mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Not destroyed, but one in the shed here has some gouges out of it and looks awful to me. I'd suggest replacing it but I know how much they cost
Bar end gear levers .....
- Thread starter ozboz
- Start date
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Nigeyy
Legendary Member
- Location
- Massachusetts, USA
I'm sure there have been more STIs or Ergos broken than bar end shifters. They are inherently more fragile, and have more parts.....
But, I agree, I don't know of anyone who has broken STIs or Ergos due to a crash or the bike falling down, so for me anecdotally this is a moot point. Even if I did know of somebody who has had trouble with the reliability or breakability of brifters, I think the real question is are they reliable and robust enough to say you shouldn't use them? At least reading the boards and my own personal experience, it would suggest they are good enough. Also, could it also be said bar end shifters are more likely to take the brunt of a fall as handlebars usually turn when a bike falls?
FWIW I toured on a bike with STIs with no problems. Interestingly I now have Kelly Take Offs with DT shifters which I find to be excellent and combine the almost same ease of STIs hand accessibility (you can actually change gear from the tops or while in the drops which is nice as well as have instant accessibility to the brake levers without having to move your hands) combined with the simpler mechanics of a DT shifter. I think if my shifters broke in a fall or crash, there'd be heck of a lot more to be worried about by then!
But, I agree, I don't know of anyone who has broken STIs or Ergos due to a crash or the bike falling down, so for me anecdotally this is a moot point. Even if I did know of somebody who has had trouble with the reliability or breakability of brifters, I think the real question is are they reliable and robust enough to say you shouldn't use them? At least reading the boards and my own personal experience, it would suggest they are good enough. Also, could it also be said bar end shifters are more likely to take the brunt of a fall as handlebars usually turn when a bike falls?
FWIW I toured on a bike with STIs with no problems. Interestingly I now have Kelly Take Offs with DT shifters which I find to be excellent and combine the almost same ease of STIs hand accessibility (you can actually change gear from the tops or while in the drops which is nice as well as have instant accessibility to the brake levers without having to move your hands) combined with the simpler mechanics of a DT shifter. I think if my shifters broke in a fall or crash, there'd be heck of a lot more to be worried about by then!
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Banjo
Fuelled with Jelly Babies
- Location
- South Wales
I have bar end shifterd on my jamis aurora tourer.Used to clip my knee when setting off initially but doesnt happen now I have got used to them.
I love being able to trim the front mech and really enjoy riding the bike now
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I love being able to trim the front mech and really enjoy riding the bike now
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Richard A Thackeray
Legendary Member
Correct, it was always the done thing for CX bikes
andrew_s
Legendary Member
- Location
- Gloucester
I did break my RH STI lever in a crash once.
The works were actually OK - what broke off was the front half of the lever body, so I had to brake from the drops on that side. If I tried braking from the lever hoods, the rubber hood just stretched and my hand fell off the front of the lever.
I use bar ends these days, mainly because of the front trim, and them allowing the use of just about any random front mech (Suntour XC-Pro microdrive on 46/36/20). I naturally pedal knees in (clearing the top tube by 1 cm or so), which means I've no problems with knee/bar-end conflict, but I do have problems with knee/arm conflict when using down tube levers.
The works were actually OK - what broke off was the front half of the lever body, so I had to brake from the drops on that side. If I tried braking from the lever hoods, the rubber hood just stretched and my hand fell off the front of the lever.
I use bar ends these days, mainly because of the front trim, and them allowing the use of just about any random front mech (Suntour XC-Pro microdrive on 46/36/20). I naturally pedal knees in (clearing the top tube by 1 cm or so), which means I've no problems with knee/bar-end conflict, but I do have problems with knee/arm conflict when using down tube levers.
mickle
innit
- Location
- 53.933606, -1.076131
I bloody loves bar-end shifters. Having worked in a bike shop for a bit I've seen a decent number of wrecked STI/Ergo units. Which wouldn't be a big deal if not for the enormous cost of replacement. They are very often the most costly component on a bike.
STII/Ergo levers are great on a road bike, but on a touring bike reliabilty is paramount, so in spite of the undeniable greater ease of use of STIs/Ergo levers I'd always fit bar-ends.
STII/Ergo levers are great on a road bike, but on a touring bike reliabilty is paramount, so in spite of the undeniable greater ease of use of STIs/Ergo levers I'd always fit bar-ends.
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