Do I have the wrong shifter?

It really would help if you'd included some pics or at least what brand names you can see on the bike.

By 18 speed I assume that you mean 3 front, 6 at the back. Means your bike is either seriously old, or a BLO (Bicycle-Looking Object) from a department store.

Continuing on shifters generally come in two types, indexed, or friction. With index you generally have one click corresponding to one gear change.
With friction, things might not be quite as clear cut. You can either have "pure" friction, entirely w/o any intermediate positions, or you can have a ratcheting mechanism.
The advantage to the ratchet is that the shifter is more positively parked at the exact spot where you left it than with a friction shifter. A friction shifter set a little too loose can creep away from you and cause spontaneous gear changes as you ride.
The ratchet might feel like it's indexing, but that's just accidental. It's up to the rider to provide the brains and move the shifter the right distance for the required gear change. For a front shifter in particular, this is not unusual, and quickly learned.

So odds are that everything is OK, and that your bike has a ratcheting, not an indexing front shifter.

Or it might be some horrible Frankenbike concoction slapped together from whatever bits and pieces some bike flipper had left on his work area, in which case all bets are off.
Some pics or brand names should sort that out.

Particularly for friction/ratchet shifters it's often good technique to overshoot the gear change a little, and then pull back on the shifter slightly. Gets the chain settled on the new sprocket faster, and then you tune out the chain rub. It's also common to trim the position of the front shifter a little as you work your way through the rear sprockets to avoid chain rub due to the change in chain angle.

dabac said:

It really would help if you'd included some pics or at least what brand names you can see on the bike.

By 18 speed I assume that you mean 3 front, 6 at the back. Means your bike is either seriously old, or a BLO (Bicycle-Looking Object) from a department store.

Continuing on shifters generally come in two types, indexed, or friction. With index you generally have one click corresponding to one gear change.
With friction, things might not be quite as clear cut. You can either have "pure" friction, entirely w/o any intermediate positions, or you can have a ratcheting mechanism.
The advantage to the ratchet is that the shifter is more positively parked at the exact spot where you left it than with a friction shifter. A friction shifter set a little too loose can creep away from you and cause spontaneous gear changes as you ride.
The ratchet might feel like it's indexing, but that's just accidental. It's up to the rider to provide the brains and move the shifter the right distance for the required gear change. For a front shifter in particular, this is not unusual, and quickly learned.

So odds are that everything is OK, and that your bike has a ratcheting, not an indexing front shifter.

Or it might be some horrible Frankenbike concoction slapped together from whatever bits and pieces some bike flipper had left on his work area, in which case all bets are off.
Some pics or brand names should sort that out.

Particularly for friction/ratchet shifters it's often good technique to overshoot the gear change a little, and then pull back on the shifter slightly. Gets the chain settled on the new sprocket faster, and then you tune out the chain rub. It's also common to trim the position of the front shifter a little as you work your way through the rear sprockets to avoid chain rub due to the change in chain angle.

I was thinking along these lines as well, but am REALLY confused, because based on the OP, it sounds like this is a NEW "FACTORY" bike, not a used bike. My guess is that it was purchased from wal-mart, or equivalent.

My advice to the OP would be, if it isn't shifting right, take it back. Even without a sales receipt, most department stores would still consider an exchange. If you purchased from an LBS, it is a no-brainer. They know their inventory and wouldn't doubt that you bought the bike from them, and they would be more than happy to look at it and make adjustments for free.

CalicoCat said:

I was thinking along these lines as well, but am REALLY confused, because based on the OP, it sounds like this is a NEW "FACTORY" bike, not a used bike. My guess is that it was purchased from wal-mart, or equivalent.

My advice to the OP would be, if it isn't shifting right, take it back. Even without a sales receipt, most department stores would still consider an exchange. If you purchased from an LBS, it is a no-brainer. They know their inventory and wouldn't doubt that you bought the bike from them, and they would be more than happy to look at it and make adjustments for free.

You would be correct on the wal-mart assumption. ._. I guess that puts it in line with a BLO? I should have done some research beforehand and perhaps put a down payment on a real bike, but I didn't know any better. I had $200 of birthday money that I was a little bit too excited to spend. I've learned my lesson now...

The "bike" is a Huffy Savannah (*ashamed*) with Shimano shifters and my left (front) shifter labelled as "friction". There are no numbers on the shifter, just a plus and minus. So I guess it was meant to be that way? Comforting to know that my cheap BLO may at least be put together correctly. Hopefully someday I can afford to upgrade to a real bike... but this will have to do for now.

Edit: This is the bike in question.
http://www.redconfetti.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/huffy-savannah1.jpg

I bought one of the $88 specials and put a set of tires on it and some high performance
brake pads and it has over 1500 miles in less than three months and I love it!

When it wears out I will get another one with out hesitation! If it goes two years
I will have it gold plated and put it in the living room.

je.deviens.moi said:

You would be correct on the wal-mart assumption...

There's nothing inherently wrong with a low-priced bike as such, as long as your expectations of it matches its performance and durability.
Usually it all works out, after a fashion, as there are far more bikes being sold than there are bikes being ridden regularly...
They "die" by abandonment rather than by wearing out.

It's rare for bikes to so bad as to fail catastrophically while JRA (just riding along) even if they are BLOs.
The main issues are that they're often so poorly put together/adjusted that they don't work well even from the start. And when one of these bikes end up seeing enough use to actually wear out, several of the parts won't be fixable, but have to replaced instead.

A wise move with a bike like this is to bring it to a bicycle shop and have them check bearing adjustment, spoke tension and general assembly. It might cost a little, but will quickly pay for itself if the bike gets to see regular use.

je.deviens.moi said:

The "bike" is a Huffy Savannah (*ashamed*) ..

Don't be. Everybody needs a beater/utility bike that can be used w/o too much concern. Just be aware of its limitations.

je.deviens.moi said:

..my left (front) shifter labelled as "friction". ...So I guess it was meant to be that way? ...

Yep. As covered before, it's not "pure" friction but rather a ratchet mechanism. If the notches in the ratchet are tightly spaced enough it is often seen as the preferred design.

je.deviens.moi said:

The "bike" is a Huffy Savannah ..

I just had a look at their website:
Savannah 26" Womans Bike - Huffy®

And they sure know how to set the tone right at the start. If you look at what gear its in you'll see the chain running from small-front to small-rear. This is caused cross chaining, and although doable will cause unnecessary bending of the chain.
The same gear ratio is available at other combos that are much kinder to the bike.

Next, it has a rack and a kickstand, so it's obviously an utility-oriented bike, and yet it hasn't got fenders. Means that unless you have something on the rack, every time you ride on less than bone-dry roads you will get what's euphemistically known as a "racing stripe" of road grime sprayed along your back.

Anything stuck on the rack will literally get sand blasted.

And the height difference between saddle/handlebar as shown on the pic is nothing short of staggering. Never expect pedalling efficiency from this bike. A comfortable cruise around the 'hood though - sure.

If the bike gets left outside - make sure to keep the top of the fork legs well lubed. Forks like that are prone to rusting solid(which incidentally might not be a bad thing...) and are generelly not seen as serviceable.

Legal requrements for riding after dark are usually reflector front+back+sides, AND lights. Lights are usually sold as accessories, but I can't see a front reflector there either.

But hey, slap on some fenders, have wheels and bearings checked, and you'll have yourself a perfectly good grocery-getter/campus bike that can last you for decades.