cpsqlrwn

If one were to buy a set of Suntour Bar End shifters and the listing indicates that they are 6 speed, would it be expected that those shifters would also be capable of handling 7 speed? Not getting an answer from the seller so I need a little help here. Thank you for any info.

clubman 

I suspect they will shift 7 in friction mode. I own one of the 6 speed levers but I was surprised that there is no ratcheting when in friction mode...it behaves like any downtube shifter. I don't know if this is normal or whether it's a fault of the one I own. I haven't tried it on a 7 speed block.
You'll note that the catalogue describes them as 6 speed in index mode but no reference to the power ratcheting when switched to friction. The left side is always power ratcheting. It's odd.

cpsqlrwn

Mine are shown below, no friction or indexed selection option. Just standard vintage friction style with ratcheting (clicking) feature but no indexing. Advertised as 6 speed. Would you expect that they would do 7 with no problem?

bikemig 

Yes.

TiHabanero

I have the Suntour Bar Cons on several bikes. I have been able to get them to work with a Shimano 10 speed cassette mated to a Dura Ace 9 speed derailleur. Chain stay length is 43cm, cable housing is Suntour shift housing for indexed systems. It works, just takes a bit a tinkering to cover the full range. Works better with 9 speeds or fewer.

I also have a set of Suntour Accushift 7 speed indexed shifters on a bike, but run the indexed shifter on the front der, and the ratchet shifter on the rear der. It works really well for some reason!

bikemig 

Odd set up. I like it.

JulesCW 

I regularly use the original Suntour bar-cons you're considering-- non-indexed -- to shift 5 through 9-speed rear freewheels and cassettes without issue. They're the bee's knees!

clubman 

Yup. You've got the standard barcons that really aren't 6 speed, or 5, 7 , 8, 9 speed. As noted they have great range and are the better choice. What I love about these is that you find yourself thinking that you're riding indexed when you're enjoying the ride.

cpsqlrwn

Thank you for all the responses and excellent information. Thought this was the case but still quite pleased with all the confirmations. Great to know that I can use these with 9 or even 10 speeds down the road. Much appreciated.

The Golden Boy 

As has sorta been mentioned- there's several iterations of Suntour's BarCon.

The original, all-friction stubby.

Then there's the Accushift 6 and 7 speed version.

My guess there is a later Accushift 6 and 7, as well as 8 speed version after they lost the lawsuit over the ability to switch from index to friction. There was a later "Light Index" setting that was just a less robust click. IMO- it was useless, it wasn't friction. While the left was the ultra fine late "Power" ratcheting.

Accushift is much less forgiving about it's tolerances than SIS, so 6 is 6 speed, 7 is 7 speed, 8 is 8 speed- AND it really only works with an Accushift compatible RD.

Lots of people have lots of kludges for making SIS stuff work with Accushift stuff... but I think you'll find what one person says works, another person says doesn't work and vice versa.

randyjawa 

The friction bar ends will easily accomodate six or seven speed. The indexed six speed will not work well with a seven speed. One click to few but going from a seven speed set to a six cog freewheel will work.

When and if using the friction bar ends, keep in mind that the more cogs, the more precise you have to be to nail the sweet spots.

I use a seven speed indexed set of my Jamaica Bianchi and, absolutely, love them. (By the way, just a few minutes ago, Mrs. Me booked our Jamaica air fair for this year ($1,400 CND return for me and Mrs. Me)...

Frenzen

Nice shifters, and why do you keep your bottles like that?

randyjawa 

They are not my bottles. They are our bottles!

Often times, the plastic bottles are carelessly discarded by human beings. Jamaica attracts a lot of tourists that, coupled with many local inhabitants, carelessly toss their plastic drink bottles away, here, there and everywhere, making quite a mess of a beautiful island. A clever local fellow makes the cages, that look like big fish, out of welded re-rod (steel 1/2" rods) and chicken wire with the hope that people will toss their used/emptied plastic bottles into the cages. This unique opportunity, as you can see in the pictures, encourages a more environmentally friendly way of throwing away those emptied bottles. Personally, I think it is a great idea and these steel and chicken wire fish are now all over the place.

Thanks to the pandemic, my wife and I missed spending our winter in Jamaica last year. But before we left, the year before, the Jamaican government had issued a law banning plastic bags and plastic bags, carelessly tossed away, also were making a horrible mess in an, otherwise, truly beautiful environment. Sometimes, government does have the courage to get it right.

Frenzen

This is a great idea about make sculptures out of bottles, also Canada is onto something similar about banning single plastic bags but I think people should just bring resusable bags for fruits and groceries . Oh nice see you having a vacation with the Mrs (I thought you guys were separating but none of my business!). How did you get that bike into Jamaica, or it stays there all year long?

randyjawa 

@Frenzen...

My wife and I have been married for 54 years, come December 7th. Separation does not seem to be in our future.

Frenzen

My apologies, well do show us more cool stuff and enjoy your vacation!

tcpasley

There is a legend that 6 speed SunTour Accushift shifters can provide indexed shifting of 7 speed Shimano freewheels if you use a Shimano rear derailleur. I think this was even mentioned by the late Sheldon Brown on his site, but I can't find that reference any more. Maybe someone else here has more evidence of this. It has something to do with the built-in overshift the shifters have at either end of the range.

I have 2 sets of 6 speed Accushift barcons, but I haven't yet tried the 7 speed trick myself.