There are some ultra-cheap Microshift ones that are close to friction (many micro-clicks instead of usefully-spaced clicks). For a long time, they were the worst shifters I'd ever encountered (until I discovered how 1996 Shimano Acera shifters were even worse).
X-Rays are Shimano compatible.
Don't forget Sram Rocket shifters (Shimano compatible)...
X-rays are ? I had no idea. How do they perform?? I’ve heard bad stories …
Ooh I like those
Like Shimano a bit of both, not sure of the year, but pre X0
The main problem with the X-Rays was the clear plastic: it cracked too easily. The ones with the smoked effect were more durable. Both types shift well, although I don't think they were any better than the more durable SRT-600. The clear/smoked plastic seemed like a bit of a gimmick to me: cosmetic with no improvement in function. Personally, I like the X-Rays and SRT-600 more than the Sachs gripshifters though: the clicks on the Sachs are closer together on the right-hand shifter, so you have to be more careful about set-up, maintenance and indexing. SRTs and X-Rays are a bit more forgiving. I still run Sachs on one bike, though. (But I run SRTs on five others.)
But which ones ??
