Do friction shifters "return to centre"?

pianoman
pianoman Posts: 706
edited January 2012 in Workshop
I'm planning on buying a Cannondale Slice 2012 soon and noticed that the shifters are from Microshift. If I want to run a Campag set of wheels in this bike I'll need shifting that's compatible with the rear cassette. So I was thinking of plugging some Dia-Compe friction shifters in.

When you change gear on a friction shifter, do they still "click" into different positions at the bar end like the indexed ones do or does the friction cause them to "return to centre" like the SRAM R2C?

Comments

  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,673
    Friction shifters just move to where you put them to.
    No indexing and no return. It took a while to know just hw far to shift them.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    You shift on 'feel' with friction shifters i.e. you move the lever until it feels right and the chain noise dies down - it's quite an odd-feeling you have to re-learn after 20 odd years of indexing.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..