Chuck wrote:
> Actually the spring in a Simplex Retrofriction down tube shift
> lever operated as a clutch and not as a spring to oppose the
> force of the rear derailleur.
Quite right. There was one shifter where the spring actually did oppose the rear derailleur spring - the pre-indexing Shimano bar-end (70s - early 80s).
These work well too but can be a tad annoying at times. For instance, to install a new cable, you have to clamp down on the friction adjustment or they spring to the opposite end of their throw from where you want. And I've had them attached to a derailleur with a weaker spring than normal, and they tended to drift like a friction shifter - except in the opposite direction. In this case it was a front derailleur that would creep toward the big chainring if I didn't have the friction adjusted high enough.
I like 'em better than Suntours though - never did like the ratcheting all that much. And I agree with Jerry Moos that Suntours were not "retrofriction".
Mark Bulgier
Seattle, Wa
USA