Anyone?
I would have thought bar end shifters were more pratical for sprinting and climbing in exchange for only a small weight penalty.
Bike Forum
Why did roadies in the old days use down tube shifters and not bar end shifters?
-
Posted 3 months ago #
-
I'd guess that no one had invented an effective bar end shifter?
Posted 3 months ago # -
'Cos they weren't invented?
Posted 3 months ago # -
I am not sure you would have moved enough cable with bar end shifters in pre indexed system days.
Posted 3 months ago # -
I think I first used them in about 1967. Decent ones weren't around much before then and we would only use whatever Raymond Poulidor, Barry Hoban, Tommy Simpson, Jaques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx were using anyway.
They were all right, but as most people were on the hoods most of the time, it wasn't much of a benefit.
Posted 3 months ago # -
I am not sure you would have moved enough cable with bar end shifters in pre indexed system days.
Mine (Dura-Ace 9 speed) have a friction mode so I don't think it's that.
Posted 3 months ago # -
They were used as BigJohn points out, about right on the dates I guess.
MSP quite the opposite, you can shift handfuls and they had the cables taped up further than they do now.
They're still nice to use in friction actually and very easy to operate from the drops.
My customers receptionist is wondering what I'm doing as I'm doing the hand actions as I type into my phone.
Posted 3 months ago # -
small weight penalty.
For men who climbed an Alp in 42/18 nah!
Posted 3 months ago # -
And now, for the neo-retro amongst us, retroshift! http://retroshift.com/
Posted 3 months ago # -
They were common on cross bikes until relatively recently, but friction levers were just a lot easier to use when anchored to a solid down tube than on the bar ends. There was also more drag when running the cable through the extra foot or so of outer taped to the bars.
Posted 3 months ago # -
Downtube levers were right next to your hands the way we used to have our drops.
Posted 3 months ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.
