Do you have Shimano bar-end shifters? And are you less than passionate about indexed shifting? Or is your shifter giving you grief? Then help is at hand. Literally.

Not sure what indexed shifting is? OK. You’ve got it when the right lever (the one which shifts the rear mech, or derailleur) resounds with a solid CLICK each time you change gears. Each click-stop moves the chain to another cog on the rear cluster. At least that’s the idea. But it doesn’t always work out for the best. Indexed shifters are fussy beasts, and it can be a royal pain to keep your right shifter working as it should. And with indexed shifting you don’t get to tweak a misaligned shift from the saddle. It’s either spot on or…you’ve blown the shift. Period. That’s no fun in middle of a long climb. Which is why some cyclists—Farwell, for one—prefer the simplicity and tweakability of old-style friction shifting. Luckily, if you’ve got Shimano bar-end shifters, you can have it both ways. If you hanker after the simple life, you’ve got it at your fingertips. All it takes is a simple turn of the screw.

Examine the right lever, which operates the rear derailleur. Unless you’re nearsighted you might need magnifying lenses. See the inscription? (My shifter has a bit of superficial and unimportant corrosion.)

SIS stands for Shimano Indexed Shifting, and FRIC indicates—you guessed it—friction shifting. Look for the red arrow on the outer edge of the selection ring. If you’ve been hearing clicks when you shift, the shifter has been set for indexed shifting, and the red arrow should be aligned with the white arrow next to the SIS inscription. Pull up the D-ring (as I’ve done above and below), which normally lies flush against the housing.

Now simply turn the ring counter-clockwise until the red arrow points to the white arrow next to the inscription FRIC.

Push the D-ring down so it’s flush against the selection ring, and you’re good to go.

 
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