So you’ve time travelled back to the 1980s and all the bikes have friction shifters and you have no idea how to ride them? No? Just going on a lovely long touring adventure and want hassle free, low maintenance shifting? Yes!
We are going to look into these classic pieces of bicycle kit and why they could change your modern day touring life.
Just quick…..
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Let’s get back to the article
Let’s talk shifters
Shifters are the bits of kit that you use to change gear. They come in all shapes and sizes and different types of riding favour different types of shifters. It also depends on what cassette or gear hub you have. For example, our previous article on the Rohloff hub explained that a special type of twist shifter was needed for this. Most modern drop bar road bikes are fitted with integrated indexed shift/brake systems from Shimano or similar. However, you may have noticed the touring community still favouring the old school bar end or friction shifters. Why is this?
What are indexed shifters?
Most bikes these days have indexed shifters, this means you have preset outlined parameters to shift to. Think of this at the modern digital shifter.
What are bar end shifters?
These are gear shifters that sit at the end of your bars, whether that’s drop or straight bars. They have levers that you click one way to shift up and one way to shift down, so are also indexed. Each hand controls a different derailleur. These can be transformed into friction shifters if the indexing fails.
What are friction shifters?
Friction shifters are a sliding scale of control. There’s no clicking. You simply push or pull the lever to slide your derailleur up or down. Again, you have one lever for the front and one for the rear. They are sometimes called down tube shifters but can be found in lots of different places, wherever you find it the most convenient. These are the timeless analog gear shifters.
Why do the touring community love them so much?
The main reason is that they are low maintenance and have a very, very long lifespan. The integrated shift/brake systems have hundreds of tiny springs and parts to them, meaning there is more chance for something to go wrong and less chance of you being able to mend it when it does. That isn’t saying they break regularly, these days the integrated systems are pretty reliable. However, if you’re in a crash they are much more likely not to survive than a bar end or friction shifter.
Then there is the cost. If you do have to replace them the integrated system can cost between $400 and $700 which is not what you want when you’re living out of your panniers. A bar end or friction system can be around $120 and is much easier to replace, should you ever need to. You don’t necessarily need a new shifter that matches your old one. Generally, you can mix and match brands with these. Unlike integrated systems where you can see different brands calibrating the indexing differently meaning often you can’t interchange them.
You can shift through multiple gears at once. The friction shifter is a sliding lever, you can just push it all the way and shift through your whole range. They also stay in position so you can remember where you left yourself.
When you’re speeding around on your road bike you don’t want to be taking your hands off the bars or brakes when you’re in a busy area or going at high speeds. Most likely you’ll end up with a face full or tarmac. This is why bar end or friction shifters are not ideal here. However, when touring you are going at much slower speeds and you can choose where the shifter goes for your greatest comfort. Traditionally, friction shifters were placed on the down tube . These days you can put them anywhere! You can get friction shifters at the end of your bars, either side of your head tube, on your down tube, on your top tube, ones you shift with your thumbs, ones you shift with your palms and everything in between.
Pros of friction shifters
- Multi gear shifting in one push/pull
- Low maintenance
- Low cost
- Easy to replace
- Long lifespan
- Able to be placed anywhere for comfort/preference of rider
- Less wear and tear on cables
- Complete control of chain friction
- Bar end shifter are very convenient on drop bars
- You can mix and match parts
- Bar end indexed shifters can become friction shifters in the event of failure
- Lightweight
- No need to tune
- Can be used on all bar styles
Cons of friction shifters
- Needing to move hands from bars or around bars to change gear
- Old pieces of kit which may not be stocked in generic bike shops
- The more gears on your cassette the harder it is to friction shift.
- Difficult to get used to after using indexed systems
- Cannot be used with Rohloff speedhub
Friction shifters for touring
To conclude, using friction shifters or bar end shifters whilst touring will significantly reduce your chance of shift failure. They are simple and easy to use, lightweight and easily replaceable. One less thing to worry about.
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