Compatibility of various brand freewheels with Campy 7 speed indexed shifting

[Ethan B]

Hello,

Maybe someone's already answered this on this forum, but I'll ask
anyhow.

It's my understanding that Campy designed their 7 speed indexed system
to work best with SunTour freewheels (I have a couple and they work
well). But, as these are hard to come by these days, I wonder if any
others work as well. How about Regina, for example?

Thanks.

 

[Paul Southworth]

In article <[email protected]>,
Ethan B <[email protected]> wrote:
>Hello,
>
>Maybe someone's already answered this on this forum, but I'll ask
>anyhow.
>
>It's my understanding that Campy designed their 7 speed indexed system
>to work best with SunTour freewheels (I have a couple and they work
>well). But, as these are hard to come by these days, I wonder if any
>others work as well. How about Regina, for example?

You can't use the word "best" in reference to campy syncro 7-speed
shifting... any modern shifting system (or even 15 year old Shimano)
will work better.

Some syncro shifters had different inserts to support different
freewheel spacings, I believe the shift insert has a colored mark
on it to identify it. The shop I worked at in the 1980s usually
chose a Dura Ace 7-speed freewheel - the Uniglide tooth design
worked better than SunTour or Regina of that period. Which derailleur
you use matters a lot as well.

--Paul

 

[Donald Gillies]

[email protected] (Ethan B) writes:

>It's my understanding that Campy designed their 7 speed indexed system
>to work best with SunTour freewheels (I have a couple and they work well).

It's all about the freewheel and cassette spacers and cog widths. See
the "Sprocket Spacing" table here:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html

In particular, Campy 8-speed and Suntour Ultra-6 spacing is identical,
at 5.0 mm, and the difference in cog width (1.85 vs. 1.90, with
suntour being thinner) is trivial.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

 

[A Muzi]

Ethan B wrote:
> It's my understanding that Campy designed their 7 speed indexed system
> to work best with SunTour freewheels (I have a couple and they work
> well). But, as these are hard to come by these days, I wonder if any
> others work as well. How about Regina, for example?

Since Suntour freewheels are spaced with the low gears
closer together and the high gears farther apart, you may
get an adequate shift but a uniform-travel shifter (all
Campagnolo products) would shift better with an
evenly-spaced freewheel, AEBE.

That being said, Suntour's tooth form at the time was better
than Regina's ( or Campagnolo's for that matter). Shimano
period-correct or any current brand would be even better, IMHO.

If by Seven you mean Syncro, there are various inserts (
color coded) for that shifter with different lever travel
between clicks. None is Suntour-specific.

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

 

[Ethan B]

Thanks guys!

Paul or Andrew,

So you guys recommend Shimano freewheels then? I remember hearing how
no one liked them, but if you guys say so, I'll take your word. My
next question, then would be where to get the color-coded spacers (for
the rear shift lever) to work with the Shimano freewheel, and where to
get the freewheel for that matter?

Thanks again.

 

[A Muzi]

Ethan B wrote:
> So you guys recommend Shimano freewheels then? I remember hearing how
> no one liked them, but if you guys say so, I'll take your word. My
> next question, then would be where to get the color-coded spacers (for
> the rear shift lever) to work with the Shimano freewheel, and where to
> get the freewheel for that matter?

Yes that's the best choice.

You should buy a freewheel from Sheldon. Unless of course
you buy it from me.

We have several colors of insert(N, BL, RE) but not all (no
YE, GR, GY)Sheldon?

Which changer do you own?.

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

 

[Paul Southworth]

In article <[email protected]>,
Ethan B <[email protected]> wrote:
>Thanks guys!
>
>Paul or Andrew,
>
>So you guys recommend Shimano freewheels then? I remember hearing how
>no one liked them, but if you guys say so, I'll take your word. My
>next question, then would be where to get the color-coded spacers (for
>the rear shift lever) to work with the Shimano freewheel, and where to
>get the freewheel for that matter?

The freewheel you can get from eBay or rec.bicycles.marketplace - post
a want-ad for it. Here's one...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3675274180

A Sachs 7-speed freewheel would probably also work OK.

No idea on the shifter inserts... eBay, bike swap, check out
the various vintage bike web sites, talk to collectors.

renaissance-cycles.com claims to have a pair of brand new Record
retro-friction levers, that would really solve your problem in the
most elegant way possible, and then the freewheel wouldn't matter.

 

[Ethan B]

Andrew,

I have a 1990-91 Campy Athena rear derailleur with a similar vintage
Chorus Syncro lever.

I have to admit, this sounds like a pain to me since I already own a
number of SunTour freewheels (which, as I said, work well). Can you
tell me if I can get another SunTour somewhere, rather than having to
monkey my shift lever for one additional gear cluster?

Thanks again.

 

[A Muzi]

Ethan B wrote
> I have a 1990-91 Campy Athena rear derailleur with a similar vintage
> Chorus Syncro lever.
>
> I have to admit, this sounds like a pain to me since I already own a
> number of SunTour freewheels (which, as I said, work well). Can you
> tell me if I can get another SunTour somewhere, rather than having to
> monkey my shift lever for one additional gear cluster?
>
Sorry the context got snipped.

Campagnolo suggests with an Athena and a Suntour freewheel,
use the Blue for Seven and Yellow for six. Their chain
suggestion was Suntour or Shimano ( no euro chain
recommended at that time).

We find a floating upper pulley helps a lot. Use modern 5.0
casing and a modern wire. Ensure ferrules fit well - that's
an issue,too, on some older frames.

Are you looking for a new freewheel or cogs? We have them.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[Ethan B]

> The freewheel you can get from eBay or rec.bicycles.marketplace - post
> a want-ad for it. Here's one...
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3675274180
>
> A Sachs 7-speed freewheel would probably also work OK.
>
> No idea on the shifter inserts... eBay, bike swap, check out
> the various vintage bike web sites, talk to collectors.
>
> renaissance-cycles.com claims to have a pair of brand new Record
> retro-friction levers, that would really solve your problem in the
> most elegant way possible, and then the freewheel wouldn't matter.

Thanks Paul,

I already have a set of friction levers. Despite what everyone seems
to be saying, I quite like my syncro shifting. For the Sachs
freewheel, I would probably need one of the spacers Andrew was talking
about, as I don't think it would work properly with the lever as is.

Andrew,

Yes, I am looking for a new/used freewheel, preferably SunTour Winner
(or Winner Pro), in a 13-26 or 28 combination. Do you have such a
thing?

Thanks all.

 

[A Muzi]

>>The freewheel you can get from eBay or rec.bicycles.marketplace - post
>>a want-ad for it. Here's one...
>>http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3675274180
>>A Sachs 7-speed freewheel would probably also work OK.
>>No idea on the shifter inserts... eBay, bike swap, check out
>>the various vintage bike web sites, talk to collectors.
>>renaissance-cycles.com claims to have a pair of brand new Record
>>retro-friction levers, that would really solve your problem in the
>>most elegant way possible, and then the freewheel wouldn't matter.

Ethan B wrote:
> I already have a set of friction levers. Despite what everyone seems
> to be saying, I quite like my syncro shifting. For the Sachs
> freewheel, I would probably need one of the spacers Andrew was talking
> about, as I don't think it would work properly with the lever as is.
> Yes, I am looking for a new/used freewheel, preferably SunTour Winner
> (or Winner Pro), in a 13-26 or 28 combination. Do you have such a
> thing?

Yes, we do. New,any size:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/stfw.html

You might open your shifter to see which insert you already
own and write back.
If your insert is Shimano-spaced, then buying a Suntour
freewheel, at a large premium over a Shimano/SunRAce,
doesn't make much sense.

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

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

somebody-<< renaissance-cycles.com claims to have a pair of brand new Record
> retro-friction levers, that would really solve your problem in the
> most elegant way possible, and then the freewheel wouldn't matter. >><BR><BR>


Many places, like us and Yellow Jersey, still have various models of friction
shifters..these are not hard to find..

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Ethan B]

> Yes, we do. New,any size:
> http://www.yellowjersey.org/stfw.html
>
> You might open your shifter to see which insert you already
> own and write back.
> If your insert is Shimano-spaced, then buying a Suntour
> freewheel, at a large premium over a Shimano/SunRAce,
> doesn't make much sense.

Andrew,

My lever has a blue spacer insert. As I said, it seems to work well
with SunTour freewheels. Is that the right color for them? If so,
I'll grab a SunTour from your website.

Thanks.

 

[A Muzi]

>>Yes, we do. New,any size:
>>http://www.yellowjersey.org/stfw.html
>>You might open your shifter to see which insert you already
>>own and write back.
>>If your insert is Shimano-spaced, then buying a Suntour
>>freewheel, at a large premium over a Shimano/SunRAce,
>>doesn't make much sense.

Ethan B wrote:
> My lever has a blue spacer insert. As I said, it seems to work well
> with SunTour freewheels. Is that the right color for them? If so,
> I'll grab a SunTour from your website.

Well, if you know it shifts well, then stay with that setup.

The Syncro-II chart says blue with C-180 Record, Croce
d'Aune long cage, Triomphe or Victory changer with a
Suntour Seven freewheel and Suntour , Sedisport or Regina CX
chain. With an Athena, blue is recommended with Campagnolo,
MAillard 700 and Shimano Seven freewheels running
non-Suntour chain.

(Yes Syncro charts are confusing when they are not misleading)

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