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Questions and answers about sports

Sora front derailleur friction shifter

5 min read

Asked by: Jeremy Rodriguez

Will friction shifters work with any derailleur?

Any derailleur will work with a friction shifter.

Are friction shifters good?

Conclusion: – Using friction shifters will dramatically reduce the chance of shifter failure on a bike tour. It is simple and easy to change gears and also just as simple and easy to tune.

Are friction shifters universal?

Friction shifters have a higher learning curve and require more conscious effort. However, they’re almost universally compatible, extremely durable, and often cheap to replace.

How do you use a friction shifter?


Quote from video: So what you're actually doing as as you move the shifter. You're pushing the chain. Over uh from the top to the bottom.

Do friction shifters click?

They only move your derailleur exactly as much as you push the shifter, not telling you when the derailleur is in the right spot. Since there are no pre-set “clicks” or set amount of distance for the derailleur to move, it also means friction shifters are compatible with any amount of gears.

Can I use a 3x shifter on 2x FD?

Lennard Zinn says you can use your 3x shifters on a 2x drivetrain.

Can paddle shifters damage engine?

It works for upshifts too. The transmission will not allow you to select a high gear if the speed is too low. So there is no risk of damaging your vehicle’s transmission if you paddle down (or up) rapidly.

What is the purpose of the friction gear?

This type of gear consists of two of more wheels. These wheels are normally covered in leather or rubber. The covering in a flat faced gear allows the gear to produce more friction as the wheels come into contact with one another. Frictional engagement can also be increased by adjusting the wheels.

Why are short shifters better?

As the name implies, a short shifter has shorter throws than the stock one. Your hand travels less, which speeds up shifts and makes it easier to keep your engine revs high for maximum power. Additionally, it means you spend less time with just one hand on the wheel.

Do shifters and derailleurs have to match?

As a general rule of thumb, it’s best not to mix and match drivetrain components from different brands. While things such as cranks, chains and cassettes are mostly inter-compatible between brands, generally speaking, shifters and derailleurs aren’t.

Can you use any shifters with any derailleurs?

No, different maker or different model with different number of “speed” shifters have different pull ratio (i.e. the length of cable pulled by a single shift). Usually it’s safe to use different model with same number of gears from the same maker.

Can you use a flight stick as a shifter?

PSA: using a flight stick as a sequential shifter works great, is easy to set up and feels amazing. I have a T-Flight HOTAS X flight stick that I decided to hook up to my truck rig just for fun, turns out ATS/ETS allow you to bind the gear up and gear down to the stick’s axis and it works a treat.

Does a quick shifter hurt your bike?

However, it has been known that quick shifters can damage your motorcycle’s gearbox. Quick shifters should not cause any damage to the gearbox because it cut the fuel and/or spark during the shift time which makes the shifting easier on the transmission with no loading during that split second shift change.

Does shifting fast damage Synchros?

If the RPM’s are a very close match, the wear on the synchro is minimal, regardless of how fast the shift is done, because there’s just not much mismatch to take up. So it’s true, but in a well matched shift, the difference is inconsequential.

How do you know if your shifter is bad?

Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Shift Selector Cable

  1. Indicator doesn’t match the gear.
  2. Vehicle will not turn off.
  3. Vehicle starts in another gear.
  4. Vehicle will not go into gear.


Can you use any shifters with any derailleurs?

No, different maker or different model with different number of “speed” shifters have different pull ratio (i.e. the length of cable pulled by a single shift). Usually it’s safe to use different model with same number of gears from the same maker.

Do derailleurs and shifters have to match?

As a general rule of thumb, it’s best not to mix and match drivetrain components from different brands. While things such as cranks, chains and cassettes are mostly inter-compatible between brands, generally speaking, shifters and derailleurs aren’t.

Can I use Shimano derailleur with SRAM shifters?

Shimano rear derailleurs cannot operate properly with indexed SRAM shifters due to the dissimilar cable pulls.

Can I use SRAM grip shifter with Shimano derailleur?

No, SRAM grip shifters will not work with a Shimano road derailleur. The SRAM 11 speed grip shift units I found online use what SRAM calls x-Actuation which means a derailleur actuation ratio (length cable pulled to derailleur movement) of 1:1.12.

Can you mix and match SRAM and Shimano?

SRAM’s cassettes and chains are compatible with all of Shimano’s groupsets, and vice versa. Likewise, Shimano and SRAM buyers have the freedom to mix different levels of chains and cassettes so long as they are designed for the same kind of transmission.

What is SRAM force equivalent to in Shimano?

Shimano Ultegra

SRAM Force – Force is often looked at as an equivalent to Shimano Ultegra but this is a groupset which has been used by pro teams. It is available in 10 or 11-speed versions and in disc and rim brake versions. Force is also available from SRAM as a 1x setup which can be used on road, cyclocross and adventure bikes.