Bikes & Gear

Reviews

Bike Features

Workshops

Buyers Guides

Gear Browser

Shimano Ultegra Bar End Shifters; 8-speed
Change Currency What's this?

Ultegra Bar End Shifters

BikeRadar verdict

4 out of 5 stars

"Ideal for time-triallists and 8-speed expedition tourers"

By Paul Vincent

In these days of STI and Ergopower, surely it’s just retro-heads who want bar end gear levers? Not so. 

They’re essential for time-trialling as the only way to shift gear from the tri bars. But their durability makes them a good bet for touring too: there’s little to go wrong and if anything does, you’ve got friction shifting as a back-up. 

The rear indexes with Shimano 8-speed cassettes – including Shimano MTB and compatible SRAM cassettes – and will work with any rear mech/cassette. Don’t knock 8-speed, either: chunkiness compared to 9 and 10-speed means longer wear life.

While shifters on the end of drop bars are slightly less convenient, upsides include price, weight and reliability. They make flat bar to drop bar conversions cheap and easy too – just add Dia Compe 287V levers for V-brake bikes. The price includes cable stops and cables. 

You need to login or register to post comments.


Bad Good    

Specification

Name:
Ultegra Bar End Shifters; 8-speed
Built by:
Shimano
Price:
n/a

Compatibility:
Suitable for double or triple chainsets Designed for use with 8-speed drivetrains
Features:
Convenient and reliable shifting for sport and recreational road riders
Available Colours:
Silver
Bike Use:
Road
Material:
Coated aluminium
Shifter Type:
Ultegra bar end
No of Gear Speeds:
9

Related links

BikeRadar is not responsible for the content of external websites

Also on BikeRadar