blamester

Hi
I have brifters and i don't like them so i am definitely going with dts.
My last bike had dura ace index dt shifters and i loved them but they are pricey.
So how good are friction shifters.I had them as a kid and my mtb has friction thumb shifter and they work very good on it.

Preynmantis

All a matter of preference. Some love them, some don't

On a bike I intend on riding spiritedly, I prefer index, no guessing. On my touring bike, I am ok with the friction, but it helps that it is a nice set up.

You'll find people with everything you need to go indexed and it won't break the bank. I have a full setup of Shimano 600 tricolor for indexed just sitting here.

Oldpeddaller

Well I'm happy to use them, but then again index hadn't been invented when I raced as a junior! I find that trimming the change is a whole lot easier with the flexibility of derailleur position that friction shifters provide. If you're accustomed to using index shifting then they do take a little getting used to, but in my experience it's instinctive; after all, how many people look at the gearstick on their car to see which gear they are changing to? On a bike the correct gear is the one you can pedal best in at that time so you feel through your legs which way to push the lever and if the chain grates, move it back a tiny bit until the noise stops. You can also fit a wheel with a different number of sprockets and it'll work - might have to adjust the limit screws but that's usually all.

I also like brifters and index DT shifters on more modern bikes in my collection but slightly prefer friction DT shifters over both. Still to try out stem shifters though!

blamester

Thanks for that i'm leaning toward index, i should have checked out the friction setting on my last bike to know.
I need 9 spd index and it is nearly a hundred euros here where as you can get some friction shifers for 20.
Tricolor doesn't go 9 spd but i will need levers.
Cheers

Chombi

In the end, Friction is like a violin while indexed is like a piano. One has keys that you use to get you the right notes and chords while the other depends mostly on the player's tactile and muscle memory. Both can play great music but just in different ways. I suspect though that there were a lot of cyclist that went into Indexed shifting when it first came out and never looked back as it does have its advantages.
I stay with friction with my bikes because that's just what I'm used to and I try to stay away from using indexed in case............I also end up not coming back to friction because I'd like it so much. I just always preferred the idea of the most minimalist approach in shifting that comes with friction..........it does not help too that I love weight weenie builds, so the simpler the system is, the better it is for me.

Chombi

Oldpeddaller

Well explained Sir!

norskagent

7 or less, friction
8 or more, indexed

blamester

I get the deal with dts over brifters you can feel the chain catching the teeth of the next gear and the cable tension thru lever,but with 9spd will the throw on the lever be too small for each gear and trimming too delicate for comfort.
I was still typing when you answered norskagen
Exactly what i was thinking

zukahn1

I have found that with modern freewheels/cassetes and chains that better quality friction shifters works great. Yet if your used to index shifting and haven't done a lot of riding on friction shifters the transition could be a little difficult. For those of us that started out riding old school friction shifters with unramped freewheels it doesn't seem to matter much if the bike is well setup.

auchencrow

I'll admit I am a dyed in the wool friction fan: I have one indexed Shimano 600 on one bike and don't like it at all.

The thing about friction is that if you ever have a problem shifting, it's the shifter on the saddle, not the DT, that's the problem.

zukahn1

+1 After working in a bike coop for while now I have found that the majority of shifter problems are related to the shifter in the saddle.

Bill Kapaun

I went from 7 through 9 speed with "good" friction thumb shifters.
In my case, my shifting got more precise due to the ergodynamics of my particular thumb and shifter locations.
With 7, I pushed and than had to push more. 8 speed I'd push and then push a bit more. On 9, I hit the gear about 95% with just the push.

Then I got a 2nd bike with good index shifting and my friction shifting got ridiculously bad.
I put identical index shifters on the 1st bike so I didn't have to remember how to shift each time I climbed on the "other" bike.

Sirrus Rider

Norsk, I'm mostly with you my caveat that I'd add is "Any bike from '87 onwards that came with 6 or 7 Indexed leave indexed. " Now if this is a custom build then yeah I can't fault the logic of 7 and below friction.

blamester

Well i just checked and it seems i have paid my utilities and i didn't realise , also wiggle have dura ace 9spd index with friction option for 60 euro
which i can afford.
So i can have both but i'm sure to use only index.

r0ckh0und 

Trail riding on my MTB I could'nt live without the indexing. On the road or paths I prefer the friction as it is easier to ride by the seat of your pants.

cpsqlrwn

I just assembled a 10 speed Campy friction setup using Simplex retrofriction shifters with an IRD 12-28 cassette for a better range both lower and upper (Campy does 13-29) and it works beautifully, just enough cable pull to comfortably make the whole range of gears. I found the touch on the shifters to be a very quick adjustment (going to the closer spaced 10 speed) and the shifting is very clean.

Bianchigirll 

Except for a classic 3Spd shifter and gripshift I have just about everything. Personaly I think DT index is the greatest thing since slice bread (which I learned something interesting about lately). I have 3 bikes with "brifter" and while I like the convience of them I can't but help to think I am shifting too much.

I remember when I got into cycling seriously in '87 and the guys I rode with talking about how they shifter more often because on indexing, making it sound like a bad thing. I am still not sure whether those statements were for better or worse but I find myself wondering if I am shifting too much simply because I have brifters and I don't have to reach for a shifter.

If your going to go to DT shifter get "Retrofriction" or get index shifters and run them in friction.

RobbieTunes 

Sunrace 9sp indexed for Shimano and SRAM.
$20 shipped, maybe extra for across the big water....

JohnDThompson 

Those are probably the ideal friction shifters for that setup. Not only are they great shifters, but the small Simplex barrel means they pull less cable than most other friction shifters and thus give you better adjustment over a 10-cog cluster.

ThermionicScott 

Such an elegant analogy!

Giacomo 1 

While I do like friction shifting, and my Shimano 600 provides both friction and index, I normally ride urban and way to often I simply don't have the time to trim a friction shift. It's just to dangerous. Heck, there are times I don't even have time to reach down and grab another gear with index shifting. So I think the type of riding you do is important when trying to figure out what DT shifter to use.

Oh, I love my Shimano 600!

Chrome Molly 

I have found that friction shifting with the modern hyperglide style cassettes and freewheels doesn't give much away to indexing. I'm happily surprised at how friction shifting can give you that perfect "nailed it" sound and feel that indexing does (about 95% of the time) with the modern design cogs.