Build advice sought

[Bud]

Ok so I'm taking a bit of a break from grading my students work and preparing a paper of my own for a conference, and I thought I'd address my latest bike project.

I recently acquired a (soon to be delivered) 80's Serotta lugged steel frame and fork that I'd like to build into my daily commuter/dirt road bike. I'm planning on putting some wider tires (32's, 35's, etc.) on it, canti brakes, a set of Salsa bell lap flared drop bars and some cross type gearing (38-48 crank, 12-27 cassette). My question is this: should I go with bar end shifters or brifters? I've never used bar ends shifters, but they look kind of cool. It'll be shimano, so I'd get some cheaper 105 STI stuff or D/A bar end shifters. I plan on using 9 speed.

Any advice is welcomed.

Oh yeah- I'm on a tight budget :crap:

[bluehorseshoe]

Bar Cons, and I'd suggest a wide range triple for this kind of project (assuming you'll not be racing it cross.)

Cheaper, lighter, and more reliable than brifters by far, in my experience. More flexible in component choices, too. My DA9 brifters really never worked perfectly with a deore rear mech and 11-34 cassette, assuming you're headed along those lines.

Cheers.

[Bud]

Yea, I was thinking along those lines. Thanks, Wes. I have decided to go with the barcons.

Now I need to think about brake levers, derailleurs and cranks. I may go with a compact rather than a triple. I have a triple on the road bike, but don't know that I'll need that range for this one. I was thinking about 38-48 crank and a 12-27 cassette, but I suppose I could go with the 11-34 mtb setup. That would be plenty low- 38 up front and 34 in back.

[Marburg]

Go compact, and don't be afraid to go to a 34 (or smaller?) on front. I rock a 48/34 -- 12/27 on my cross bike and it ain't an adventure if I'm not in my 34-27 at least once. You'll get a little tighter spacing on the cassette which might be comfortable for the road portions.

I should admit I've got some low-end Campy on my cross bike, which I like. I formerly had barcons (which I still use on rando bike), but found I didn't like taking my hands off the brake levers when things got hairy in the singletrack. Really.

Anyway, here's my dream build: 34-48 compact crank, appropriate compact front der, mountain "mid cage" rear der, 12/27 or maybe 12/30 rear. Shifters still your choice. If you go barcons, the Shimanos brake levers are nice, but will seem pretty narrow if you're coming from STI. I've really liked the CaneCreek/Tektro levers which mimic the Campy shape. They're cheap too.

[Bradford]

I've never used bar ends shifters, but they look kind of cool.

Bud,

If you can fit on my 59x59 IF touring bike, you are welcome to give it a spin and try out bar end shifters. I'm actually around next week, so we could find time to ride if you want to try them before you commit.

I've had them on my touring bikes for 15 years and love them. The advantages are ease of use and reliability; they are especially helpful for touring because they are so easy to adjust and you can set the left one for friction, which helps me run a 26/40/51 and not run into any shifting issues. The disadvatage is that on a race bike, you knees might hit them every now and then.

[Bud]

Thanks for the offer, Bradford but I already found a pair from a guy locally. I think the knee thing will not be an issue since I'm going to use those flared Salsa drop bars (and I'm not going to race the thing anyway, just commute and ride dirt trails/roads). I'll let you know how the project turns out- it should be a fun bike to ride around.

[Smiley]

Hey Bud , does the frame your getting have Canti bosses and will it support wider tires anyway ?

[Bud]

Hey Bud , does the frame your getting have Canti bosses and will it support wider tires anyway ?

Yep. It had cantis on it before and supposedly will hold 30's or fatter just fine. From the pix, it looks like there's plenty of clearance.