Shift levers.

This, along with the handlebars, is the main differentiation between our models.

Drop Bars - bar end levers.  

These levers were very popular in the 1970s and 80s. They were developed after a time when all good quality shift levers were mounted on frame downtubes. All competition racing bikes had downtube levers.

But, for riders that wanted to sit more upright, they were further to reach to, especially on bigger bike frames. If levers were closer to the hand-holding position on the bars then riders would be free to change gears more often and and take better advantage of their gears.

The idea of locating levers in the ends of drop bars came from France. But, in Australia, the Japanese Suntour brand offered "barcon" (bar control) levers. These were the most popular. However these did not find their way onto drop-bar competition (road) bikes. They were used extensively on touring bikes.

Shimano Dura Ace bar end shift levers.

Drop Bars - STI.

In about 1990 Shimano developed STI referring to an integrated brake and shift lever. This provided a new option with gear levers being located in the brake lever assembly on dropbar bikes. As testament to the improved efficiency of these integrated levers, we don’t think there is a serious (non time-trial) racing bike being produced these days without shift levers in the brake levers. Their are also SRAM and Campagnolo versions.

Being able to sit on the brake hoods and have access to both brakes and gears is very appealing to people that want to go fast. You can double shift easily. You can change gears whilst hard braking. You can simply change any time you want, providing you are on the brake hoods or on the drops and moving.

Shimano 9speed Tiagra STI shift/brake levers.

We tried STI on our touring bikes in the early 1990s. We liked it straight away and for many years did not even offer bar-end shift levers.

Further development of barend levers.

Over the years we have become more objective about them though. STI are very good but there are a few issues to be aware of. Unlike with bar-end levers, with STI you don’t sense in your fingers what gear you are in. STI levers return to a neutral position after each move. Also they are more costly. They are a bit heavier. They are more complicated internally and, in remote places, perhaps irreparable. They may be damaged if the bike is being transported with the levers exposed. Whilst we think these issues are manageable we think there is a lasting place for bar-end levers. 

Bar end levers got a boost from the development of triathlon bikes for which tri "aero" bars were developed. In road racing, cyclists "slip stream" each other but in triathlon this is illegal. It is called "drafting". So tri bikes place a lot of emphasis on aerodynamics, including the cyclists body position.

Bar-end levers were fitted to the ends of the forward projecting aero bars and could be used when the rider is in an almost lying down position. Shimano developed, at the Dura Ace level, 9 speed indexed bar-end controls. These are equally well suited to the regular drop bar bikes such as long distance tourer. If it was not for tri bikes we would not have indexed 9 speed versions.

Profile Carbon-X aero bars.

Different tactile experiences of STI and barend.

Barend levers give a more tactile sense of the gear shifting. With STI levers, shifting is more intuitive. You barely know you are doing it.

Barend levers move to new positions as you change gears whereas STI levers return to where they were. On barend levers you are more conscious of pulling and releasing the cables. The lever movement is happening in the same plane as the cable movement rather than square to it.

The left barend lever is not indexed so you are able to feather the front derailleur cage position precisely. This is appealing because moving through the rear gears naturally moves the chain to rub on the front derailleur cage and STI levers are not so easy to feather.

With barends it is good to have slightly swept out handlebars such as the Japanese Nitto randonneur bar. You are more comfortable if the drop section of the bars has a good holding position at the back nearest the shift levers. So called "anatomical" drop bars are not as well suited to bar-end levers as they are to STI levers.

Both styles of  shiftlever (STI and barend) work very well. Someone could happily cycle for years using either system exclusively. Particularly if you have the handlebar choice suited to the gear lever choice, you are likely to be happy with either. In our small parts we offer a replacement bar set with bar-end shifters so that people with STI could change bars (and levers).   Bar/lever combinations can be swapped in only thirty minutes.

Trekking Bars - trigger shifters.

Whereas with drop-bars there is the shift-lever choice to be made, with trekking bars we only offer "triggers". There are two small levers and both are pushed - one to go up and one to go down. It is very intuitive. They have a very light feel.

There are "twist grip" systems that work well too. We don't offer them as there seems to be little interest at this level. If you opt for trekking bars we are confident you will be happy with the shift-levers.

Shimano Deore-LX 9 speed Rapidfire STI set.