Why are more modern barend shifters "bent"?

[foz]

Useless thought for the day... I think the very early barend shifters were just standard straight DT levers with a different mount. When did Shimano and/or anyone else start making them with the more recent "bent" shape, and why? Is it just to help stop losing grip on them? Something else? I have fitted some 7s indexed DT levers to barend mounts and they work fine, so what's the advantage of the bent type?

 

[legrandefromage]

Dunno, knee clearance maybe?

Had fun with these many moo ns ago

 

[grantoury]

I think they make it less of a stretch, as the shifter goes around 180 degrees. I had Dia Compe straight ones and later the Dura Ace 9 speed and think they fall easier to hand.

 

[juvela]

Useless thought for the day... I think the very early barend shifters were just standard straight DT levers with a different mount.

No.

If you measure any of the old ones, whether Campag, Juy, Maeda, Freres Huret, etc they are all noticiably shorter from pivot axis to lever end than are their downtube companions.

Modern "bent" models may be a means of giving the rider more leverage/control without increasing the distance they protrude aft.

Aft protrusion a big snag for some riders as they ram their knees into them necessitating a truncation of bar trail.


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[foz]

Good points. I think the "barrel" part is the same diameter so lever angle per shift will be the same, but I will measure. Just got to wondering about this on the way home this afternoon, no other reason!

 

[Woz]

Rough guess.

All you weirdos wanting this stuff at the end of drop-bars aka vintage CX, or downtube as-been Retro mounts, and those pesky thumb shifting mounts aka vintage ATB on flat bars, Shimano couldn't have cared less about.

Surely they did it for end of tri-bar mounts for TT racer boys to feel comfortably hot. And get on TV.

 

[Frankenorange]

As above.

I think it came about when they started getting mounted in the ends of tri/TT aero extensions. Maybe for ergonomics, but it might also have just been done to look better when there is no rider on the bike.. Looks don't matter when your hands are cupped over them though.

 

[Nob]

Campagnolos 11speed versions

 

[Old Ned]

I think that the Simplex barend levers from the 60's may have been slightly shaped. I preferred them to Campag as the body was shaped/rounded compared to Campag and they worked just as well. Regarding catching your knee on them, I'm sure some sprinter roadies changed gear out of the saddle deliberately during the 'gallop' to avoid moving their handgrip.