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SIS friction mode vs old friction shifters?

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SIS friction mode vs old friction shifters?

Old 08-12-19, 06:16 PM
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SIS friction mode vs old friction shifters?

It seems to me that the suntour blueline shifters on the Lotus Unique I used to have shifted quieter than my Shimano SIS shifters in the
friction mode.The shimano shifters shift ok but you still get the fairly loud click from on gear to the next, you just cant feel the click in the shifter.
If I remember right the old Suntour shifter seemed much smoother going from one gear to the next.
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Old 08-12-19, 08:19 PM
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Gary Fountain
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The older Suntour shifters may have been retrofriction which changed really well. I'm afraid I don't know the other ones you list.
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Old 08-12-19, 10:24 PM
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Originally Posted by robertj298
It seems to me that the suntour blueline shifters on the Lotus Unique I used to have shifted quieter than my Shimano SIS shifters in the
friction mode.The shimano shifters shift ok but you still get the fairly loud click from on gear to the next, you just cant feel the click in the shifter.
If I remember right the old Suntour shifter seemed much smoother going from one gear to the next.
The "friction" mode on SIS shifters is more like a series of tiny detents than a true friction shifter. Some people hate that, but the shifters do hold their position way better.
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Old 08-13-19, 09:48 AM
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The friction mode on my 9-speed DA downtube shifters is worthless. Won't hold a gear worth a damn no matter how tight I screw it in. Index mode is exact and reliable though.



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Old 08-13-19, 10:56 AM
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IME dedicated friction shifters generally function a lot better than SIS shifters in friction mode.
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Old 08-13-19, 11:20 AM
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^ Interesting to read those last two responses. My experiences might not match the majority's.
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Originally Posted by chandltp
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Originally Posted by noglider
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Old 08-13-19, 11:25 AM
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I've got Shimano 8 speed bar end shifters on my Ironman. While they worked in SIS mode with the 7 speed Shimano 6400 drive train, it was still a a bit clunky, so I switched to friction mode and it works flawlessly and is easily superior to Suntour Superbe or Cyclone setups I have on other bikes.
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Old 08-13-19, 12:00 PM
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Simplex Retro-friction are the best downtube shifters I've ever used (non-index).

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Old 08-13-19, 12:53 PM
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I have a variety of friction and friction/index shifters. The Suntour ratcheting and pure friction (and Rivendell Silver) shifters are the smoothest. Shimano 8-speed Ultegra bar-ends work in friction or index mode (I also have some on Paul thumbies) do have micro-detents in friction mode, but they don't have clicks between gears. As much as I love the Suntour pure friction levers, they do need tension adjustments from time to time with the D-ring and the Shimano's don't seem to need that. It's not a problem , just different.

I haven't ever had an opportunity to use the Simplex that everyone seems to love, so I can't say how they compare. My favorites are the Rivendell Silvers.

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Old 08-13-19, 01:05 PM
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Originally Posted by ThermionicScott
^ Interesting to read those last two responses. My experiences might not match the majority's.
I think with the huge variety of shifters out there, the real answer has to be -- it depends.
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Old 08-13-19, 02:56 PM
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From the ones i used so far i liked these Hurets the most

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Old 08-13-19, 03:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Kovkov
From the ones i used so far i liked these Hurets the most

+1. They have a feeling of substance to them that I really like.
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