Originally Posted by
Kapusta
Only reason I would go back to friction would be…. shoot, I’m coming up empty here.
Maybe if I were spending a long time cycling through a remote part of the world? But
i’ve got no plans to do that.
Just for fun and a change of pace on a classic/vintage bike? It is fun - for me anyway.
Same reason some people like manual shifting in a classic - outdated, obsolete, weird - car. And those people can still enjoy and appreciate a modern automatic transmission, on a modern comfortable car as well as whatever modern bike technology brings our way.
As a marginally related example -ratcheting up the discussion from friction/indexed to mechanical/electronic: my wife and I have - and really enjoy - electronic shifting bikes with hydraulic disc brakes. But when it comes to extensive travel away from home with our RV, often in rural areas (read sparse and basic bike shops), cable shifting and brakes is better because of the more likely ability to find and replace every single part at least with something that will work. I doubt if I could even get an AXS battery locally in most of the places we travel.
So simplicity has a place sometimes. I said it was a marginally related example.