>>1215838>they are typicaly not indexedthere's no "typical" about it. if they predate the invention of indexing (mid 80s) then they're friction only. If they come after the invention of indexing, then they're indexed with the option of switching to friction by turning the D-ring--a really nice feature, btw.
>>1215827 what this means is:friction shifting=you move the lever and quit moving it when you feel the chain drop into the gear you want; you measure the movement by feel. setting it up/maintaining it is comparatively easy, too.
indexed shifting=the shifter has pre-measured stops machined into it that the lever drops into which correspond to the spacing between the gears, i.e. you thoughtlessly bash the lever into the next position and it clicks into place automatically. It must be set up with some extra precision but then it's mostly set-and-forget; however, it does require more maintenance than friction on account of cable-stretch over time, or like if you bash the derailleur or something, the shifting will go out of alignment.
Fred=the bike term for someone doing it wrong.
At different times and to different people, it is applied differently depending on one's definition of "wrong," but /n/ uses it to make fun of people who buy the most expensive bike tech and kit because they can, despite the fact that they're fat/slow/inexperienced/ride MUP trails on sunday.
Ironically, however, it was coined by a guy that /n/ would call a fred to make an elitist comment about a rider on a regular, non-race bike with a bunch of shit strapped to it. the guy derisively called him "Fred Birchmore," who was a total badass who toured the world in the old days on such a bike 'cause that's all there was, pic related. But the srs bsns rider in the 70s considered that old bike "doing it wrong." The term endures but our version of "riding a stupid bike for stupid reasons" has changed.
