Originally Posted by GrannyGear
My Question::: ANYBODY ELSE OUT THERE STILL DOING FRICTION BY CHOICE ?
Yep - I friction shift. I do it because I like to swap components on my bike frequently (Campy to Shimano to Suntour). It becomes SIGNIFICANTLY harder to friction shift with more cogs on the cassette! 7-speed friction works fine; 8-speed friction is difficult; 9 or 10-speed friction just isn't doable for me. I'm currently running an 8-speed rear, and am thinking of either going back to index (just to avoid the excessive trimming that is required with friction) or going to a 7-speed cassette on my hub with a spacer.
Obviously, front friction is a no-brainer, even with triples.
Friction is the only way to fly if one wants to "mix and match" components.