6 Speed Upgradable???

hi, i purchased an older Centurion bike for my girlfriend whose just
getting into riding. wondering if i can upgrade it at all? it's
6-speed Shimano SIS with a freewheel, Sugino VP cranks, downtube
shifters, etc. wondered if it's possible to use a newer rear wheel,
and some inexpensive STI's from ebay and maybe upgrade it to at least
an 8-speed? Just didn't know if all the spacing would match up with a
newer bottom bracket, cassette, chainrings, etc. thanks for any
advice!

wrote:

hi, i purchased an older Centurion bike for my girlfriend whose just
getting into riding. wondering if i can upgrade it at all? it's
6-speed Shimano SIS with a freewheel, Sugino VP cranks, downtube
shifters, etc. wondered if it's possible to use a newer rear wheel,
and some inexpensive STI's from ebay and maybe upgrade it to at least
an 8-speed? Just didn't know if all the spacing would match up with a
newer bottom bracket, cassette, chainrings, etc. thanks for any
advice!

If it's steel, get it stretched from the current 126mm to 130mm, then
you can use 9 speed. I wouldn't bother with 8 speed, honestly - there
is no disadvantage to 9 speed compared to 8 speed, because the wheel
dishing is the same.

wrote:
hi, i purchased an older Centurion bike for my girlfriend whose just
getting into riding. wondering if i can upgrade it at all? it's
6-speed Shimano SIS with a freewheel, Sugino VP cranks, downtube
shifters, etc. wondered if it's possible to use a newer rear wheel,
and some inexpensive STI's from ebay and maybe upgrade it to at least
an 8-speed? Just didn't know if all the spacing would match up with a
newer bottom bracket, cassette, chainrings, etc. thanks for any
advice!

Yes, I did that with my wife's Motobecane. Rebuilt the rear wheel with a
9-speed freehub and cassette. Also, replaced the chain, rear der, and pedals
(SPD).

With a steel frame, you can just coax the 8/9 speed hub into the dropouts.
It's possible that your SIS rear der will be ok as is. If the crankset is a
double, the existing front der probably can be made to work with STI.

Art Harris

wrote:

hi, i purchased an older Centurion bike for my girlfriend whose just
getting into riding. wondering if i can upgrade it at all? it's
6-speed Shimano SIS with a freewheel, Sugino VP cranks, downtube
shifters, etc. wondered if it's possible to use a newer rear wheel,
and some inexpensive STI's from ebay and maybe upgrade it to at least
an 8-speed? =20

8-speed would require a new rear wheel. More economical would be to go=20
with 7-speed, because your present rear wheel can easily accommodate a=20
7-speed freewheel.

To do this you would need:

=95 Brake/shifters I'd strongly recommend the $130 Sora 7-speed kit. Th=
e=20
Soras are a particularly good choice for many women, because the brake=20
lever reach is adjustable for small hands, which is not true of most=20
other drop bar equipment.

http://harriscyclery.com/shifters

=95 7-speed freewheel

http://harriscyclery.com/freewheels

=95 New chain

http://harriscyclery.com/chains

=95 Handlebar tape

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/handlebars.html#tape

Just didn't know if all the spacing would match up with a
newer bottom bracket, cassette, chainrings, etc.

No reason to replace the bottom bracket or chainrings unless they're=20
damaged. This bike almost certainly does not have a cassette, but a=20
freewheel. If you're not clear on this, see:

http://sheldonbrown.com/free-k7

Sheldon "Upgrades" Brown
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| There are 10 kinds of people in this world: |
| Those who understand the binary system, and those who don't |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

wrote in message
oups.com...
hi, i purchased an older Centurion bike for my girlfriend whose just
getting into riding. wondering if i can upgrade it at all? it's
6-speed Shimano SIS with a freewheel, Sugino VP cranks, downtube
shifters, etc. wondered if it's possible to use a newer rear wheel,
and some inexpensive STI's from ebay and maybe upgrade it to at least
an 8-speed? Just didn't know if all the spacing would match up with a
newer bottom bracket, cassette, chainrings, etc. thanks for any
advice!


Centurion made a good bike. If it fits, keep it.

You need 4 things:

Campagnolo 9-speed Ergopower shifters from 2001 on. I bought some Veloce
units from Nashbar on sale for $100. This included the Campagnolo
cable/casing kit. This kit is required. Do NOT use the existing shifter
housing and cables. They are worn out, have high friction drag (and will
screw up the shifting), and the old cable ferrules will not fit into the
Ergopower levers.

A Shimano HG37 Hyperglide 7-speed freewheel. Gearing is 14-28. It is very
close to the width of your existing 6-speed block, but the spacing is
completely different. Have a bike shop swap the freewheels. I can buy
these for $12. If you want lower gearing without going to a triple crank,
use one of the 7-speed Shimano Megarange freewheels. You may have to change
to a Shimano mountain derailleur such as the Altus/Deore etc.

A new chain. 7/8 speed version.

Find a capable road shop for the installation. If the first thing that they
say is: "we haven't...." or start whining about "we can't ..." etc. then do
not waste your time and find another shop.

You can use your Shimano SIS rear derailleur. Yes, this works.

Things not to do:

Buy second-hand STI shifters. Especially through the mail. When the
ratchet mechanism wears out on Shimano units, they are throwaways. All of
the second-hand STI units for sale that I have inspected locally had been
crashed hard and had broken bodies, or the ratchets were clapped-out or
close to it. Campagnolo is another story. I have rebuilt old Campy levers,
and they are good as new.

wrote:
hi, i purchased an older Centurion bike for my girlfriend whose just
getting into riding. wondering if i can upgrade it at all? it's
6-speed Shimano SIS with a freewheel, Sugino VP cranks, downtube
shifters, etc. wondered if it's possible to use a newer rear wheel,
and some inexpensive STI's from ebay and maybe upgrade it to at least
an 8-speed? Just didn't know if all the spacing would match up with a
newer bottom bracket, cassette, chainrings, etc. thanks for any
advice!

Well, what's your goal? If it is 'bragging rights' for
having 'more gears' then, yes that frame may be easily
brought out to 130mm, new wheels and gear train added:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/ergokit.html

OTOH, my own nicest bike is 2x6 and I've never wanted for
more selections. I run a 36-28 so nearly every combination
is useful to me. When I had a 52 that wasn't true.

Or is your goal to make cycling a positive experience for
her so you can develop a new riding partner? For a rider
'just getting into riding' So I would suggest that you:
1) tune her riding position so she is comfortable on the bike
2) make what you have work well. That is, clean and wax it,
change brake shoes & cables as needed, true wheels, etc and
do a complete safety check so you know it's assembled properly.
3) maybe get new snazzier tires. In 27" there are good
moderately priced quality skinsides from Panaracer and IRC
inter alia.

The last two are as much to establish that you've given her
machine some attention as to avoid mechanical problems
while out for a ride.

And then, the most important thing IMHO, _give of your self_.

Take her out for progressively longer rides _at her pace_
which means _not_ sprinting up a hill and looking peeved
when she gets to the top. Show her how to spin. Quote
Anquetil's famous 'shift before the hill, eat before hunger'
and generally make cycling with you an enjoyable experience.

In the shop, a great many women complain of their male
riding partner's waiting at the top of the hill or dashing
ahead across an intersection. Ride _with_ her and she will
upgrade her gear in her own time. Disrespect her on a few
rides and you'll lose her as a riding partner.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

A Muzi wrote:
wrote:

hi, i purchased an older Centurion bike for my girlfriend whose just
getting into riding. wondering if i can upgrade it at all? it's
6-speed Shimano SIS with a freewheel, Sugino VP cranks, downtube
shifters, etc. wondered if it's possible to use a newer rear wheel,
and some inexpensive STI's from ebay and maybe upgrade it to at least
an 8-speed? Just didn't know if all the spacing would match up with a
newer bottom bracket, cassette, chainrings, etc. thanks for any
advice!

Well, what's your goal? If it is 'bragging rights' for having 'more
gears' then, yes that frame may be easily brought out to 130mm, new
wheels and gear train added:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/ergokit.html

OTOH, my own nicest bike is 2x6 and I've never wanted for more
selections. I run a 36-28 so nearly every combination is useful to me.
When I had a 52 that wasn't true.

Or is your goal to make cycling a positive experience for her so you can
develop a new riding partner? For a rider 'just getting into riding'
So I would suggest that you:
1) tune her riding position so she is comfortable on the bike
2) make what you have work well. That is, clean and wax it, change brake
shoes & cables as needed, true wheels, etc and do a complete safety
check so you know it's assembled properly.
3) maybe get new snazzier tires. In 27" there are good moderately priced
quality skinsides from Panaracer and IRC inter alia.

The last two are as much to establish that you've given her machine
some attention as to avoid mechanical problems while out for a ride.

And then, the most important thing IMHO, _give of your self_.

Take her out for progressively longer rides _at her pace_ which means
_not_ sprinting up a hill and looking peeved when she gets to the top.
Show her how to spin. Quote Anquetil's famous 'shift before the hill,
eat before hunger' and generally make cycling with you an enjoyable
experience.

In the shop, a great many women complain of their male riding partner's
waiting at the top of the hill or dashing ahead across an intersection.
Ride _with_ her and she will upgrade her gear in her own time.
Disrespect her on a few rides and you'll lose her as a riding partner.
TYPO= My bike's 36-48, [not 36-28]

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971