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Shimano Dura-Ace SL-BS79 bar end shifters review

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$149.95

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Shimano Dura Ace SL-BS79 Bar End Shifters

BikeRadar verdict

4 out of 5 stars

"The only Shimano tip shifters available work superbly, but a cheaper option would be nice"

2 comments
Sat 30 May 2009, 1:00 pm BSTBy

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If you want Shimano 10-speed tip shifters, then these new Dura-Ace beauties are your only option. And as you’d expect from a piece designed to work at the highest level, these shifters are real luxury items.

Smooth forged alloy levers get a thick rubber tip for wet finger grip, and the click-through is super slick on the bike. But they still retain the emergency friction shift option in case a crash knocks your indexing out.

Once on they’re a totally ‘fit-and-forget’ piece. Just be careful to re-assemble them correctly after pulling them apart to plug them into your extensions.

These shifters are heavier than the more expensive SRAM TT500 and TT900, and don’t look as fly as the carbon fibre paddles of the latter.

SRAM shifters don’t work with Shimano though, so that’s not relevant unless you’re building a transmission from scratch. Ditto any comments about price, although a cheaper option would certainly be welcome.

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User Reviews

There are 2 reviews on this post

Showing 1 - 2 of 2 comments

  • These are not "the only option" for Shimano 10-speed bar-ends. The 7800-series version is still readily available, and for much less money normally. Or, you could get the 9-speed version for even less and use it in friction mode with 10 speeds.

  • More info on this product - it does NOT allow friction mode for the rear derailleur. Most people assume that they would allow this, including the author of the main review here, but the result of this discussion was that they do not: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=548931

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Specification

Name:
Dura Ace SL-BS79 Bar End Shifters (09)
Built by:
Shimano
Price:
$149.95

Available Colours:
Silver
Bike Use:
Time/Track Trials
Shifter Type:
Dura-Ace Bar End
No of Gear Speeds:
10

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