Sjtaylor

I have a touring bike with butterfly bars and those plastic twisty shifters shifting a 3x9 with a Deore RD. I didn’t get along with the butterfly bars so I’m converting to a drop bar. I already have long pull drop bar brake levers to match up with the mechanical disk brakes but I want to buy indexed bar end shifters that are compatible with my RD. Are there indexing compatibility issues that I should be aware of when I buy? Can you recommend an indexed bar end shifter that I should consider? My budget is $100.

BTW I couldn’t find a hand position on the butterfly bars that was nearly as comfortable as on drop bar brake lever hoods.

Thanks.

Andrew R Stewart 

Yes the shifter compatibility with your drive system is important. Most bar end levers have a friction front/LH lever so that aspect is moot WRT the front der and crank. The rear lever will need to be of the same cog count and der cable pull ratio, of course if you go with friction (like the wonderful SunTour ratcheting bar cons) on the RH side the compatibility issues go away for the most point. Andy

Jeff Wills

You need 9-speed bar-end shifters:
https://www.universalcycles.com/shop...5&category=162
https://www.universalcycles.com/shop...5&category=162

9-speed was Shimano's "sweet spot". All the shift levers worked with all the rear derailleurs.

tyrion

FWIW there are 2 models of MicroShift 9 Speed bar end shifters, one with the RD shifter indexed only, and the other (usually more expensive) is switchable between indexed and non indexed (non indexed is handy if your RD gets banged out of whack).

The FD shifter is non indexed on both models, and as mentioned both models should work on any Shimano 3x9 drivetrain.

70sSanO

Hmmm... Dura Ace shifters for $90 vs Microshift for $81.

Is there really anyone on the planet who wouldn’t spend the extra 9 bucks to get Shimano’s top of the line model?

John

Sjtaylor

I have a pair of those Sun Tour ratchet shifters but I’d like to be able to index the RD. I’m fine with a non indexed front derailleur. A brifter index shifting a triple chain ring is a frequent problem on two of my bikes so I’m glad to use something else.

pdlamb

Apparently so, the Microshift is still for sale (and I think Salsa specs them on some of its bikes, but I assume they get OEM pricing).

Slightly more seriously, I bought new Shimano and got a Microshift spare some 5 years ago. A rambunctious great ape, I mean baggage handler, somehow popped the case over a Dura Ace barend hard enough to crack the shifter. I figured if it happened again I'd put the Microshift lever on, but I'd give Shimano one more try.

Sjtaylor

I just ordered those Shimano bar end shifters. I still need a cozy high rise stem to get the reach higher and closer. It seems that when I get a frame sized for my 6’3” height I need to adjust the reach to make it comfortable.

fietsbob

In reality The 9 speed right is called D-A by Shimano. the 8 speed was called Ultegra,

other than that detent number and spacing the 'quality' was the same..





....

70sSanO

Thanks! That is something I did not know.

Does that apply to 8 speed Ultegra downtube shifters as far as quality?

I know the cable pull for Dura Ace 8 speed is different. The Ultegra 8 speed left downtube shifter is spring loaded, just like Dura Ace, to offset the front derailleur spring. Makes for a very nice shifting feel.

John

Jeff Wills

There were different bar-end shifters for "Dura-Ace" 8-speed and "everything else" 8-speed. Aside from cable pull they were identical.

Andrew R Stewart 

YES! The first gen DA indexing (and not meaning the AX stuff) had it's own cable pull ratios, When 600 was introduced a year+ later with indexing it, and all the following rear ders till recently, Shimano rear indexing ders were based on a different ratio. Andy

Jeff Wills

And I remember that there were different bar-end shifters for "Dura-Ace" 7-speed and "everything else" 7-speed. The "everything else" 7-speed bar-ends came with a tiny plastic shim that increased the cable pull and allowed them to work with 6-speed freewheels/cassettes. I'm not sure if this shim came with "Dura-Ace" 7-speed.