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  1. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Concord, MA
    Posts
    13,394

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    I think Oak explains it much better than I do, although she is definitely more coordinated than me!
    I used down tube shifters in the 80s and had no issues, but the feel of the bar ends was different. Plus, I'm probably the most risk averse of everyone commenting. In the end, I knew I wasn't going to be doing unsupported touring, and wanted the bike for low gears and the ability to carry a pannier and trunk bag.
    I must say, my experience at Harris Cyclery, where I tried the bar ends, left a lot to be desired. I thought it was going to be a visit to a hallowed shop of cycling lore, and I found them to be condescending to my expression of concern about the bar end shifters, as well as lacking knowledge about fitting a short woman.
    2015 Trek Silque SSL
    Specialized Oura

    2011 Guru Praemio
    Specialized Oura
    2017 Specialized Ariel Sport

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Posts
    9,324
    Quote Originally Posted by redmustardseed View Post

    Any of you have these shifters - how hard will this be for me as a newbie getting back to biking and given that I have a lot of short hills?

    By the way, this is my only hesitation about the bike - I think it's going to fit well and be a great bike otherwise.

    Thanks!
    Sadie
    The OP asked how hard it would be to learn to use bar ends, not about any perceived risks. If you haven't used them for whatever reason, how can you answer her question? I appreciate people wanting to give their opinion about safety, but if you haven't used it, how can you speak with authority? There are inherent risks in just about anything and i get the feeling that folks who haven't used bar end shifters are trying to scare her away from them. Maybe that's not the intent, but comprehension occurs in the mind of the reader. She thinks the bike is perfect otherwise, let's get her on a bike.

    Veronica
    Last edited by Veronica; 10-03-2014 at 01:31 PM.
    Discipline is remembering what you want.


    TandemHearts.com

  3. #18
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    california
    Posts
    1,232
    Sadie….get a bike that fits!!!....then just enjoy the learning experience of using bar ends if thats the case and more importantly, enjoy riding with your family!!!!!

    this thread needs that song.......don't worry be happy.....playing in the background
    ‘The negative feelings we all have can be addictive…just as the positive…it’s up to
    us to decide which ones we want to choose and feed”… Pema Chodron

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Posts
    5
    Thank you everyone - wow, I'm grateful for all the input!

    I've decided to buy the bike - so looking forward to a bike that fits and figure I'll either adjust to or love the bar ends.

    And I'll take the advice to practice first on flat. Will probably drive to a bike path off road for that. Since the bike doesn't have pedals, I'm going to get toe clips - that's what I used to have so I won't have to adjust to new pedals as well.

    Have fun riding everyone!

    Sadie

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    4,516
    Quote Originally Posted by redmustardseed View Post
    I've decided to buy the bike - so looking forward to a bike that fits and figure I'll either adjust to or love the bar ends.
    Yay! I had missed this thread, but when I purchased my Trek 520, I was very reluctant to have bar ends. I had had bad experiences with down tube shifters, and figured these would be the same. Totally different. I now love them so much I only have one bike without them (haven't wanted to retrofit it yet). Sometimes I plan a little ahead on shifting if I might need to brake at the same time, but that seems to come pretty naturally for me (and it's a rare situation anyway). I love being able to tell by feel what gear I'm in without having to take my eyes off the road, and the reliability. DH and I have both had lots of failed brifters, and they are so expensive to replace I doubt we'll go back to them since they've never shifted as precisely for me!
    Most days in life don't stand out, But life's about those days that will...

  6. #21
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    central NY
    Posts
    404
    Congratulations! And I'm curious to know what bike you're buying.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Uncanny Valley
    Posts
    14,498
    Yay! Enjoy!
    Speed comes from what you put behind you. - Judi Ketteler

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Posts
    9,324
    Enjoy the ride!


    Veronica
    Discipline is remembering what you want.


    TandemHearts.com

  9. #24
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Hillsboro, OR
    Posts
    5,023
    Oh, I missed this thread too but I'm glad you got the bike!

    I had a bike that had a bar end shifter for the front and a brifter for the rear...on the same bike. That was fun! Actually, it was totally fine and when I eventually switched the bike to only bar ends, I liked it even more. My other two bikes had different types of shifters and outside of the first couple of minutes on each bike to remember which one I was riding, I rarely had any difficulty with any of them. The nice thing about bar ends for smaller people is that smaller hands are not a problem. My first road bike was too big for me and it was hard to operate the brifters in some situations.

    Anyway, enjoy the new ride!
    My new non-farm blog: Finding Freedom

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Traveling Nomad
    Posts
    6,763
    I have bar-end shifters on my Bike Friday and find them very easy to use even though I had never used them before I got the bike. I have different types of shifters on all three of my bikes, and it only takes a few miles of a ride to get back in the swing of using any of them if I haven't ridden that bike for awhile.

    If I've been riding my Bike Friday, I find myself reaching for the "phantom" bar ends on my Trek (which has Shimano brifters), but I quickly correct myself!

    The only problem I've ever had with them, as another poster mentioned, is very occasionally hitting my leg on one of them in certain maneuvers, since I am petite and have a short effective top tube.

    Enjoy your new bike!
    Emily

    2011 Jamis Dakar XC "Toto" - Selle Italia Ldy Gel Flow
    2007 Trek Pilot 5.0 WSD "Gloria" - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow
    2004 Bike Friday Petite Pocket Crusoe - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    N. California
    Posts
    2
    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.
    Last edited by k8t; 11-05-2014 at 09:34 AM.

  12. #27
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    northern Virginia
    Posts
    5,897
    Quote Originally Posted by k8t View Post
    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
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    Gone but not forgotten:
    - Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
    - Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles

  13. #28
    Jolt is offline Dodging the potholes...
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Southern Maine
    Posts
    1,668
    Interesting to read about everyone's different experiences and preferences...count me in with those who like their bar end shifters. For me they were easy to use right away and there never was a problem getting used to them. Downtube shifters, on the other hand...no thanks! I had a vintage bike for a bit that had them and never did feel completely comfortable reaching down to shift. That bike was also a little big, which probably didn't help. Hope the OP is enjoying the new bike!
    2011 Surly LHT
    1995 Trek 830

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Saskatoon, Sask.
    Posts
    334
    I had bar end shifters on my last touring bike, and used them for 23 years. At one point I was even comfortable enough to shift while standing up to climb or start from an intersection. When I got my current tourer and switched from the Sora brifters that I couldn't get comfortable with to Dura Ace bar ends, I didn't find them quite so easy - they seemed a lot stiffer then I remembered the old Sun Tour bar-cons being. Now I have some older 105 brifters that I found on eBay and get on a bit better with them. Mind you, part of that is that the levers are a much better fit for my hands than the huge brake levers that the shop fitted when they put on the Dura Ace shifters.
    One drawback to bar end shifters is that they add about 1" to the length of the bottom of your handlebar. If I had kept them, I think I'd have had to have the bars trimmed back, because I occasionally found myself shifting with my knees by accident.
    Queen of the sea beasts

 

 

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