The FFS stands for Front Freewheel System, a technology introduced by Shimano for the 1977 model year. When derailleur equipped bicycle sales skyrocketed in the early 1970s, many owners had problems shifting. FFS was intended to address this issue. By installing a freewheel mechanism from the front chainwheels, the rear wheel continued to drive the chain even when coasting or back pedaling, allowing shifts to be executed under these situations. The rear sprockets also had a freewheeI, though it had higher resistance than the FFS and was called a friction freewheel. This way, if the if the rider got a pant leg caught in the chain, the rear sprockets would free.hwheel.
It may seem strange these days but many cyclists new to derailleurs had problems with pedaling while removing one hand from the bars to move the shift lever, which was common on the 10 speeds in fashion at the time. As a result FFS was spec'd almost exclusively on entry level models, such as the subject bicycle. However, it was never a big seller and was quietly discontinued in the early 1980s. The problems were twofold; it added extra cost to a bicycle that people were considering due to low cost and people were reluctant to admit that were intimidated by derailleurs. There were so many entry level 10 speeds that were never shifted after they left the salesroom. Many became garage and basement queens after a handful of rides.