Thanks for your responses and photos which have been very helpful. What nice bikes – how could you part with them? That's my problem, I find it difficult to part with any of my bikes, hence the recycling project. I really like the bar end shifters set up and am going to go down that route if I can get it all to work out.

ultraviolet, I really like the Soma Sparrows handlebar. How wide is it? I wonder if I can get them here. One of the options I'm looking at is a an ultra shallow drop Nitto bar but I've yet to find a moustache bar that doesn't seem too wide.

Sky King, for the descending position you mentioned, do you mount the brakes at the same place as oxysback or ultraviolet?

Velocivixen, yes, I think I should get used to the bar end shifters with a bit of practice even though I've never tried them. I know they are very popular with touring cyclists. Good point about the number of gears – I have ten at the back. However, this bike has a 5-6 year old Campagnolo groupset (mix of Chorus at the back and Centaur at the front/shifters) and it appears that the Campagnolo Record bar end shifters are 10 speed. The blurb says that they fit on drops as well as tri bars and are compatible with all Campy 10 speed systems. Nevertheless, I'm going to double check with my bike shop before I get them as they aren't cheap.

Thanks again for your help ladies.