Switching to Bar End Shifters

[Benjamin Goldenberg]

I have a late-1980s 12 speed Miele road bike. It currently has
downtube shifters. I'd like to replace the shifters with bar-end
shifters. I originally thought I'd look for 6 speed shifters, but
these don't seem to exist in today's world of 10 speed cassettes. I
realize that I could use a newer shifter in friction mode, but would
like to preserve the indexing if possible. I was wondering if anyone
here knew of a source of 6 speed shifters or had experience with these
adapters sold by Rivendell:
<http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/shifters_derailleurs/17068.html>


Thanks,
Benjamin

 

[JeffWills]

On Jul 29, 11:45 am, Benjamin Goldenberg <[email protected]>
wrote:
> I have a late-1980s 12 speed Miele road bike. It currently has
> downtube shifters. I'd like to replace the shifters with bar-end
> shifters. I originally thought I'd look for 6 speed shifters, but
> these don't seem to exist in today's world of 10 speed cassettes. I
> realize that I could use a newer shifter in friction mode, but would
> like to preserve the indexing if possible. I was wondering if anyone
> here knew of a source of 6 speed shifters or had experience with these
> adapters sold by Rivendell:
> <http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/shifters_derailleurs/17068.html>
>
> Thanks,
> Benjamin

If you have Shimano shifters, the Diatech adapters are probably your
only choice. Even when Shimano offered "6-speed" bar-end shifters,
they were just the 7-speed units with a shim that fit in the cable
groove so the shifter pulled more cable. The only possibility is to
find NOS Shimano 6/7-speed shifters and use the shim- it's a tiny
thing, about the size and shape of a fingernail clipping. Easy to
discard if you don't know what it's for. I'd say your chances are
somewhere between slim and none.

Get the Diatech adapters.

Jeff

 

[Ozark Bicycle]

On Jul 29, 2:45 pm, Benjamin Goldenberg <[email protected]> wrote:
> I have a late-1980s 12 speed Miele road bike. It currently has
> downtube shifters. I'd like to replace the shifters with bar-end
> shifters. I originally thought I'd look for 6 speed shifters, but
> these don't seem to exist in today's world of 10 speed cassettes. I
> realize that I could use a newer shifter in friction mode, but would
> like to preserve the indexing if possible. I was wondering if anyone
> here knew of a source of 6 speed shifters or had experience with these
> adapters sold by Rivendell:
> <http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/shifters_derailleurs/17068.html>
>

The Dia-tech barend mounting pods and a set of DT cable stops (also
available from the same source) and you're on your way.

 

[[email protected]]

On Jul 29, 12:45 pm, Benjamin Goldenberg <[email protected]>
wrote:
> I have a late-1980s 12 speed Miele road bike. It currently has
> downtube shifters. I'd like to replace the shifters with bar-end
> shifters. I originally thought I'd look for 6 speed shifters, but
> these don't seem to exist in today's world of 10 speed cassettes. I
> realize that I could use a newer shifter in friction mode, but would
> like to preserve the indexing if possible. I was wondering if anyone
> here knew of a source of 6 speed shifters or had experience with these
> adapters sold by Rivendell:
> <http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/shifters_derailleurs/17068.html>
>

If you have Shimano DT 6s index shifters, the Dia-Tech
adapters will work. They may work with other brands
too. You'll want downtube cable stops.

However, freewheels are a consumable. Your freewheel
will eventually wear out. If you have a 6s Shimano
freewheel, you could replace it with a 7s freewheel,
and 7s shifters. This will work with a 6s Shimano
rear derailleur as long as it isn't Dura-Ace (Was there
a 6s index Dura-Ace?) Also, 8s non-DA shifters will
index okay with a 7s freewheel. Of course, you could
just buy the Dia-Tech pods now and later get a pair
of 7s shifters. The main point of this is that you
shouldn't go on a quest for 6s bar-end shifters just
to match the freewheel, since the freewheel is a
consumable.

Ben

 

[mark]

I've got the Dia-Tech adapters on the ends of the mustache bars on my
MB-3, along with the Silver shifters. They work very nicely, they're
well made and pretty simple.

Like another poster said, it might be nice to upgrade to a 7 or 8 speed
cassette if enough drivetrain parts wear out in the next few years.
Until then, the Dia-Tech adapters should fill the bill nicely.

mark

Benjamin Goldenberg wrote:
> I have a late-1980s 12 speed Miele road bike. It currently has
> downtube shifters. I'd like to replace the shifters with bar-end
> shifters. I originally thought I'd look for 6 speed shifters, but
> these don't seem to exist in today's world of 10 speed cassettes. I
> realize that I could use a newer shifter in friction mode, but would
> like to preserve the indexing if possible. I was wondering if anyone
> here knew of a source of 6 speed shifters or had experience with these
> adapters sold by Rivendell:
> <http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/shifters_derailleurs/17068.html>
>
>
> Thanks,
> Benjamin
>

 

[Ozark Bicycle]

On Jul 29, 9:03 pm, mark <[email protected]> wrote:
> I've got the Dia-Tech adapters on the ends of the mustache bars on my
> MB-3, along with the Silver shifters. They work very nicely, they're
> well made and pretty simple.
>
> Like another poster said, it might be nice to upgrade to a 7 or 8 speed
> cassette if enough drivetrain parts wear out in the next few years.
> Until then, the Dia-Tech adapters should fill the bill nicely.

If a future "upgrade' to 7or 8 speed is on the OP's agenda, the
sensible purchase is a set of 8sp barend shifters now (but not from
Riv, they are cheaper elsewhere; probably ~$55/set). Put the 6sp
levers on the (included) barend mounts for the present and use the 8sp
levers to shift a 7 or 8 sp setup in the future.

 

[A Muzi]

> Benjamin Goldenberg <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I have a late-1980s 12 speed Miele road bike. It currently has
>> downtube shifters. I'd like to replace the shifters with bar-end
>> shifters. I originally thought I'd look for 6 speed shifters, but
>> these don't seem to exist in today's world of 10 speed cassettes. I
>> realize that I could use a newer shifter in friction mode, but would
>> like to preserve the indexing if possible. I was wondering if anyone
>> here knew of a source of 6 speed shifters or had experience with these
>> adapters sold by Rivendell:
>> <http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/shifters_derailleurs/17068.html>

[email protected] wrote:
> If you have Shimano DT 6s index shifters, the Dia-Tech
> adapters will work. They may work with other brands
> too. You'll want downtube cable stops.
>
> However, freewheels are a consumable. Your freewheel
> will eventually wear out. If you have a 6s Shimano
> freewheel, you could replace it with a 7s freewheel,
> and 7s shifters. This will work with a 6s Shimano
> rear derailleur as long as it isn't Dura-Ace (Was there
> a 6s index Dura-Ace?) Also, 8s non-DA shifters will
> index okay with a 7s freewheel. Of course, you could
> just buy the Dia-Tech pods now and later get a pair
> of 7s shifters. The main point of this is that you
> shouldn't go on a quest for 6s bar-end shifters just
> to match the freewheel, since the freewheel is a
> consumable.

Yes, Grant's adapters with his DT-6 shifters are a good idea.

Why not replace a worn Shimano six freewheel with a new Shimano six
freewheel? They are cheap and ubiquitous.

p.s. The original New Dura Ace #7400 is a six (FW or CS) system.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[Benjamin Goldenberg]

On Jul 29, 9:29 pm, A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Benjamin Goldenberg <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> I have a late-1980s 12 speed Miele road bike. It currently has
> >> downtube shifters. I'd like to replace the shifters with bar-end
> >> shifters. I originally thought I'd look for 6 speed shifters, but
> >> these don't seem to exist in today's world of 10 speed cassettes. I
> >> realize that I could use a newer shifter in friction mode, but would
> >> like to preserve the indexing if possible. I was wondering if anyone
> >> here knew of a source of 6 speed shifters or had experience with these
> >> adapters sold by Rivendell:
> >> <http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/shifters_derailleurs/17068.html>
> [email protected] wrote:
> > If you have Shimano DT 6s index shifters, the Dia-Tech
> > adapters will work. They may work with other brands
> > too. You'll want downtube cable stops.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I'll go with the Dia-Tech
adapters. I have heard mention of a special piece needed to convert
Shimano downtube shifters to bar-end shifters. It sounds as if there
is a curved piece to fit the downtube that needs to be replaced with a
flat piece for the bar end. Does anyone know what this refers to?
Because the shifters came with the bike and I bought it used, I don't
have any extra components. Is this piece actually needed, and if so,
where can they be found.

Thanks,
Benjamin

 

[[email protected]]

On Jul 30, 12:46 am, Benjamin Goldenberg <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I'll go with the Dia-Tech
> adapters. I have heard mention of a special piece needed to convert
> Shimano downtube shifters to bar-end shifters. It sounds as if there
> is a curved piece to fit the downtube that needs to be replaced with a
> flat piece for the bar end. Does anyone know what this refers to?
> Because the shifters came with the bike and I bought it used, I don't
> have any extra components. Is this piece actually needed, and if so,
> where can they be found.

It's a little chromed plastic washer-like thing
about 4mm thick that fits over the square base
of a standard shifter mount. It provides a tab
that orients the index shifters. There are two
kinds, the only difference is the side away from
the shift levers. One has a curve to match a
typical downtube radius, the other is flat. You
may have the curved ones on your bike now. If so,
you can probably file a little off the curve
to fit the Dia-Tech bases. This also may be the kind
of thing that a bike shop would have a box of
somewhere in the back.

When you do get these thingies, you have to orient
the tab correctly or the shift clicks won't be in
the right position. It's not hard once you know that.

Ben