I have used FIVE different handlebar-end shifters, the three friction items
you all have been talking about plus Suntour and Shimano indexed units. I
have no negative experiences or comments except for Suntour's indexed
shifters, my favorite being the whole timeline of Shimano products. BTW, I
have installed Simplex and Huret bar end shifters for customers and seen
neither any difference between the two nor remembered any "retrofriction"
mechanism in the ones with the Simplex brand on them; they seemed to be a
semi-copy of the Campagnolo shifters. Except for needing a cable with a
relatively low-profile end, the Campagnolo bar-ends always seemed like a
good item. If the cable is greased and the friction washers in the shifters
left dry, they were a definite upgrade from the down tube levers.
David feldman
Vancouver, WA
> Stevan Thomas wrote:
>
> ST: BarCon just makes me immediately think SunTour, and I tried them and
> just hated them. All
> the subtle feedback you get through the Campys is eaten up in the ratchet
> mechanism of the SunTours. I took the BarCons off immediately and put the
> "bar ends" back on!
>
> HS: I've always enjoyed the sunTour version, but that's ok. I wonder,
> Stevan, if you had the earlier version, which is said to have had a
coarser
> ratchet than the later ones? Frankly, there's a bunch of us who think the
> downtube Suntour power shifters are the cat's meow: nothing nice or more
> functional ever came along for a daily rider.
>
> ST: I tried the Shimanos (with the return spring) and didn't like those as
> well either. I recall they had some materials or machining problem and
> didn't like being assembled/disassembled.
>
> HS: I'd like to have one more pair of these. The barrel has a very large
> diameter, so it is just great for moving front derailleurs across
> triples. Still have one on the left of my Schwinn Town & Country tandem
> which, alas, is ridden very little nowadays. It has Never given trouble.
>
> with all due respect to the value of choices and the opinions of my
> esteemed colleagues,
>
> harvey (a bit thick, yet?) Sachs
> mcLean VA
>
>
> #################################################################
> #################################################################
> #################################################################
> #####
> #####
> #####
> #################################################################
> #################################################################
> #################################################################