"...no reason to give up on the brifters unless you just prefer friction
(as I do...) -- Zachary Cannon.
I hear you clearly. I've run bar end shifters since the late '70's and
prefer friction.
First set, and still going, were an early Dura-Ace set shifting a Normandy
5-speed with a Huret Jubilee then a SunTour Ultra-6 with a SunTour Cyclone
then a Huret DuoPar Eco). A flexible setup.
When I purchased my Hilson in 2010 I had Rivendell put on Dura-Ace
SL-BS77's which could switch between indexing and friction mated to a
Shimano CS-HG61 12-36 9-speed and an XT long cage rear. I tried indexing
for a couple of years then switched to friction only. Every now and then I
try indexing again but soon back to friction.
Friction:
Advantages:
* Hands on handlebars all the time. Important with a touring load, if a
shimmy develops, and shifting when putting max power down.
* Not needing to reach "way down". Important for same reasons above plus
no time loss shifting to reach down and back up. This is even more
important as the decades have passed.
Disadvantages:
* Need to fine tune shifting after most shifts (trivial with experience).
Indexing:
Advantages:
* Click and you've shifted to the next gear.
Disadvantages:
* Due to slight cable stretch or slippage, the indexing drifts out of
adjustment.
There is often no correction without getting off the bike and tuning
various adjusters.
With friction you simply make the adjustment with the shift lever.
* Multiple clicks to change over multiple gears.
With friction the multi-gear change is a smooth motion over the
several gears, then a fine adjustment.
So, as a retrogrouch, I find friction shifting to be more reliable and
trouble free.
GAJett
On Sat, Apr 11, 2026 at 8:57 PM Zachary Cannon <[email protected]> wrote:
> This seems to be the case: 11 speed road doesn't look to have friction.
> 10/11/12 speed mountain all work would work with your rear derailleur in
> friction mode.
> Shimano bar end shifters stopped having friction with 10 speed.
> Dura Ace and Ultegra rear derailleurs are interchangeable if they are both
> 11 speed.
>
> On another note: I don't think dialing the indexing on the bar end shifter
> will be any easier than on a brifter. Each requires achieving the right
> tension. So no reason to give up on the brifters unless you just prefer
> friction (as I do, so know judgment).
>
> Youtube is your friend here. There should be quite a few videos for any
> Shimano rear derailleur. When I've been stuck, I've found videos useful for
> sorting out the shifting for a particular model.
>
> This may sound jaded, but I suspect I'm not the only person who took over
> their own bike maintainance after having one too many shop mishaps.
>
> Good luck! Zach in ABQ
>
> On Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 3:26:36 PM UTC-6 Ben Miller wrote:
>
>> I think I might have responded to Patrick's message directly already, or
>> it just got lost...
>>
>> But an 11 spd MTB shifter in friction will certainly shift an 11 spd road
>> RD. It just can not be indexed.
>>
>> On Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 2:18:56 PM UTC-7 [email protected]
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I currently run the shifter below with a gevanelle/microshift 10 speed
>>> rear derailleur, and I've used the 11 speed version of the shifter, the one
>>> you're interested in, on a medium cage 10 speed era ultra derailleur. I'd
>>> bet a paycheck it'll work. I'm using the shifter below on 4 bikes.
>>>
>>> microSHIFT | Right Bar End...
>>> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YF3ZW9L?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
>>>
>>>
>>> Fair winds,
>>>
>>> Captain Conway Bennett
>>> 239.877.4119 <(239)%20877-4119>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Apr 11, 2026, 3:48 PM Patrick Moore <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Conway: Please elucidate: are you saying that the MS 11 speed ROAD BES
>>>> have a friction option? That’s not what their website seems to say, tho’
>>>> damn them, vendors are never, ever precise about product specs.
>>>>
>>>> 12 speed no go, as my cassette is 11 sp and I want an indexing fallback
>>>> to any friction option. Also, all black.
>>>>
>>>> Curious, question for all: will *Dura Ace* 11 sp BES work with
>>>> *Ultegra* 11 sp *road* cassettes?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> https://www.ebay.com/itm/125882095548?epid=2255520713&itmmeta=01KNZ4NJB726GW4WCHST8ZSNPE&hash=item1d4f2857bc:g:klcAAeSw95tpwBrJ&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAA4DKQclQvzFwZQpmMrsO4LurZvTdUPSVGUpq2Qt6OYtHq5fEKyvotROm70bRqHb9bDYMs9MYAoz0QxYJFcHWIAXoqrgWb3oOC0QPPdyUP5Cfvezp5Yqg694zIYfaqAB01u6n4tQVwzwH2I0wz64JHhG2mEVAqrCQ8FQlWjxuEj83cqnaK0JOBm2noKLOjqO3EVQ5a9x5HnNLbxFfcS2Pml5I%2BrsmkP%2B%2Foi5O3AcNgyPMsVp8IwqGYkVY1OB45WZscLnlOb8Yoy1DzK5vLmy%2Bj3YO3ZXpgvet%2BB%2Fv0C4R4t5Lm%7Ctkp%3ABFBM3KXW5K9n
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Apr 11, 2026 at 2:38 PM Conway Bennett <[email protected]>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Tldr--i just learned that, but I assure the microshift bar ends shifts
>>>>> friction. Jus buy the 12 speed version though, but know that there are a
>>>>> Shimano and sram version.
>>>>
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