Originally Posted by
k8t
Glad to hear you're so excited about your new bike! Do you have it yet? Do you love it? It's like magic when you find one that fits!
I haven't seen a recent post on this but thought I'd chime in.
I bought a touring bike with bar end shifters, the Novarra Randonee, for the gearing ratio and the fit. I love the bike but after trying to adjust to the bar ends for about 6 months, I gave up and had our local bike shop swap them out for brifters. Best thing I ever did!
I'm short so on the small frame I'd hit the end of the bar ends with my knees now and then, and I'm also a returning bike rider who gained a lot of weight so my balance and confidence are not what they used to be. My husband has the Trek 520 with the bar-end shifters and patiently coached me though several months of bar end tips and tricks but I just never got comfortable. We tried adjusting the tilt of the handlebars and stem length but that messed up the fit, so back to the shorter stem. Most importantly, I noticed I was trying to push up hills without shifting because I didn't want to take my hands off the bars. My knees started to ache and I wasn't as excited about riding my new bike with the awesome gear ratio. So, we switched out to the brifters.
I noticed immediately that I'm shifting all the time and getting better and better at climbing hills! We live in a pretty hilly area so even short little rides would affect my knees if I didn't shift more regularly and take advantage of the gears I have available.
I ride for exercise and pleasure, and I'm aiming for my first metric century by the end of summer 2015. And I'll probably use this bike. With over a 100 pounds to lose, a few extra pounds on a touring frame compared to a fast road bike frame won't make a difference. We're also looking forward to touring a bit and our first target is the Willamette Valley up in Oregon, and other rides such as that. We'll rarely if ever be far from civilization and bike shops so the on-road fixability of the bar ends is
not a factor.
My husband swears by his bar ends. Absolutely loves them, but was very supportive when he saw the difference the brifters made for me.
I hope you get used to the bar ends, but if you don't, don't be afraid to switch out to the brifters. Its kind of expensive, but worth it if it means you'll enjoy riding your bike more.
Thanks for posting this, and welcome to the forum!
- Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
- Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
- Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle
Gone but not forgotten:
- Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
- Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles