1. In my opinion, it's not worth EVER defacing the ends of any handlebars to install Suntour Barcons. I have never seen it done on a factory bike. Either use a longer stem, or get rid of that ridiculous (italian?) steep-angled frame which probably already has toe-overlap problems anyway, right?
2. On 100% of bikes I have owned fresh from the factory with barcons, the cabling exits the bar tape at the end of the drops at just the right angle so that it can make a smooth planar 180 transition and end up flush against the downtube. This includes a SEKAI 2500 and Schwinn Paramount. In my opinion, factory bikes do not route cabling up the handlebars, under the tape.
3. The stainless housing supplied with barcons and with campy rear deraileurs is the most inferior crap ever produced for bicycles. It won't hold lubrication and will rust right away, despite being stainless, and will attract water inside which will rust the cables inside of it. Regular lined housing will dramatically improve shifting and foul-weather performance.
These aspersions, however, doesn't mean I won't sometimes install that crap stainless stuff if I have it and i'm doing a 100% restoration. It just means I will hate myself the next morning ...
4. There used to be a guy in Mexico city with a case (100+)of Barcons who would sell them on ebay for about $40-$45 a pair with cabling. That is a very good NOS price compared to the cost of new Dura Ace barcons or rivendell pods, if you can find it. Shifters seem to have become the new cash-cow for bike makers and they will charge whatever they want. Barcons with documentation are worth $50+.
- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA, USA