Bar end shifters: Shimano vs. Microshift

Have a project planned converting my beloved singlespeed to gears.

Planning on using bar-end shifters as they’re cheaper than STIs and give me more options with the front mech (friction shift and 2 chainrings will hopefully just allow me to use any front mech).

However read some disturbing reviews of Shimano bar end shifters suggesting the index ring for the rear shifter is plastic, and loses its indents after time.

Microshift apparently has metal index rings and these appear to be replaceable also, unlike the Shimano.

I’d still like Shimano though as I can get 10 speed Dura-Ace for £60…

What are all the other retro-ists using for bar end shifting?

Ta

However read some disturbing reviews of Shimano bar end shifters suggesting the index ring for the rear shifter is plastic, and loses its indents after time.

Is that for 10 speed?

I have used 9 speed sets(dura ace) for years and they have been bulletproof.

I also have 9spd Dura Ace bar ends. No issues at all.

Have both 9 and 10 speed Dura Ace on TT bikes and recumbent trike. Not had any issues. The TT bike shifters are at least 20 years old. Both are now redundant due to move to electronic shifting.

I have microshift on Gevenalle brake levers – they work fine too.

I have Microshift 10 speed which have ‘so far’ been fine, although I do find that the non indexed front easily slips when in the big ring on triple set ups. Was not an issue on double mech though.

I’d get whichever is cheapest personally.

Oh,and for another £100 you could have a set of Thumbies 😉

Last 9s Shimano road barend/DT shifter I looked at had a metal indent ring.

OK, that’s reassuring, a lot of the reported failures were threads from 2012 and earlier.

They did refer to ‘a black plastic ring’ which the Dura Ace bar ends I’m looking at also seem to have.

Still, at the price and given how much I’m likely to use them (third bike, occasional gravel rides and short commutes) they’ll probably be fine.

Strange times when Dura Ace is the cheapest option!

That plastic ring is the outer cover. They can and do split but after many, many miles. I had one go and the metal index ring also broke. All the inner bits then fell out but I still had friction shifting as back up. This was after approx 35k miles on the tandem. I have another pair with 20k miles on them on a solo tourer.

They’re pretty reliable IME.

I’ll have a set of barely used Dura ace 10 speed ones for sale in the next week or 2… Message if that’s any use. They’re great, I’m just swapping to sti as I’m moving to one dropped bar bike and prefer sti on the road (instead of barend off)

Thanks Paule, could be timely!

Sent you a PM