Originally Posted by
snarkypup
I still don't get the indexed vs. friction thing. How can a gear be incrementally on or off? Isn't it either on the cog, or not on the cog? So when would one want to switch to a friction set up? Mine is currently on indexed. But I can switch, at least the smaller cogs. Why would I do that? When would it be useful?
Indexed shifters have detents, or clicks, built in. They move the derailleur a set amount from one gear to the next. Friction shifting does not have those clicks, but is infinitely variable, so you can move the derailleur anywhere (within its movement range). This means you can hit gears, or kind of hit them, or maybe miss. As mentioned before, you need to listen to the sound to tell whether you are right in the middle of a gear or not, and make adjustments accordingly.
In your situation, I'm not sure you would ever want to switch to friction.