Help with bar end gear shifters

Hi Guys

picking up a new (old) bike this week

The frame has cable guides on the downtube for bar end shifters

The current owner has fitted regular down tube shifters (clamp on) which i'm planning to remove

I'd like to fit bar end shifters (60's 70's era)

Been looking on ebay for some (Ideally like some campag ones), problem is most dont seem to have and cables which leads me to my questions

1. Are these cables hard to come by, or can other regular gear cables be used?

2. I have seen a number of picutres of these shifters with a metal outer cable guide, are these outers available here new in the UK and if so are the compatible with most brands of shifters?

3. Ferules, are these a standard size? will they fit most sifters and also the guides on the frame?

pete

You can use any sort of cable.

"You can use any sort of cable."

Inner AND outer! Gear that is.

Actually, if it's not indexed, you can happily use compressionless housing outer (brake).

just normal gear cable will do - its just like fitting a set of down-tube shifters to you bars.

Suntour ratchet bar end shifters are easier to come by than Campag and work well, like the ones on Legrandfromage's bike. Simplex and Huret also made them in the 50's and 60's but they're not as common and, like Campag, they are friction only.

Use good quality outer cable, brake type is fine as there is no indexing to worry about. For inners you may find a long MTB type or even a tandem one which will be plenty long enough. Most people tape them up right to the top like modern hidden brake cables or coming out just below the brake levers. Both will work fine but lube the cables well.

thanks gents

Like the sound of the ratchet, is this like an index shifter? are the compatible with most derailleurs?

Have never used these before, they seem to be mostly fitted to touring /audax bikes (the bike i'm picking up has cantilever brakes like the pic above) is there a reason for this?

on a side note the bike is white with red lug lining, been thinking about fitting red outer cables, do you think they'd look out of place on a 60's bike ?

pete

pistolpedro":2vq1eo7b said:

thanks gents

Like the sound of the ratchet, is this like an index shifter? are the compatible with most derailleurs?

Have never used these before, they seem to be mostly fitted to touring /audax bikes (the bike i'm picking up has cantilever brakes like the pic above) is there a reason for this?

on a side note the bike is white with red lug lining, been thinking about fitting red outer cables, do you think they'd look out of place on a 60's bike ?

pete

Click to expand...

Ratchet is pre-indexing, it gives a bit of resistance to the shift to allow the user more 'feel' and resists slippage. You have to use them to appreciate the feeling. Also available as Down Tube levers. Use with any gear mech.

H'bar levers were used by all sorts of riders on all sorts of bikes. The earliest were Campag (from the late 40's?) I think although Cyclo also did one with a big ball shape on the end. Favoured by 'Roadman-Sprinters' as they could change gear in the sprint without taking a hand from the 'bars. Also Time Triallists with single chainring for a similar reason, I have one on my MKM. Oh, and Cyclo-Cross riders as well.

Nothing wrong with Red outer cable - if you can find it. Colours seem to have virtually disappeared in recent times. When I was a lad you could get almost any colour there is to match a bike paint scheme.

The trad way was to bring the cables out of the tape about where the bar started to bend. Try it without tape first. Watchout for fouling your natural thumb position.
Even modern shifters will run in friction mode

mine are there just to keep the bike vaguely period but they are awful, too stiff and not as nice as shimano indexed. So they will be going as soon as I can get this bike rebuilt.