View Poll Results: Friction vs indexed shifting?
Friction
15
57.69%
Indexed
11
42.31%
Voters: 26. You may not vote on this poll
Friction vs indexed shifting?
07-03-05, 09:20 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Friction vs indexed shifting?
Friction vs indexed shifting? which do you prefer and why?
My bike currently has bar-con friction. My uncle (who is a cyclist) says I should upgrade it to index shifting.
My other bike is my fast race bike and it does have STI so I know what that is like.
But for touring and commuting which do you think is better and why.
My bike currently has bar-con friction. My uncle (who is a cyclist) says I should upgrade it to index shifting.
My other bike is my fast race bike and it does have STI so I know what that is like.
But for touring and commuting which do you think is better and why.
07-04-05, 09:24 AM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: New England
Posts: 714
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
When I built up our last touring bike I could not find a set of 9-speed Shimano bar ends anyplace, or even a set of 8-speeds to use in friction mode untill I could get some. I tried new and used, E-bay, Gregs list etc. with out luck. What I did find was a N.O.S. pair of Sun Tour bar ends, and I installed them. Thinking I would just swap them out with a pair of indexed bar ends when I could get them.
But I don't miss the indexing, so Im not going to bother. The old shifters work fine with the 9 speed so why bother.
But I don't miss the indexing, so Im not going to bother. The old shifters work fine with the 9 speed so why bother.
__________________
Bentbaggerlen
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." - Arthur Conan Doyle
Bentbaggerlen
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." - Arthur Conan Doyle
07-04-05, 12:11 PM
#4
Quietly Desperate
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Woodinville, WA
Posts: 494
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Friction front and back. When I got my Atlantis built by Riv it came set indexed rear and friction front. That was cool and I rode with it for a while. Maybe it was the shipping, maybe cables stretch but pretty quickly I grew tired of the index not being perfect for each gear. So a switched to friction rear as well and now I always have perfect trim.
☞
07-04-05, 12:59 PM
#6
Immoderator
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: POS Tennessee
Posts: 7,630
Bikes: Gary Fisher Simple City 8, Litespeed Obed
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
I've got index on my MTB/commuter, downtube friction on my touring bike. Well, it's actually index/friction, but I never use the index option, and I don't miss it. Even if I wanted to use it, it's a 6 speed shifter with an 8 speed cassette shoved on the back, so I doubt it'd work! I've never had a problem finding the gear friction-shifting, and I've found that I have less problem the more cogs are on the rear, I assume because they're closer together. I've owned bikes with STI, and it's fine, but I like stuff I can fix in my garage if anything goes awry, instead of having to make an LBS trip. So disc brakes and STI are really not my cup of tea.
__________________
Originally Posted by Bikeforums
Your rights end where another poster's feelings begin.
07-04-05, 03:37 PM
#7
Macro Geek
Index... friction... no right answer. So much depends on your style of travel, destination(s), and mechanical savvy. My touring bike has STI brifters, and they are reliable for the kind of touring that I do (carrying credit card and one change of clothing), accurate and a pleasure to use. But I would want something more serviceable if I were heading out into the heart of darkness — in other words, more than a few hours away from a bicycle mechanic.
07-04-05, 06:23 PM
#8
Year-round cyclist
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Montréal (Québec)
Posts: 3,023
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Friction front.
On the rear, I have a slight preference for indexed. Indexed is better on the tandem or when travelling on gravel roads because I can't hear whether or not I am on gear.
On the rear, I have a slight preference for indexed. Indexed is better on the tandem or when travelling on gravel roads because I can't hear whether or not I am on gear.
07-04-05, 08:30 PM
#9
Displaced Yooper
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Great White North
Posts: 99
Bikes: Atlantis, Bridgestone, Trek, Cannondale, Osell
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I tend to use index, but see no strong preference. I like barcons best because they can do both in case index usually doesn't work. I think whatever you like is okay, there is no solid argument for either.
