Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

Best 3x6 Friction thumb shifters

Search
Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

Best 3x6 Friction thumb shifters

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 01-10-22, 08:11 PM
  #1  
Full Member
Thread Starter
 
OutnBack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Metro Atlanta
Posts: 343

Bikes: 83 Diamond Back Ridge Runner, 85 Rockhopper, 85 Schwinn Cimarron, 89 Stumpjumper Comp, 91 Bridgestone RBT

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 109 Post(s)
Liked 108 Times in 61 Posts
Best 3x6 Friction thumb shifters

I've always loved the Suntour Power thumbies. Right now I'm rehabbing a mid-80s Fuji Sundance. I've got both the afore mention Suntour shifters, as well as a set of 1st gen Deer Head XT SL M700 friction shifters. FD is a Suntour Mountech & the RD is a Huret DuoPar Eco.
Would welcome opinions from those who have used both...many thanks!
OutnBack is offline  
Old 01-10-22, 08:34 PM
  #2  
Full Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Upper third of the central USA
Posts: 492

Bikes: N+1

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 229 Post(s)
Liked 652 Times in 319 Posts
The Suntour power shifters are the bee's knees. Full stop.
JulesCW is offline  
Likes For JulesCW:
Old 01-11-22, 10:06 AM
  #3  
Senior Member
 
dweenk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Maryland
Posts: 3,800

Bikes: Lots of English 3-speeds, a couple of old road bikes, 3 mountain bikes, 1 hybrid, and a couple of mash-ups

Mentioned: 53 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 887 Post(s)
Liked 335 Times in 225 Posts
Suntour Power.
dweenk is offline  
Likes For dweenk:
Old 01-12-22, 11:59 AM
  #4  
feros ferio
 
John E's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: www.ci.encinitas.ca.us
Posts: 21,798

Bikes: 1959 Capo Modell Campagnolo; 1960 Capo Sieger (2); 1962 Carlton Franco Suisse; 1970 Peugeot UO-8; 1982 Bianchi Campione d'Italia; 1988 Schwinn Project KOM-10;

Mentioned: 44 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1393 Post(s)
Liked 1,326 Times in 837 Posts
SunTour XCD ain't bad, either.
__________________
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
John E is offline  
Old 01-12-22, 06:48 PM
  #5  
Ride, Wrench, Swap, Race
 
dddd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 9,194

Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.

Mentioned: 132 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1565 Post(s)
Liked 1,296 Times in 866 Posts
M700 Stag's Head, featuring UniShift (stepless retrofriction).

Suntour had equivalent levers, but the Shimano's are my fave.
dddd is offline  
Old 01-13-22, 06:36 PM
  #6  
Extraordinary Magnitude
 
The Golden Boy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Waukesha WI
Posts: 13,647

Bikes: 1978 Trek TX700; 1978/79 Trek 736; 1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport; 1984 Schwinn Voyageur SP; 1985 Trek 620; 1985 Trek 720; 1986 Trek 400 Elance; 1987 Schwinn High Sierra; 1990 Miyata 1000LT

Mentioned: 84 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2608 Post(s)
Liked 1,703 Times in 937 Posts
I don't know of Suntour using the 1985-ish Sprint ultra fine ratcheting in both levers- if they did that- that would be awesome. I think it was used on XC Pro and XC Comp shifters for the left side.

However- the old-school Power Shifters are great- these versions are my favorite:


__________________
*Recipient of the 2006 Time Magazine "Person Of The Year" Award*

Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!

"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
The Golden Boy is offline  
Old 01-16-22, 08:49 PM
  #7  
Recovering Bikeaholic
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Lambertville
Posts: 171

Bikes: 84 Specialized Expedtion, 85 StumpJumper, 85 Schwinn Cimarron, 2019 VO Polyvalent, 2007 Niner MCR, 2008 Niner SIR

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 47 Posts
Two of the best...

I too love the SunTour slightly better, shifting ergonomics is superior... But a pair of highly polished Shimano M700s are beyond compare, IMO
montclairbobbyb is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.