Originally Posted by
Eric F
Indexed shifting has been around for a pretty long time (40-ish years - not exactly “modern”, for bike technology). It has proven to be VERY reliable.
Longer than that, actually. Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hubs had indexed shifting starting in 1903. Modern, derailleur-based indexed shifting is much newer, as you note, and has become pretty reliable, albeit more complex, and potentially more expensive and difficult to service than friction shifting (getting a frayed cable out of an STI lever can be a challenge, and replacing a worn unit is often more cost effective than rebuilding it, and some grip-shift units are not worth bothering trying to service). Friction vs indexed is analogous to manual vs automatic transmission in automobiles. There is a learning curve in achieving quick, reliable friction shifting, but as my music teacher daughter put it, it's like learning to play the trombone: practice enough and your hand eventually learns where it has to stop.