Road touring bike brakes and shifters

A question for road bike touring types...

I'm doing general maintenance on a road touring bike in preparation for a cross state ride. Among
other things, I'm replacing the GrabOn handlebar padding (remember that?). The bike currently has
aero brake levers and bar-end shifters. The brake levers need to be replaced and I'm wondering if I
should switch to single brake/shifter levers.

Any comments?

Thanks,

LB

 

<[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]... A
question for road bike touring types...

I'm doing general maintenance on a road touring bike in preparation for a cross state ride. Among
other things, I'm replacing the GrabOn handlebar padding (remember that?). The bike currently has
aero brake levers and bar-end shifters. The brake levers need to be replaced and I'm wondering if I
should switch to single brake/shifter levers.

Any comments?

Thanks,

LB

What for? I've got bar ends on one bike and brifters (integrated brake/shifter levers) on another,
and both are nice. The difference truthfully isn't big enough for me to want to change either bike.
If the bar end shifters have a friction mode that can be a plus, as any time the indexing goes out
of whack you can just switch from indexing to friction.
--
mark

 

On Thu, 22 May 2003 01:22:01 GMT, "mark" = <[email protected]> wrote:

>
><[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]... A
>question for road bike touring types...
>
>I'm doing general maintenance on a road touring bike in preparation for =
a
>cross state ride. Among other things, I'm replacing the GrabOn =
handlebar
>padding (remember that?). The bike currently has aero brake levers and bar-end shifters. The brake
>levers need to be replaced and I'm =
wondering
>if I should switch to single brake/shifter levers.
>
>Any comments?
>
>Thanks,
>
>LB
>
>What for? I've got bar ends on one bike and brifters (integrated brake/shifter levers) on another,
>and both are nice. The difference truthfully isn't big enough for me to want to change either
>bike. If the=
bar
>end shifters have a friction mode that can be a plus, as any time the indexing goes out of whack
>you can just switch from indexing to =
friction.

I've had the bar-ends for about 12 years and never needed the friction mode. How big an issue is
this with brifters?

I wouldn't have considered changing if it weren't for needing new shift levers. And I have been
wondering if the bar-ends are about due for replacement anyway.

Thanks,

LB

 

>Among other things, I'm replacing the GrabOn handlebar padding (remember that?). The bike currently
>has aero brake levers and bar-end shifters. The brake levers need to be replaced and I'm wondering
>if I should switch to single brake/shifter levers.

Should? Your choice. I happen to like the aero levers and bar end shifters combination, but it's a
matter of taste. You should know that you'll have to match the brifters to your derailer and
freehub, and you'll have a recabling job to do.

With brifters you don't get a friction option, it's index or die, ha ha.

Also it may prove to be expensive in parts, have you priced those puppies yet?

I'm happy with my RX-100 aero levers operatng Dia-Compe 986 cantis and Sun Tour bar cons with Sun
Tour XC derailers, old but reliable.

I'd say it's more trouble than it's worth, just replace the brake levers and be done with it.

On the other hand if you're going for the full Monty in terms of drivetrain, shifters, etc, go for
it. How old is the bike and what kind of a rear mech does it have now? What kind of brakes?

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________ ------------------"Buddy Holly,
the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email protected]__________

 

On Wed, 21 May 2003 [email protected] wrote:

> A question for road bike touring types...
>
> I'm doing general maintenance on a road touring bike in preparation for a cross state ride. Among
> other things, I'm replacing the GrabOn handlebar padding (remember that?). The bike currently has
> aero brake levers and bar-end shifters. The brake levers need to be replaced and I'm wondering if
> I should switch to single brake/shifter levers.
>
> Any comments?
>

I have brifters on my go-relatively-faster randonizing bike and barends on my loaded tourer. I like
the brifters well enough, but not so much that I miss them on the tourer. They're convenient, but
not life-changing. When and if the brifters wear out, I'll replace them with barends.

Trent

 

On Wed, 21 May 2003 22:19:57 -0400, "Eric S. Sande" <[email protected]> wrote:

>>Among other things, I'm replacing the GrabOn handlebar padding =
(remember=20
>>that?). The bike currently has aero brake levers and bar-end shifters. =
=20
>>The brake levers need to be replaced and I'm wondering if I should =
switch=20
>>to single brake/shifter levers.
>
>Should? Your choice. I happen to like the aero levers and bar end shifters combination, but it's a
>matter of taste. You should know that you'll have to match the brifters to your derailer and
>freehub, and =
you'll=20
>have a recabling job to do.
>
>With brifters you don't get a friction option, it's index or die, ha ha.
>
>Also it may prove to be expensive in parts, have you priced those puppies yet?
>
>I'm happy with my RX-100 aero levers operatng Dia-Compe 986 cantis and Sun Tour bar cons with Sun
>Tour XC derailers, old but reliable.
>
>I'd say it's more trouble than it's worth, just replace the brake levers and be done with it.
>
>On the other hand if you're going for the full Monty in terms of drivetrain, shifters, etc, go for
>it. How old is the bike and what kind of a rear mech does it have now? What kind of brakes?

I don't recall the brake lever type but the brakes are Dia-Compe 987 cantis. The bar-cons are
Shimano with Shimano Deore XT derailleurs. I'm really very happy with the setup but worried that I
might be missing out. I see lots of the integrated brake/shift levers but I don't know anybody with
the bar-cons. I was looking for someone to say "yeah I switched to brifters and I love it".=20

I didn't realize that my current derailleurs wouldn't be compatible ...that's very good to
know, thanks.

The bike is a 24 year-old Borthwick! I believe that I will stay with the bar-cons. Thanks again.

LB

 

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> A question for road bike touring types...
>
> I'm doing general maintenance on a road touring bike in preparation for a cross state ride. Among
> other things, I'm replacing the GrabOn handlebar padding (remember that?). The bike currently has
> aero brake levers and bar-end shifters. The brake levers need to be replaced and I'm wondering if
> I should switch to single brake/shifter levers.

Personally, I prefer bar-end shifters to integrated brifters anyway, so if it were my bike, I
wouldn't switch.

Have you used integrated levers? Do you like them?

--
Joshua Putnam, Agent Putnam Financial Services, A FARMERS Agency Voice: 206/992-2296 Fax:
425/793-3623 Auto ~ Home ~ Life ~ Business ~ Motorcycles ~ Boats ~ RVs

 

>I didn't realize that my current derailleurs wouldn't be compatible ...that's very good to
>know, thanks.

The derailers might be. It's the cog spacing that might not.

Anybody on .tech could answer this one better than I could.

I think if you are 7 speed Shimano you might find 7 speed Sora brifters would work, but I'm not
encouraging you to spend money on it.

Good luck in any event!

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________ ------------------"Buddy Holly,
the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email protected]__________

 

>they'll take my brifter from my cold dead hands.

oh i sincerely hope not.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________ ------------------"Buddy Holly,
the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email protected]__________