Gentlemen, and Ladies;
I can't help but put in my two cents worth here, and ask for advice/suggestions at the same time.
I would have to vote hands down for the gentle shifting action of the retrofriction/SLJ combo on my Peugeot rando bike that beats all the NR, SR, and Gran Sport Campy shifters in my humble collection. However, the C-Record friction shifters on Tony's old Legnano SLX are a close match to the Simplex units, and further back to back comparison is warranted before final judgement may be passed.
This season and last I have been riding my Olmo with Campy Gran Sport triple group for Randonneur brevets as a lighter and sportier alternative to the beloved Peugeot. It has Campy bar end shifters that become particularly troublesome when I am tired.
The lack of leverage with these units means that I have a great deal of difficulty in shifting silently between the middle range cogs (say 15 - 17), just where I spend the bulk of my riding. Going either direction I will often over shift past the cog that I want, or I am left with slowely moving the lever ever so slightly to the accompaniment of horrible noises before finally getting the desired cog. It works better from the middle ring vs. the big ring - which makes me shift the bike as if it were geared with half-step & a granny if I don't want to embarass myself in front of my friends.
I am tempted to try one of those do-hickies that Grant Petersen sells that will let me put a downtube shifter on the end of the bar just to get more leverage. Any suggestions?
I wonder how well Simplex bar-end shifters work in comparison?
Cheers,
Larry - chilly in Toronto - Strung