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Upgradling Shifters
Hello all, I have a couple of older bikes with down-tube shifters.
They work fairly well, although need a little love. One thing I'd like to do is put on new shifters that are attached to the break levers - I don't know what they are called. I know how to fix some bike stuff - I took a class - so I think I could do the work, but I'm just not sure if it is possible to do that. Can I just by pass the shifter on the tube and go right to the breaks? Also, what about adding a third gear to the peddle cranks - there are 2 now. My wife needs a lower gear to make the bike from 12 to 18. Thanks! |
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Upgradling Shifters
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Upgradling Shifters
wrote: Hello all, I have a couple of older bikes with down-tube shifters. They work fairly well, although need a little love. One thing I'd like to do is put on new shifters that are attached to the break levers - I don't know what they are called. I know how to fix some bike stuff - I took a class - so I think I could do the work, but I'm just not sure if it is possible to do that. Can I just by pass the shifter on the tube and go right to the breaks? As Peter (he who speaks Campagnolo) said, this is an easy conversion. The kits for the brake/shift levers (aka "brifters") include a cable stop that bolts on in place of the existing shift lever. Here's a selection: http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/shifters.html#brifters (Sheldon's Harris Cyclery site is an excellent reference for all things bicycle.) One thing you will have to consider: you implied that there are 6 cogs on the back wheel (12 to 18). Brake/shift levers are meant for a minimum of 7 cogs, and the easiest to find work with 8. You will need to change the freewheel/cassette at very least to make this happen. Some old bikes are worth the effort, some are not. There's also many different options when it comes to changing the gearing and the shift levers- brifters have their advantages, but they have their detractors, too. A couple days looking through the archives might help you make the decision. If you need additional "how-to" references, the Park Tool site is pretty good: http://www.parktool.com/repair/ Jeff |
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