Down tube or bar end shifters

Bar end or down tube shifters?
I have both which should I use, I prefer down tube , but the bar end shifters seem revered.

BITD bar end shifters were for touring bikes................downtube shifters were for "racers"

Shaun

I prefer the bar end shifters. Have tried downtubes on my Koga this spring but quickly went back to bar ends.

Downtube for me

Jamie

Being 8 feet tall it has to be bar ends for me ( see my Alves tourer link below ). Saying that, if you're " normal " then downtubes make the best sense not just aesthetically ( they look " right " on an old bike ) but also as a significant weight saving over bar ends.

if the frame is an old 'un then bar end shifters were the norm on racing bikes back in the 50's & 60's (Campag/Simplex etc.) but if the frame is 1970's onwards then down tube shifters would have been the preferred choice for the majority of cyclists, bottom line however is what feels to be more comfortable for you as a rider to use rather than maybe just going for a look......if you have access then try both types if still unsure!

As the man said....

Minutes before he died?
Not a great advert for bar end shifters...

ugo.santalucia wrote




Theres seems to be a few comments regarding aesthetics. From that piont of veiw it depends whether its a rider or a show peice, though again it would come down to personal preference unless it was a specific restoration.
I like to have a nice looking bike, but function always comes first as mine are all built to be ridden first and foremost.
After all that I still have to say down tube levers as I find bar ends weird looking as well as a pain to use, which is probably more down to not using them. Also being rather vertically challenged means I have quite small frames and bar ends just seem to get in the way.

Jamie

I like bar end shifters, but then I like down tube shifters too. So which is better? There's only one way to find out....



Actually, I've found in the past that friction bar-ends can sometimes get knocked out of the correct gear when lugging the bike, though this probably isn't a major issue for road riding; my experiences of bar-ends are from cyclo-cross (hooray for the wonderful world of Ergopower!).

David