@@PoliticusRex632i know how to use those shifters, but still they are harder to use cuz even when u are a pro you have to deal with the terrain and bumps and those things makes precise shifting harder than just clicking a button
I love my friction shifter on my Eagle 12 speed gravel bike for this reason. You can know exactly where you're at in your cassette just by the position of the shifter too so you know when you're running out of gears 😂
Yep, I am 66, have just bought my first Di2 bike. Had friction shift for years on my 10 speeds. No way would I want to go back. Perfectly happy with my Do2 and my Campy record mechanical…….
Agree. Typically 'backward compatible' refers to systems that work with their contemporaries as well as their predecessors. 'Forward compatible' refers to systems that work with their contemporaries as well as their successors. Of course, you could argue friction shifters are both ;-)
The main reason I ride my old 87 Raleigh more than my new Trek, even though it’s slower, is because of the friction shifters. Maybe I’m just biased because I’m more used to my old bike, but it just feels more smooth and intuitive. There’s this direct responsiveness that gives me the feeling that the bike is a direct extension of my body, rather than clicking a button and hoping the bike listens to me.
One understated advantage of friction shifters (frifters) is that you can see/feel in which gear you are by their position without looking at your casette.
Friction shifters on the stem 40 yr ago as a kid with my first road bike. That’s how it was for most of us. I’ve got Dura Ace on a 1990 Miyata restoration and while the rear derailleur is connected to an indexed downtube shifter, the front is friction and works so well, no chain rub here - you have total control
Back in the ancient times of the 60’s and 70’s friction shifter world one mark of a good cyclist was the ability to jump out of the saddle and shift with a single “clunk” sound rather than a “grind”.
With modern hyperglide cassettes it’s even quieter than with straight cut gears. My old crit warhorse still has bar end shifter for the rear and down tube shifter for the front, works well and silently with any wheel. No clanging noise on shifts. And no disk brake hiss either, but that’s a topic for another discussion.
@@kennethward9530 When I got into cycling in the early 90's a crit racer at my local bike shop would cut the right bar end shorter and install a bar end so he could keep a few fingers on the brake at the same time when down shifting.
@@Ego_Katana He wasn't the only one-that was the Eddie B./US national team set up from late 80's-my old crit bike (mounted to my smart trainer now days) has that arrangement. Works just fine with the 11 speed cassette. Old campy Veloce chainrings sometimes drops the 11 speed chain going from 42 to 52 tooth ring though...
Technique! being able to anticipate your shift and backing off for a short amount of effort while the derailleur does it's work, while unloaded, but with the crank turning is becoming a lost art.
Very easy... I have 1982 bike with this Shifters and I changed rear DERAILIEURS , rear cassetes, and the shifters still working perfect! Greatings from Brasil !!
In a weird way, it really made me feel more connected to my bike, as the amount I needed to shift became muscle memory, it's not dictated by the shifter. It feels nice. Yes there are pros and cons. It has been about 12 years and many bikes since my 1983 mixte with stem mounted friction shifters but I just rode a VO Neutrino with a thumbie and it all came back and felt great and performed very well.
Another thing I love about friction shifters: they can last for years or almost decades without needing to be retuned or replaced, probably good to tune them every once in awhile though. I've gotten bikes from junkyards and bikes abandoned in bushes for years and they shift like they're almost brand new. Some may have rusty cables that get stuck, but if the cable moves, they're gonna work
@RollinRat You might also want to keep the limit screws on the derailleur set correctly, so as not to throw the chain into the spokes or between smallest sprocket and seatstay. But apart from that, your're right...
Grew up with downtube friction shifters and still have them on a few bikes. They were a lifesaver on my touring bike when I tacoed a wheel and had to borrow a wheel from the support van. My wheel was a 7 and the support wheel was a 6. Adjusted the end stop and I was able to keep riding for the next day and a half until I was able to get my wheel back.
@@jojoUK120 For real. I have a 1985 steel road bike. Nothing fancy, but I never realized how simple and worry free friction shifting is. I've done 30 mile rides on this bike. I don't know if I'll ever get a real road bike with fancy index shifting. My go to bike right now is a Specialized Alibi with a Specialized Pizza front rack, a Bontrager rear rack, and I run Surly Extra Terrestrial 41mm tires. It's awesome for family or solo excursions. I got is used for $325 from a bicycle rental company in Napa, Valley. I figure a bicycle that was ridden nearly everyday is a good bike.
While I agree that friction shifters are an awesome option I feel like you should have touched on compatibility based on age. What I mean is that an old friction shifter from the 70's designed around 5-7 speed will not pull the cable far enough for 10 speed and up. You will run out of lever action before you hit the lowest cog on the cassette. It is worth mentioning because people might try using an old dia compe that they got at the local co-op only to find out that they get 8-9 of their 11 speed cassette. Just something I feel like you missed here but great video in all!
I don't agree with the use of the term outdated. It's a matter of perspective. Just because a certain trend became predominant in some kind of market, it doesn't make other alternatives outdated I have 4 bikes all built on 90s mtb chromoly frames, I like them better than most new bikes that follow contemporary trends
@RollinRat Love it. I just did a 7 mile family bike ride on an upcycled BMX. Stood up nearly the whole time. Another one of my bikes, that my son rides, is a 1985 Murray with friction gear shifters on the quill stem. A department store quality bike back then, but it's older and runs better than any machine on my block.
@RollinRat Singlespeed is the way to go, I have few bmx's, dirt jumper and singlespeed city bike. Only bike with gears is my 1990 peugeot aspin with full shimano 105 that I don't ride much. I also have old atala bmx from 80s or even 70s, original seat, grips and tires
@RollinRat Wow, those are cool stories, I am sure you have a lot of bikes I would be amazed to see, I am constantly upgrading my bmx, I bought a new frameset and handlebars recently, and I love riding it in trails few miles from my house. I push it uphill becouse of high gearing, but riding slopestyle trail thru the nature at full speed is a feeling that just can't be explained, I also love to do tricks while riding, people love to see bunny hops and 180s😁I am now building dirt jumper with slight modifications to ride in the trails, I have sold a few bikes and I have gotten some money
I got an old Trek 1500 Aluminum Road Bike. It’s got single speed but it has these shifters that are located in the frame. You have to slow down, stop your bike get off and switch it on or just ride it slow and shift them. I just ride my bike single speed though. Riding ur evoke single speed does help you balance your body out much better and allows you to use more of your muscles to get stronger.
Friction shifters are also a good idea for older bikes that have the shifter cables going under the downtube. That location can pick up a lot of dirt that can mess with indexed shifters.
Well, for a few of us "old guys" the learning curve was getting the indexing, and questioning whether they were sure enough, compared to friction shifters. I just learned to use Campi indexing on a bike built last year, kind of feeling out a "cassette" of ten, with two up front. Everything I ever dreamed of, and lots more. I like them, but they do get cranky with weather and getting into rough roads, but I've not gone back yet, just trying the "fatter tire" thing that I've watched for a couple years, and am liking the smoother ride, knowing it's just as fast. Thanks for showing this, good to know there's ones built modern, for these long shifting derailleurs.
I remember some guy saying something like "ok, you and your DOWNTUBE SHIFTERS" and other people started laughing... and I was so confused because up to that pt, they were the best shifters I had ever used. lol
I've only been riding these new shifters less than a year, am considering right now, taking some friction shifters and making mounts for my handle bars. I don't know if all my issues could be me, or the shifters, but they drag, clink, and change under load, occasionally, but they're driving me crazy.
I converted my old 10 speed to a 12 speed index shift. I went from down tube tube shifter to stem tube first. You can change gear, take a quick look between your legs and then line up the chain perfectly if you need to. I've had the bike since new in 1987. I will be converting it back to friction shifting again.
You didn't mention the setup where you would have indexed rear and friction front. Back in the day your MTB would have 3x8 thumbies in this setup, and it was pretty neat, because you could trim the front derailleur manually. Also the older Sram, Shimano and other non-name brand twist shifters would employ a kind of a semi-friction shifting for the front.
@@m11HI11m it’s not what, it’s a who. Front derailleur was the french inventor of the friction shifter. He won the Tour de France a staggering 17 times.
Some professional race-riders also used a front downtube friction shifter while 2x was a thing, because the binary hi-low gearing of the front meant they were simply more reliable and faster than STI (when set up properly and the rider was used to it of course...)
It's called micro-ratcheting. Suntour was famous for it but Rivendell and Dia-Compe still make a version nowadays. I have a set of Sachs-Huret 6-speeds downtube shifter that I used as a stop gap to shift my 11-speed MTB derailleur. Sure it needed 200 degrees of travel to get it into the lowest gear but it did work and didn't slip.
I never used them before so was very pleased to see you put together a video explaining their benefit. I am looking to put together another bike and think this sounds like the cost effective solution I may be looking for. I imagine it to be like playing a guitar without individual frets on the neck. Thanks for the video.
Had friction shifters a while and loved them. Never had to adjust index as there is noneb parts pretty available and sometimes simplicity is a work of art. Waiting to use them again on another project.
Ironically 11 speed won me BACK over to downtube friction shifting. 8 and 9 speed worked for me in the past. 10 speed was always harder to trim, but when I tried 11 as a joke since I thought trimming would be even harder, it worked so dang well!! I guess there's just not enough space for the chain to 'miss' so wherever that lever is, it hits the target every time with little to no trimming ever. (Setup: Rivendell Silver DT shifters, 11 speed Ultegra 6800 mechs, 11-34 cassette, 11 speed chain)
I came of age on a 10 speed with downtube friction shifting. Yes, index shifting is more convenient, especially for less experienced riders and it's more precise in off road usage. But there is nothing more satisfying than slicing through the straight cut rear cogs on a freewheel equipped bike using friction shifting and hearing that chain slide along like a hot knife through butter. Friction shifters work even better with rear cogs and chainrings for index shifting and slightly narrower chain. Like an 8 speed chain on a 6 or 7 speed rear freewheel or cassette. I converted one of my vintage road bikes to 3 X 9 with brifters. It was fun, for about a week. It hangs in the garage now and I pull out mu old Fuji Del Rey 12 speed with downtube friction shifters when i want to relax. The converted bike may go up for sale.
For the past 9 years, I've been using friction down-tube shifters with a 2x9 system. They're lovely old Shimano 600, the last generation (I think) before Shimano introduced index shifting. Not fancy, but the curve of the levers is beautiful and they work perfectly. Unfortunately, because I recently switched to a more upright position (no more drop bars, for my neck's sake), I've had to install an index-shifting pod. It's OK, but it lacks the feel of direct engagement. Not to mention that DT shifters, whether index or friction, have much less cable to mess around with.
My commuter/winter bike is running a hilarious set-up, an ancient suntour friction shifter, bodged onto a SRAM rival lever (the double tap shifter mechanism died like they all do) operating a Rapid rise XT mech in a 1x9... It's completely user servicable and I'm only really limited by whatever chain/cassette I'd going cheap when the time to replace them rolls round. Gevenalle on my gravel bike has been run both friction and indexed and definitely benefits from the old "KISS" principle.
Rode down the coast of Oregon last week with Friction down tube shifters worked flawlessly, simple silent and bombproof Shimano 105 derailer 11 speed force 11-30 cassette Red waxed chain, neat!
I switched to friction shifters many years ago and didn't look back. Thumb shifters on my MTB and commuter and bar end shifters on my road/touring bike. You are correct that buy them once and use them for multiple applications.
I bought a Salsa Marrakesh last year. It has friction shifting that can be switched between friction and indexed. The shop had a hard time setting it up right, but now that it’s set up I really like it. I’m useless at fixing things but in the end I did set up the indexing and it was very easy after I figured it out. It is nice to know that I can switch to friction if I need to.
I have a Trucker for everyday/commuting use and a Bridge Club for bikepacking and mtn bike use. Both bikes are setup as 9-speed friction only. I switched over to friction about 6 years ago on the Trucker and haven't looked back. When I built up the newer Bridge Club, I didn't even setup/tune it for indexed shifting. I can't imagine going back to index shifting. Great points and video Russ!
I squeezed a 10 speed cassette on my road bike with friction shifting It’s so easy, shifting is perfect, you never miss being on a cog because they are so close together. Nice and light too
I've been running diacompe silver bar end shifters on my commute bike for years. 10 speed Shimano cassette. Everything works fine. Friction shifters are a great solution for bikes that get dirty; in my experience it doesn't take much wear and grit to degrade the performance of index shifting.
Index shifters are a classic example of an "upgrade" the vast majority of riders neither asked for or needed. Friction shifters are simpler and just as easy to use. You pick up the shift-and-adjust rhythm very quickly, after which it's as automatic as index. And the vastly quicker and easier adjustment drill, coupled with friction's much wider spectrum of effectiveness, means you spend significantly less time futzing with your bike and more time riding it. The wholesale abandonment of friction shifters for index is one of a list of "advances" in biking that confuses complexity with efficiency. Bottom line: ride what you want, but make informed decisions. Don't just grab whatever's supposed to be sexy. Thanks for this thorough video. This is the information people need to do that.
I love downtube/bar-end shifters, but mostly in index mode. My problem with friction shifter is gear slowly drifting sometimes, you can tighten the bolt a little to combat the problem, but it doesn’t solve the problem 100%. If not for this, I would fully embrace friction shifting.
you read my mind! finally decided on friction for my rockhopper conversion. I found some at the bike co-op last week, however talking with staff they said they are getting hard to come by and increasing in popularity probably for their universal qualities you mentioned.
If they're getting so hard to come by, you'd think that means there is a hole in the market waiting to be filled, and *someone* would start manufacturing more new ones..
I love friction shifters! Another big benefit in my opinion is the ability to run whatever brakes you want. I don't love the shapes lot of the drop brakes I have ridden (apex ultegra etc.) Also you can throw them on the down tube and switch between bars very easily and not have the added resistance of the extra housing (and shape of the cable under the wrap in the drops)
I have friction shift on 3 bikes, 2 were originally 2x5 drivetrains and both now work just fine in 3x10. My monster cross bike has the RetroShift (Gevenalle) setup with BS78 shifters. Those can switch between 10sp SIS and friction.
For old school bar ends the left(front) shifter is friction but the right(rear) may be 7 or 8 speed index that can run in friction mode. So for a 1x system a left shifter mounted on the right side works fine. HOWEVER, the range of motion may not be enough without filing the stop in increase cable pull. I currently use old Suntour downtube shifters with a 10 speed Shimano set up and old road style derailleur. It took a bit to adjust to the feel of how far to move the lever but works great. I have used bar ends with 8, 9 and 10 speed set ups to good effect. For neater cable routing, a bar end shifter will work if you run the cable housing around the bar, under the tape instead of looping out front where it might get in the way of a bag, etc. 30 plus years ago when I put together my first "proper" race bike with Campagnolo Chorus 7 speed I ordered the groupset with friction shifters. The index ones were ugly and not as good as the Shimano at the time. We ran a 53/39 up front and a 12/19 freewheel at the back and tubulars that you had to mount with messy glue. How time has moved on...
What was obsolete is now popular. the cycling world goes round and round. To each their own. when index shifting came out, I loved it. I still love it. Friction shifters are fine for those who like them. Any day now I expect that clipless pedals will be set by the wayside and rattrap pedals will make a comeback. A side note, how many of you got rid of your old bike or bikes years ago and now wish you still had it? Been there done that, I am now hesitant to get rid of any bike I own. They each have something about them that I like.
I have Paul Thumbies on my gravel/touring bike and love them. 3x7,8,9,10,11? Shifts them all just fine with 9/10/11 speed derailleurs. Freaking awesome
I applaud you for bringing the tried and trusted frictions into the light I have 2 daily downtube riders from the early 80s Never do you have to adjust anything except the clutch and now that’s just habit to constantly give a little tightening twist after a shift or 2 and if a sudden hill sneaks in with a simple flip you are in a lower or the lowest gear instantly no indexing ...👍🏻 Best part is everyone asking at events or bicycling get togethers how I can shift with the downtubes or even worse seeing my dinosaur tech keeping pace with the newest and greatest gotta haves
I have a 90's hybrid that I built as a 1x7 cheapo gravel/utility bike with a thumb shifter, and my older Trek Elance still has friction downtube levers.
I've tried the bar-end shifters in friction mode ... and what I didn't like was the bar-end shifters. Friction mode was fine, and indeed for a flat handlebar bike it would be cool. I have 9-speed (x 2), 10 speed (x2) and 11-speed (only one) bikes at the moment, and they're all set up with Shimano indexing, which works great. The 10year old 105 on my cyclocross bike is dodo-dead, but generally speaking I find modern index setups to be reliable and suitable for me. Like most of your viewers (I suspect), I'm not riding the high-end latest anything. SLX on the mtb, 105 on the road, and cheap and cheerful on the around town e-bike.
I love friction shifters and have it on my titanium gravel bike. Modern bike (disc brakes, gravel geometry, large tires) and 2x8 friction shifters. I like getting off the beaten track and there are no batteries to fail or out of tune index shifting. I run a wide double crank and have mountain bike climbing gears and high gears for the roads connecting the dirt paths. Best of all worlds!
Love the bar end friction shifters on my Masi Giramondo. Very satisfying to use. One benefit not mentioned is the ability to go from you highest gear to lowest in one sweep. I recently converted my Cannondale Caad9 to a triple and finding the correct STI (new, not some abused thing) has been a chore. Had to eBay it from Taiwan. Almost impossible to find and setting up STI's is a chore.
I bought the 10 speed microshift in January because of a broken thumb, it is still on my cross country mountain bike because I love it. I sold my xtr shifter.
Gevenalle and bar end shifters just flat out work for me. Currently running 1x9 Microsoft Advent bar end shifter setup on my bike and not sure I'd ever go back to brifters.
Nice to see Gevenalle making another appearance. Great on a touring bike as they are compatible with MTB drivechains and MTB cable disc brakes. I love them.
Just build a bike with a 2x11 mullet setup. Ultegra in the front and Deore in the rear with Microshift bar-ends. I specifically picked the MTB version because of their ability to switch between indexed and friction. Ran the bike with some vintage Sachs-Huret downtube shifter for a month while I was waiting for the bar-ends and it worked really well. It's hard to miss a shift when the cogs are so close together.
I was riding my dads 90’s mtb and it had twist shifters on the front derailure and it made so much sense bc you can adjust little bit each time unlike the ones we got today.
You can sweep the whole cassette in one go too. I have a vintage road bike with down tube shifters and love how simple and fool proof it is. May try to figure out how to get it on my MTB
I have bikes with indexed shifters and bikes with friction shifters. They both have their place. Some of my favorite bikes have friction shifters. There is a skill to be developed in using them. You need to learn to go slowly and smoothly and then to adjust or "trim" the lever to ensure that the chain is centered on the rings. Not hard to acquire, just takes some practice. They've never let me down. The only negative really is having to reach for them. That can be solved by mounting them onto your brake levers, but not every one wants to do that obviously.
If I ever get a real road bike, it will be a Long Haul Trucker. I am in the market for a Bridge Club right now, or actually for the past year, and it's impossible to find one. In the meantime, I have a Specialized Alibi, more of a commuter bike, and added Surly ET 41mm tires. I have a Specialized Pizza Rack on the front and a Bontrager rack on the back. It's my affordable touring set up. I really would love a Bridge Club in a 650b.
A while ago I picked up a 1970s road bike with friction shifters on the frame. I am a bit biased, as I live my vintage everything, but there's just a charm to ride old bikes with "outdated" technology. I pretty much only ride vintage bikes, it's all I own now
I put friction shifter on every bike. There especially good to teach kids how gears work and they last. We have two sets that have been round the world faultlessly changing and needing little but easy maintenance, There perfect on our Tandem the initial double length cable stretch can be a real pain for indexing. Friction shifters mean it s as simple as listening and feel gto get perfectly smooth longer lived drive train.
I installed bar-end shifters on my drop-bar hybrid and used friction shifting for a while. But then I needed to replace the rear wheel and installed an 8-speed cassette which matched the 8-speed indexing on my shifter, and am extremely happy to be back in the index-shifting camp! I just like being able to give the shifter a quick click and trust that it'll hit the right gear without keeping my hand down there to adjust.
I'm finding that because of the built-in cable stops on thumb shifters, they are easier to mount just about anywhere. You can find large 40 mm clamps with friction mounts on them for down tubes or top tubes. I working a 3-speed freewheel with a Shimano derailer on a BMX show bike. Since the BMX frame is single-speed speed it has no cable stops for shifting so want to use the shortest piece of cable, also the thumb shifters have cable stops that work bette. I want to turn the shifter mount on top so it's easy to use left or right-handed and hide the mount and cable under BMX top tube padding, one of the checkered handlebar donuts under the shifter lever to help cover and reinforce the hole I cut in the padding. It feels comfy about 2/3rds of the way up the top tube that is where I'll put it.
After seeing this video, I cannibalized a couple non-running bikes. I stole the downtube clamp style friction shifters off my old Turin road cycle, as well as the crank, front derailleur, and brake lever from my other Walmart bike. I put the friction shifters on the handle bar and used the other parts to convert my 1x7 commuter into a 2x7. It made a world of difference, and I love not having to tune anything but the limit screws. I applaud you good sir, now I can easily swap cassettes and sprockets in the future without worry about getting different shifters and cables.
I use a 9 speed Dia Compe Rivendell down tube shifter to a Suntour Cyclone 2 on a ramped 7 speed Shimano freewheel and chain . Because of the greater pull ratio the changing is really quick and the ramped sprockets and chain make the already smooth shifting Cyclone super slick . I also use the same levers on Campag Racing Triple with the same , super smooth results . Hot knife through butter in total silence , love it .
I have friction shifters on my vintage steel road bike, a 1982 Olmo Competition with full Campy Record, and I think they work great. It's fun to go back and shift from the downtube but it's just my get around bike so there's not a need for speedy shifting. You do have to plan your shifts better for hills and whatnot but it works fine. My normal road bike has electronic shifting and for me friction shifters just bring me back to when I started riding and fell in love with it in the first place. So, now it's more a novelty and for nostalgia sake but it's something that still works.
Grew up with friction, I will keep my indexed! properly maintained and it reliable. World tour would be my only possible exception . A bit like rim V discs, I grew up at the top of a large hill riding rim brakes down it in the wet to school..... I will keep my discs ;-)
Love friction shifters. Have them on 3 bikes, randem, folding bike, and touring bike. Really like them on the bar ends. Not a problem using them at all.
When I started commuting it was on a bike with friction down tube shifters, you eventually start to build "muscle memory indexing". Had no problem using friction in that context.
The irony is that the more sprockets in a cassette, the better friction shifting works! and the faster you can sweep across multiple gears!
Across multiples but it takes time to find a certain gear. So despite it being a really reliable gear system it's a tradeoff.
@@MsVinioliveira practice, practice, practice
@@PoliticusRex632i know how to use those shifters, but still they are harder to use cuz even when u are a pro you have to deal with the terrain and bumps and those things makes precise shifting harder than just clicking a button
I love my friction shifter on my Eagle 12 speed gravel bike for this reason. You can know exactly where you're at in your cassette just by the position of the shifter too so you know when you're running out of gears 😂
It worked fine on 5 cogs, works fine on 9 cogs. It’s the way to go!
Lol, I was this old when I learned the proper term "friction shifters". When I was a kid, my 10-speed bike just had "gears".
Same! Lol
Yep, I am 66, have just bought my first Di2 bike. Had friction shift for years on my 10 speeds. No way would I want to go back. Perfectly happy with my Do2 and my Campy record mechanical…….
As they are older technology than index shifters, I’d rather call them „forward compatible”...
Agree. Typically 'backward compatible' refers to systems that work with their contemporaries as well as their predecessors. 'Forward compatible' refers to systems that work with their contemporaries as well as their successors. Of course, you could argue friction shifters are both ;-)
The main reason I ride my old 87 Raleigh more than my new Trek, even though it’s slower, is because of the friction shifters. Maybe I’m just biased because I’m more used to my old bike, but it just feels more smooth and intuitive. There’s this direct responsiveness that gives me the feeling that the bike is a direct extension of my body, rather than clicking a button and hoping the bike listens to me.
One understated advantage of friction shifters (frifters) is that you can see/feel in which gear you are by their position without looking at your casette.
Like a grip shifter - but the grip is precise and even shows you the gear.
Friction shifters on the stem 40 yr ago as a kid with my first road bike. That’s how it was for most of us. I’ve got Dura Ace on a 1990 Miyata restoration and while the rear derailleur is connected to an indexed downtube shifter, the front is friction and works so well, no chain rub here - you have total control
I'm still riding a bike that I've had since I was in my early teens. It has the friction shifters in the stem and still works great.
That era of DuraAce IIRC has the option to turn the indexing off.
Back in the ancient times of the 60’s and 70’s friction shifter world one mark of a good cyclist was the ability to jump out of the saddle and shift with a single “clunk” sound rather than a “grind”.
With modern hyperglide cassettes it’s even quieter than with straight cut gears.
My old crit warhorse still has bar end shifter for the rear and down tube shifter for the front, works well and silently with any wheel.
No clanging noise on shifts. And no disk brake hiss either, but that’s a topic for another discussion.
@@kennethward9530 When I got into cycling in the early 90's a crit racer at my local bike shop would cut the right bar end shorter and install a bar end so he could keep a few fingers on the brake at the same time when down shifting.
@@Ego_Katana He wasn't the only one-that was the Eddie B./US national team set up from late 80's-my old crit bike (mounted to my smart trainer now days) has that arrangement. Works just fine with the 11 speed cassette. Old campy Veloce chainrings sometimes drops the 11 speed chain going from 42 to 52 tooth ring though...
Technique! being able to anticipate your shift and backing off for a short amount of effort while the derailleur does it's work, while unloaded, but with the crank turning is becoming a lost art.
Very easy... I have 1982 bike with this Shifters and I changed rear DERAILIEURS , rear cassetes, and the shifters still working perfect! Greatings from Brasil !!
For a long-distance touring set-up, friction shifters are great since the gear cables stretch but your shifting does not go out of whack.
In a weird way, it really made me feel more connected to my bike, as the amount I needed to shift became muscle memory, it's not dictated by the shifter. It feels nice. Yes there are pros and cons. It has been about 12 years and many bikes since my 1983 mixte with stem mounted friction shifters but I just rode a VO Neutrino with a thumbie and it all came back and felt great and performed very well.
Another thing I love about friction shifters: they can last for years or almost decades without needing to be retuned or replaced, probably good to tune them every once in awhile though. I've gotten bikes from junkyards and bikes abandoned in bushes for years and they shift like they're almost brand new. Some may have rusty cables that get stuck, but if the cable moves, they're gonna work
@RollinRat You might also want to keep the limit screws on the derailleur set correctly, so as not to throw the chain into the spokes or between smallest sprocket and seatstay. But apart from that, your're right...
Grew up with downtube friction shifters and still have them on a few bikes. They were a lifesaver on my touring bike when I tacoed a wheel and had to borrow a wheel from the support van. My wheel was a 7 and the support wheel was a 6. Adjusted the end stop and I was able to keep riding for the next day and a half until I was able to get my wheel back.
I run friction on my bike and I see no reason to use anything else for what I’m doing. 2x9 and loving it!
down tube friction shifting is on my main bike, still works same as it did back in the 80s
I love being able to shift through multiple gears in one fluid move, and tell at a glance exactly which gear I'm in.
@@jojoUK120 For real. I have a 1985 steel road bike. Nothing fancy, but I never realized how simple and worry free friction shifting is. I've done 30 mile rides on this bike. I don't know if I'll ever get a real road bike with fancy index shifting. My go to bike right now is a Specialized Alibi with a Specialized Pizza front rack, a Bontrager rear rack, and I run Surly Extra Terrestrial 41mm tires. It's awesome for family or solo excursions. I got is used for $325 from a bicycle rental company in Napa, Valley. I figure a bicycle that was ridden nearly everyday is a good bike.
I actually had never ridden with indexed shifters until 2021!
While I agree that friction shifters are an awesome option I feel like you should have touched on compatibility based on age. What I mean is that an old friction shifter from the 70's designed around 5-7 speed will not pull the cable far enough for 10 speed and up. You will run out of lever action before you hit the lowest cog on the cassette. It is worth mentioning because people might try using an old dia compe that they got at the local co-op only to find out that they get 8-9 of their 11 speed cassette. Just something I feel like you missed here but great video in all!
I found that is a cable tension problem. I have successfully tuned an old thumb shifter to a 10 spd cassette.
I can easily shift my 9 speed folder with an ancient "6speed" thumb friction shifter. I think it's all depends on your cable tension.
Love friction shifters, but I find them difficult to use in loud traffic. I need to hear if the chain is dragging.
I just picked up an outdated mountain bike with outdated friction shifters, still shifts great after 35 years.
Just like canti's. Hard to beat the time tested goods, and so easy to adjust.
I don't agree with the use of the term outdated. It's a matter of perspective. Just because a certain trend became predominant in some kind of market, it doesn't make other alternatives outdated
I have 4 bikes all built on 90s mtb chromoly frames, I like them better than most new bikes that follow contemporary trends
Fricters are the ultimate get out of jail free card when it comes to transmissions. The only thing less stressful is single speed.🤔🤗👍
@RollinRat Love it. I just did a 7 mile family bike ride on an upcycled BMX. Stood up nearly the whole time. Another one of my bikes, that my son rides, is a 1985 Murray with friction gear shifters on the quill stem. A department store quality bike back then, but it's older and runs better than any machine on my block.
I just love having the option of switching to friction if the index fails or becomes misaligned.
@RollinRat Singlespeed is the way to go, I have few bmx's, dirt jumper and singlespeed city bike. Only bike with gears is my 1990 peugeot aspin with full shimano 105 that I don't ride much. I also have old atala bmx from 80s or even 70s, original seat, grips and tires
@RollinRat Wow, those are cool stories, I am sure you have a lot of bikes I would be amazed to see, I am constantly upgrading my bmx, I bought a new frameset and handlebars recently, and I love riding it in trails few miles from my house. I push it uphill becouse of high gearing, but riding slopestyle trail thru the nature at full speed is a feeling that just can't be explained, I also love to do tricks while riding, people love to see bunny hops and 180s😁I am now building dirt jumper with slight modifications to ride in the trails, I have sold a few bikes and I have gotten some money
I got an old Trek 1500 Aluminum Road Bike. It’s got single speed but it has these shifters that are located in the frame. You have to slow down, stop your bike get off and switch it on or just ride it slow and shift them. I just ride my bike single speed though. Riding ur evoke single speed does help you balance your body out much better and allows you to use more of your muscles to get stronger.
They are also super easy to shift in winter when you need to wear big gloves. Especially the bar ends.
Friction shifters are also a good idea for older bikes that have the shifter cables going under the downtube. That location can pick up a lot of dirt that can mess with indexed shifters.
😂. I remember a time, like I am sure many of us do, when friction shifters were the only choice. Yeah for choices! 😊
Hell yeah, I remember when the 3x1,2x1, where a thing. Now I can finally be gay or bi. :) I love choices.
Sarcasm never reads well in text form.
With riction shifting, it's the feels. Like the tension in a room, you gotta feel it out.@RollinRat
Well, for a few of us "old guys" the learning curve was getting the indexing, and questioning whether they were sure enough, compared to friction shifters. I just learned to use Campi indexing on a bike built last year, kind of feeling out a "cassette" of ten, with two up front. Everything I ever dreamed of, and lots more. I like them, but they do get cranky with weather and getting into rough roads, but I've not gone back yet, just trying the "fatter tire" thing that I've watched for a couple years, and am liking the smoother ride, knowing it's just as fast. Thanks for showing this, good to know there's ones built modern, for these long shifting derailleurs.
Friction shifters: proven tech that will never be obsolete ✅. They're especially good as thumbies on flat or upright bars. 👍🏻
I remember some guy saying something like "ok, you and your DOWNTUBE SHIFTERS" and other people started laughing... and I was so confused because up to that pt, they were the best shifters I had ever used. lol
I've only been riding these new shifters less than a year, am considering right now, taking some friction shifters and making mounts for my handle bars. I don't know if all my issues could be me, or the shifters, but they drag, clink, and change under load, occasionally, but they're driving me crazy.
I converted my old 10 speed to a 12 speed index shift. I went from down tube tube shifter to stem tube first. You can change gear, take a quick look between your legs and then line up the chain perfectly if you need to. I've had the bike since new in 1987. I will be converting it back to friction shifting again.
You didn't mention the setup where you would have indexed rear and friction front. Back in the day your MTB would have 3x8 thumbies in this setup, and it was pretty neat, because you could trim the front derailleur manually. Also the older Sram, Shimano and other non-name brand twist shifters would employ a kind of a semi-friction shifting for the front.
Whats a front derailleur?
@@m11HI11m it’s not what, it’s a who. Front derailleur was the french inventor of the friction shifter. He won the Tour de France a staggering 17 times.
Some professional race-riders also used a front downtube friction shifter while 2x was a thing, because the binary hi-low gearing of the front meant they were simply more reliable and faster than STI (when set up properly and the rider was used to it of course...)
It's called micro-ratcheting. Suntour was famous for it but Rivendell and Dia-Compe still make a version nowadays. I have a set of Sachs-Huret 6-speeds downtube shifter that I used as a stop gap to shift my 11-speed MTB derailleur. Sure it needed 200 degrees of travel to get it into the lowest gear but it did work and didn't slip.
That is how my 15-ish year old Soma gravel bike is set up. I'll probably update to a new group set soon but I like the way it works right now.
Less potential mechanical issues. Used them in this year's Seattle to Portland one day ride, worked brilliantly.
Friction shifters are amazing. Half my bikes are friction. I’m also hoarding used bar end shifters to make sure I got em when needed.
Aha so you are the culprit!
Between me and Drew we've pretty much cornered the supply.
Still using in 3031.
I never used them before so was very pleased to see you put together a video explaining their benefit. I am looking to put together another bike and think this sounds like the cost effective solution I may be looking for. I imagine it to be like playing a guitar without individual frets on the neck. Thanks for the video.
A nattering nabob of negativism might say it's akin to a sad trombone. But I would never say anything like that. 😆😂😆🤔😄
I bought a Raleigh technium in 1986. 2x6 sunrour friction shift. Still work, never needed any adjustment
Had friction shifters a while and loved them. Never had to adjust index as there is noneb parts pretty available and sometimes simplicity is a work of art. Waiting to use them again on another project.
Ironically 11 speed won me BACK over to downtube friction shifting. 8 and 9 speed worked for me in the past. 10 speed was always harder to trim, but when I tried 11 as a joke since I thought trimming would be even harder, it worked so dang well!! I guess there's just not enough space for the chain to 'miss' so wherever that lever is, it hits the target every time with little to no trimming ever. (Setup: Rivendell Silver DT shifters, 11 speed Ultegra 6800 mechs, 11-34 cassette, 11 speed chain)
running an eleven speed chain on a ten speed cassette helps quite a bit.
As a longtime retrogrouch I agree 100%
I came of age on a 10 speed with downtube friction shifting. Yes, index shifting is more convenient, especially for less experienced riders and it's more precise in off road usage. But there is nothing more satisfying than slicing through the straight cut rear cogs on a freewheel equipped bike using friction shifting and hearing that chain slide along like a hot knife through butter. Friction shifters work even better with rear cogs and chainrings for index shifting and slightly narrower chain. Like an 8 speed chain on a 6 or 7 speed rear freewheel or cassette. I converted one of my vintage road bikes to 3 X 9 with brifters. It was fun, for about a week. It hangs in the garage now and I pull out mu old Fuji Del Rey 12 speed with downtube friction shifters when i want to relax. The converted bike may go up for sale.
I love friction shifting, completely underrated in most bike people's eyes.
For the past 9 years, I've been using friction down-tube shifters with a 2x9 system. They're lovely old Shimano 600, the last generation (I think) before Shimano introduced index shifting. Not fancy, but the curve of the levers is beautiful and they work perfectly. Unfortunately, because I recently switched to a more upright position (no more drop bars, for my neck's sake), I've had to install an index-shifting pod. It's OK, but it lacks the feel of direct engagement. Not to mention that DT shifters, whether index or friction, have much less cable to mess around with.
You can use thumb shifter (MTB) if dont mind oldies look, i use some cheap unbranded thumb friction shifter and it works just fine 😁
My commuter/winter bike is running a hilarious set-up, an ancient suntour friction shifter, bodged onto a SRAM rival lever (the double tap shifter mechanism died like they all do) operating a Rapid rise XT mech in a 1x9... It's completely user servicable and I'm only really limited by whatever chain/cassette I'd going cheap when the time to replace them rolls round.
Gevenalle on my gravel bike has been run both friction and indexed and definitely benefits from the old "KISS" principle.
Rode down the coast of Oregon last week with Friction down tube shifters worked flawlessly, simple silent and bombproof
Shimano 105 derailer 11 speed force 11-30 cassette Red waxed chain, neat!
I switched to friction shifters many years ago and didn't look back. Thumb shifters on my MTB and commuter and bar end shifters on my road/touring bike. You are correct that buy them once and use them for multiple applications.
I bought a Salsa Marrakesh last year. It has friction shifting that can be switched between friction and indexed. The shop had a hard time setting it up right, but now that it’s set up I really like it.
I’m useless at fixing things but in the end I did set up the indexing and it was very easy after I figured it out. It is nice to know that I can switch to friction if I need to.
I have a Trucker for everyday/commuting use and a Bridge Club for bikepacking and mtn bike use. Both bikes are setup as 9-speed friction only. I switched over to friction about 6 years ago on the Trucker and haven't looked back. When I built up the newer Bridge Club, I didn't even setup/tune it for indexed shifting. I can't imagine going back to index shifting. Great points and video Russ!
I squeezed a 10 speed cassette on my road bike with friction shifting
It’s so easy, shifting is perfect, you never miss being on a cog because they are so close together. Nice and light too
I've been running diacompe silver bar end shifters on my commute bike for years. 10 speed Shimano cassette. Everything works fine.
Friction shifters are a great solution for bikes that get dirty; in my experience it doesn't take much wear and grit to degrade the performance of index shifting.
I like the old Simplex downtube shifters on my '87 Peugeot. Originally 6 speed I upgraded to 8 speed because of hubs and cassettes. Works awesome.
SLJs? I'm going to try to put them on a 10-speed when my set arrives next month. I've heard that the skinny barrel can be a headache. Any insight?
Same here I have the first edition 83 Trek 520 3x6 ...and a 82 Trek 1 edition 311 that was originally a 2x6 now a 2x7 both downtubies smooth as can be
@@kevinford2223 I have a 2018 520 and there are the mounting points to far in the front! The shifters would pass the steering tube.
Index shifters are a classic example of an "upgrade" the vast majority of riders neither asked for or needed. Friction shifters are simpler and just as easy to use. You pick up the shift-and-adjust rhythm very quickly, after which it's as automatic as index. And the vastly quicker and easier adjustment drill, coupled with friction's much wider spectrum of effectiveness, means you spend significantly less time futzing with your bike and more time riding it. The wholesale abandonment of friction shifters for index is one of a list of "advances" in biking that confuses complexity with efficiency. Bottom line: ride what you want, but make informed decisions. Don't just grab whatever's supposed to be sexy.
Thanks for this thorough video. This is the information people need to do that.
I love downtube/bar-end shifters, but mostly in index mode. My problem with friction shifter is gear slowly drifting sometimes, you can tighten the bolt a little to combat the problem, but it doesn’t solve the problem 100%. If not for this, I would fully embrace friction shifting.
you read my mind! finally decided on friction for my rockhopper conversion. I found some at the bike co-op last week, however talking with staff they said they are getting hard to come by and increasing in popularity probably for their universal qualities you mentioned.
If they're getting so hard to come by, you'd think that means there is a hole in the market waiting to be filled, and *someone* would start manufacturing more new ones..
I used a 30 year old downtube shifter with my Advent X for a long time. It's surprising how quickly you get a feel for it
And the fact that there is a feel for it!
I love friction shifters! Another big benefit in my opinion is the ability to run whatever brakes you want. I don't love the shapes lot of the drop brakes I have ridden (apex ultegra etc.) Also you can throw them on the down tube and switch between bars very easily and not have the added resistance of the extra housing (and shape of the cable under the wrap in the drops)
I LOVE my friction shifters!!!! Just have a few plastic washers which are the weak link. Everyone should have them and try them!
I have friction shift on 3 bikes, 2 were originally 2x5 drivetrains and both now work just fine in 3x10. My monster cross bike has the RetroShift (Gevenalle) setup with BS78 shifters. Those can switch between 10sp SIS and friction.
For old school bar ends the left(front) shifter is friction but the right(rear) may be 7 or 8 speed index that can run in friction mode. So for a 1x system a left shifter mounted on the right side works fine. HOWEVER, the range of motion may not be enough without filing the stop in increase cable pull. I currently use old Suntour downtube shifters with a 10 speed Shimano set up and old road style derailleur. It took a bit to adjust to the feel of how far to move the lever but works great. I have used bar ends with 8, 9 and 10 speed set ups to good effect.
For neater cable routing, a bar end shifter will work if you run the cable housing around the bar, under the tape instead of looping out front where it might get in the way of a bag, etc.
30 plus years ago when I put together my first "proper" race bike with Campagnolo Chorus 7 speed I ordered the groupset with friction shifters. The index ones were ugly and not as good as the Shimano at the time. We ran a 53/39 up front and a 12/19 freewheel at the back and tubulars that you had to mount with messy glue. How time has moved on...
What was obsolete is now popular. the cycling world goes round and round. To each their own. when index shifting came out, I loved it. I still love it. Friction shifters are fine for those who like them. Any day now I expect that clipless pedals will be set by the wayside and rattrap pedals will make a comeback. A side note, how many of you got rid of your old bike or bikes years ago and now wish you still had it? Been there done that, I am now hesitant to get rid of any bike I own. They each have something about them that I like.
I have Paul Thumbies on my gravel/touring bike and love them. 3x7,8,9,10,11? Shifts them all just fine with 9/10/11 speed derailleurs. Freaking awesome
I applaud you for bringing the tried and trusted frictions into the light
I have 2 daily downtube riders from the early 80s
Never do you have to adjust anything except the clutch and now that’s just habit to constantly give a little tightening twist after a shift or 2 and if a sudden hill sneaks in with a simple flip you are in a lower or the lowest gear instantly no indexing ...👍🏻
Best part is everyone asking at events or bicycling get togethers how I can shift with the downtubes or even worse seeing my dinosaur tech keeping pace with the newest and greatest gotta haves
I use an old down tube front shifter from the 80s to shift an Advent 9 speed. All kinds compatible (ish).
I have a 90's hybrid that I built as a 1x7 cheapo gravel/utility bike with a thumb shifter, and my older Trek Elance still has friction downtube levers.
I've tried the bar-end shifters in friction mode ... and what I didn't like was the bar-end shifters. Friction mode was fine, and indeed for a flat handlebar bike it would be cool. I have 9-speed (x 2), 10 speed (x2) and 11-speed (only one) bikes at the moment, and they're all set up with Shimano indexing, which works great. The 10year old 105 on my cyclocross bike is dodo-dead, but generally speaking I find modern index setups to be reliable and suitable for me. Like most of your viewers (I suspect), I'm not riding the high-end latest anything. SLX on the mtb, 105 on the road, and cheap and cheerful on the around town e-bike.
I love friction shifters and have it on my titanium gravel bike. Modern bike (disc brakes, gravel geometry, large tires) and 2x8 friction shifters. I like getting off the beaten track and there are no batteries to fail or out of tune index shifting. I run a wide double crank and have mountain bike climbing gears and high gears for the roads connecting the dirt paths. Best of all worlds!
Love the bar end friction shifters on my Masi Giramondo. Very satisfying to use. One benefit not mentioned is the ability to go from you highest gear to lowest in one sweep. I recently converted my Cannondale Caad9 to a triple and finding the correct STI (new, not some abused thing) has been a chore. Had to eBay it from Taiwan. Almost impossible to find and setting up STI's is a chore.
@RollinRat I got it working very well, but quite a bit of homework and tinkering.
I bought the 10 speed microshift in January because of a broken thumb, it is still on my cross country mountain bike because I love it. I sold my xtr shifter.
Gevenalle and bar end shifters just flat out work for me. Currently running 1x9 Microsoft Advent bar end shifter setup on my bike and not sure I'd ever go back to brifters.
I recently got some thumbies from Paul’s components to put my bar end shifters on my surly LHT and I love them. So nice 👍
Try the VO thumbies. They use the same stud that you find on DT boss, so they're a lot easier to adjust.
Nice to see Gevenalle making another appearance. Great on a touring bike as they are compatible with MTB drivechains and MTB cable disc brakes. I love them.
I've been hesitating for a while but you have totally convinced me to try, Russ, thanks for this very useful breakdown:). And great to see you!
Just build a bike with a 2x11 mullet setup. Ultegra in the front and Deore in the rear with Microshift bar-ends. I specifically picked the MTB version because of their ability to switch between indexed and friction. Ran the bike with some vintage Sachs-Huret downtube shifter for a month while I was waiting for the bar-ends and it worked really well. It's hard to miss a shift when the cogs are so close together.
Everyone seems to be going old school these days, I never changed. Just because you can doesn't mean you have to, or, if it ain't broke don't fix it.
Also because solid roams bikes are so expensive. Especially getting carbon frames. Aluminum last for a while and take less damage.
Truly the way to go. I've been doing it since I started riding in the 80s. Will work with almost everything.
Have bar end and down tube shifters on two of my bikes. Never have any problems. Use them on a 3x8 and on a 1x11. They just work!
I was riding my dads 90’s mtb and it had twist shifters on the front derailure and it made so much sense bc you can adjust little bit each time unlike the ones we got today.
You can sweep the whole cassette in one go too. I have a vintage road bike with down tube shifters and love how simple and fool proof it is. May try to figure out how to get it on my MTB
Your content actually made me consider getting a friction shifter. I might try it sometime in the future.
I have bikes with indexed shifters and bikes with friction shifters. They both have their place. Some of my favorite bikes have friction shifters. There is a skill to be developed in using them. You need to learn to go slowly and smoothly and then to adjust or "trim" the lever to ensure that the chain is centered on the rings. Not hard to acquire, just takes some practice. They've never let me down. The only negative really is having to reach for them. That can be solved by mounting them onto your brake levers, but not every one wants to do that obviously.
always a pleasure to tune in-thanks
I love my Surly LHT with friction shifters!
If I ever get a real road bike, it will be a Long Haul Trucker. I am in the market for a Bridge Club right now, or actually for the past year, and it's impossible to find one. In the meantime, I have a Specialized Alibi, more of a commuter bike, and added Surly ET 41mm tires. I have a Specialized Pizza Rack on the front and a Bontrager rack on the back. It's my affordable touring set up. I really would love a Bridge Club in a 650b.
Agree. Retro combo for a L'Eroica bike race. Campagnolo Nouvo Record RD/Sachs-Huret Simplex shifters. Smooth, quiet never an issue. :)
A while ago I picked up a 1970s road bike with friction shifters on the frame. I am a bit biased, as I live my vintage everything, but there's just a charm to ride old bikes with "outdated" technology. I pretty much only ride vintage bikes, it's all I own now
Running an 11 speed rear mec with generic friction shifters? Hell yeah!!!!! Awesome video.
i'm really interested to know how to drill the friction shifter onto the front of a brake lever?
If you're referring to the brake levers seen in the video, those are made by a company - Gevenalle.
I put friction shifter on every bike. There especially good to teach kids how gears work and they last. We have two sets that have been round the world faultlessly changing and needing little but easy maintenance, There perfect on our Tandem the initial double length cable stretch can be a real pain for indexing. Friction shifters mean it s as simple as listening and feel gto get perfectly smooth longer lived drive train.
Friction shifters are great for tri bars, also super light. Plus, once you get adept at using them, you can "jump" the chain across the cassette.
I installed bar-end shifters on my drop-bar hybrid and used friction shifting for a while. But then I needed to replace the rear wheel and installed an 8-speed cassette which matched the 8-speed indexing on my shifter, and am extremely happy to be back in the index-shifting camp! I just like being able to give the shifter a quick click and trust that it'll hit the right gear without keeping my hand down there to adjust.
I'm finding that because of the built-in cable stops on thumb shifters, they are easier to mount just about anywhere. You can find large 40 mm clamps with friction mounts on them for down tubes or top tubes. I working a 3-speed freewheel with a Shimano derailer on a BMX show bike. Since the BMX frame is single-speed speed it has no cable stops for shifting so want to use the shortest piece of cable, also the thumb shifters have cable stops that work bette. I want to turn the shifter mount on top so it's easy to use left or right-handed and hide the mount and cable under BMX top tube padding, one of the checkered handlebar donuts under the shifter lever to help cover and reinforce the hole I cut in the padding. It feels comfy about 2/3rds of the way up the top tube that is where I'll put it.
After seeing this video, I cannibalized a couple non-running bikes. I stole the downtube clamp style friction shifters off my old Turin road cycle, as well as the crank, front derailleur, and brake lever from my other Walmart bike. I put the friction shifters on the handle bar and used the other parts to convert my 1x7 commuter into a 2x7. It made a world of difference, and I love not having to tune anything but the limit screws. I applaud you good sir, now I can easily swap cassettes and sprockets in the future without worry about getting different shifters and cables.
I use a 9 speed Dia Compe Rivendell down tube shifter to a Suntour Cyclone 2 on a ramped 7 speed Shimano freewheel and chain . Because of the greater pull ratio the changing is really quick and the ramped sprockets and chain make the already smooth shifting Cyclone super slick . I also use the same levers on Campag Racing Triple with the same , super smooth results . Hot knife through butter in total silence , love it .
I have friction shifters on my vintage steel road bike, a 1982 Olmo Competition with full Campy Record, and I think they work great. It's fun to go back and shift from the downtube but it's just my get around bike so there's not a need for speedy shifting. You do have to plan your shifts better for hills and whatnot but it works fine. My normal road bike has electronic shifting and for me friction shifters just bring me back to when I started riding and fell in love with it in the first place. So, now it's more a novelty and for nostalgia sake but it's something that still works.
I’ve got a set of Ultegra bar ends on my bike and I have no plans to change them. They work perfectly with many different setups and always will.
Funny how back in the 1980's that changing your drop bars over to AllRoads and Tourist uprights was a big part of our shop's conversions
My dad's old Nishiki had friction shifters. I loved that bike.
Grew up with friction, I will keep my indexed! properly maintained and it reliable. World tour would be my only possible exception .
A bit like rim V discs, I grew up at the top of a large hill riding rim brakes down it in the wet to school..... I will keep my discs ;-)
Love friction shifters. Have them on 3 bikes, randem, folding bike, and touring bike. Really like them on the bar ends. Not a problem using them at all.
I use O.G. retroshift in my fargo. They are a keeper.
Do you have a 2x? Bar end? I also have a Fargo, 2019, and the most frustrating thing for me is the need to constantly fix the shifting on the front
When I started commuting it was on a bike with friction down tube shifters, you eventually start to build "muscle memory indexing". Had no problem using friction in that context.
I've got various gevenelle shifters on all 6 of my bicycles. (2 road, 1 tandem, 3 tourers) Friction all the way baby. Perfect for cycle touring.
I ride a drop bar touring bike with 700c x 50mm tires and 2x12 slx drivechain controlled by microshift bar end shifters. Works like a charm ! 👌
Party pace as a component is the friction shifter.
Didn't like them at first but now i love them.
You can't beat truth, experience and common sense. Thank you.
Yep, after switching to bar ends I never want to run anything else.
@RollinRat I accidently shift sometimes when I load it on the bus bike-rack, but rarely when I'm riding.