When I first started racing tris, the “hot” set up (if you didn’t have grip shift) was to have the rear bar end shifter set up where you would “pull” the lever towards you to to run down the cassette and push to run up. Then, on the front shifter, one would push the lever forwards to rise up to the large chainring and opposite to bring it down. Over the years, this has seemed to have reversed. Does anyone, besides me, still run their shifters in this configuration? It would seem “backwards” in comparison to the way current bikes are set up in that the levers would be facing rearward. Up until a few years ago, you could buy aerobars that would be drilled for internal cable routing both ways but, this seems to have stopped also. Just curious, as usual.
Thank you,
Raysr
Mounting the bar ends “old school” will make it fussier to take them apart for maintenance (speaking of Shimano DA bar end shifters) - as the heads of the screws that clamp the levers to their body will be facing inwards instead of outwards.
In order to reach them comfortably with a flat-blade screwdriver, you would additionally have to loosen an aerobar extension…
That’s the one practical reason why I would not mount them reversed.
Old School is on the down-tube. I have always mounted my bar-ends so that the cable housing runs down the under-side of the aero bar. I like to have the resulting ridge where my finger joints are rather than under my palm.
Old School is on the down-tube. I have always mounted my bar-ends so that the cable housing runs down the under-side of the aero bar. I like to have the resulting ridge where my finger joints are rather than under my palm.
Indeed - downtube shifters give all sorts of forgotten advantages. These advantages are all in the psychological realm though. Other riders see my downtube shifters and break concentration to laugh and spend precious time telling me, ‘nice shifters there buddy’. Some younger riders have no idea what they are or what I’m doing reaching way down there… what’s he doing? reaching for a gun? and where are his aero-bars?? SPD touring shoes?? is that even allowed?! hey you gotta be kidding - he’s passing me!
- Paul