The subject of Shimano bar-end units from long ago came up thus -
>>Quite right. There was one shifter where the spring actually did oppose
the
>>rear derailleur spring - the pre-indexing Shimano bar-end (70s - early
80s).
>
>Yeah, and as shifters, those suck. A backward concept, really, and pretty
>heavy to operate. Maybe I should try mine with a brand new Light Action
>(tm) derailleur.
Actually, I used a set of these when I was setting up a battered late 60s Mercian last year. The bike in question was allegedly repaired by Mike Melton after being struck by a car in the early 70s, then was updated and repainted by our own JFC, so there's the classic content.
At any rate, the Shimano shifters have worked very nicely with an older Shimano front derailleur and a Sachs New Success on the rear, shifting over a 7-speed cassette. And for those of us who like anachronistic bikes, seven is the maximum number of cogs I think those shifters will work over ....
Russ Fitzgerald
Greenwood SC
rfitzger@emeraldis.com
http://www.emeraldis.com/