Thanks all! I've been reading up on friction shifting, and I'll tell you what....I'm going with friction shifting! Old school, like on my 1981 Kia 3 speed! It actually seems like the best option. Very forgiving, evidently. Not hard to master. And I typically only use 3 rear gears, if that. In fact, it wasn't until I installed the bar end shifter that I noticed for the first time that my derailleur wasn't shifting into the smallest cog. And, am I right that with friction shifting I can just slap an 11 or 12 speed cassette on and continue to use my 9-speed Derailleur? Is that true or some kind of fantasy that I'm reading about?