'z Pnanqvna. Ru?
>[2] Yes, I know noone has brought it up, but why not throw some fuel on
> the fire? Didn't the last bar-con thread blow up to 1000 posts or
> something ludicrous like that?
Ron
Effect pedal demo's up at http://www.soundclick.com/ronsonicpedalry
dusto...@mac.com
> I'm leaning towards downtube shifters b/c the cable routing seems
> simpler and the frame already has the bosses for them.
>
> Am I missing anything advantageous about bar-ends besides the
> potentially more convenient location? (DTs are $20 cheaper than BEs at
> nashbar, btw)
After the dis-cuss-shun...
Buy some. Get them set up correctly, and spend some time riding them.
Then you can have your own expert opinion.
Boy, that was easy, wasn't it? <g>
As with many things in life, some find bar-ends to be wonderful. Some
really don't like them. Whatever, it's a wonderful world when you can
get your transportation and/or toys set up to suit yourself.
I didn't see brifters mentioned in the dis/cuss/shun. Brifters? same
thing. Some like, some don't.
The brifter shifting position is IMHO optimal for bike control--
having the hands wrapped around hoods, palms facing in offers a lot of
leverage, personally where I feel the most "powerful" for balance and
grip, including lifting the front wheel. With Campy (the system I ride
and know), at least, you (can) shift/brake while in that position, or
very close to it. "That's why I like it", in addition to good shifting
performance. --D-y