10 Speed Shifters/Brake Handles Conversion Questions



I have an old 10 speed, 30+ years old. It got rebuilt with adequate
parts 15 to 20 years ago that are still durable for the limited biking
I have gotten into for exercise reasons. A friend I ride with has a
new Gary Fisher Wingra and the upright positioning and quick shifters
mounted on the upright handlebars have me jealous. He let me ride it
and it is much more comfortable as well as easier on my back.

I'm not ready to spend $500 on a new bike for the limited riding I do
which amounts to 1 to 2 hours per week. What I do want to play with
is to update my 10 speed to the quick shifters/brake handles on
upright handlebars.

Handlebars and the quick shifters are easy enough to come by. What
issues am I going to have converting to these newer style controls?

I'm seeing two sizes of handle bar mounts - 25.4 MM and 31.8 MM. I
assume I have the 25.4 but will confirm by measuring.

I have old center pull brakes and was wondering if the the combo
shifters/brake handles will create any problems here. I'm looking at
something like a Shimano ST-EFM50 set up.

Any other pitfalls I need to watch out for along with solutions?

Thanks for any help.

Mike O.
 
On Sep 25, 7:04 pm, [email protected] wrote:
> I have an old 10 speed, 30+ years old. It got rebuilt with adequate
> parts 15 to 20 years ago that are still durable for the limited biking
> I have gotten into for exercise reasons. A friend I ride with has a
> new Gary Fisher Wingra and the upright positioning and quick shifters
> mounted on the upright handlebars have me jealous. He let me ride it
> and it is much more comfortable as well as easier on my back.
>
> I'm not ready to spend $500 on a new bike for the limited riding I do
> which amounts to 1 to 2 hours per week. What I do want to play with
> is to update my 10 speed to the quick shifters/brake handles on
> upright handlebars.


Unless it's a sweet older bike (which it might be), the investment in
brifters is probably going to be more money than it's worth. You
*might* be able to make a cheap Sora set work with a modern rear mech
and freewheel for 200 bucks or so worth of stuff. I'll let the experts
chime in on that one.

If I were you, I'd just update freewheel and chain to modern
hyperglide, which should cost you $30 or so. This will make shifting
considerably crisper. Use the old shifters and mech. Retro is the new
modern. I personally prefer downtube shifters to brifters for their
simplicity--but I don't compete, either. The grass is always greener
and your mileage may vary.
 
On Wed, 26 Sep 2007 02:37:46 -0000, landotter <[email protected]>
wrote:

>On Sep 25, 7:04 pm, [email protected] wrote:
>> I have an old 10 speed, 30+ years old. It got rebuilt with adequate
>> parts 15 to 20 years ago that are still durable for the limited biking
>> I have gotten into for exercise reasons. A friend I ride with has a
>> new Gary Fisher Wingra and the upright positioning and quick shifters
>> mounted on the upright handlebars have me jealous. He let me ride it
>> and it is much more comfortable as well as easier on my back.
>>
>> I'm not ready to spend $500 on a new bike for the limited riding I do
>> which amounts to 1 to 2 hours per week. What I do want to play with
>> is to update my 10 speed to the quick shifters/brake handles on
>> upright handlebars.

>
>Unless it's a sweet older bike (which it might be), the investment in
>brifters is probably going to be more money than it's worth. You
>*might* be able to make a cheap Sora set work with a modern rear mech
>and freewheel for 200 bucks or so worth of stuff. I'll let the experts
>chime in on that one.
>
>If I were you, I'd just update freewheel and chain to modern
>hyperglide, which should cost you $30 or so. This will make shifting
>considerably crisper. Use the old shifters and mech. Retro is the new
>modern. I personally prefer downtube shifters to brifters for their
>simplicity--but I don't compete, either. The grass is always greener
>and your mileage may vary.



I buy a nice "north road" style bar for $5.95 Canadian and a set of
Shimano friction shifters is about $20 (to fit on the bars) Cables are
about $2.50 each for brakes, $3 for shifter.
I've always managed to get the brake handles used from a local
community cycle shop. Add $10 - $15 if you need to buy these new.

Parts cost is USUALLY significantly lower in the US than here in
Canada.

Total cost to convert to upright from drop-bar,(or straight mountain
bar) for me, is about $40 including taxes. Nothing like an upright
"tourist" style bike for an old guy!!

If the frame, wheels, cranks and deraileurs are decent, it's likely
worth while.

I just did up an almost new McKinley mountain bike with NorthRoad bars
and Wald Balloon Tire fenders for a total cost, including the bike, of
about $20.
It's so nice I don't want to sell it, but I've got too many to keep.

I've got my Raleigh Centenial, the old Schwinn American middleweight,
my "extendabike clone", the wife's Raleigh 20 shopper,my "silk road"
clone tandem project (96" wheelbase, 7 speed Nexus etc), a 19" framed
26" wheel "mountain" bike for my daughter to drive when she's home
(Leaves for Rwanda again in 2 weeks) as well as a Raleigh 20" wheel
Mustang, a Triumph 6 speed City bike,a 19" frame 26" wheel Mixte, and
a Chinese front suspension mountain bike which I'm already commited to
getting rid of.

Then there's the "Monkey bike" - a 16" wheeled kid's bike with front
and rear hand brakes and a 3 foot long seat post - chrome frameed -
that I "monkey around" with, and my 4 wheel side-by-side )something
like a Rhoades Car, but better) and a haddfull of 16 and 20' KID'S
BIKES THAT i'LL FIX TO SELL IN THE SPRING.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
 
> [email protected] wrote:
>> I have an old 10 speed, 30+ years old. It got rebuilt with adequate
>> parts 15 to 20 years ago that are still durable for the limited biking
>> I have gotten into for exercise reasons. A friend I ride with has a
>> new Gary Fisher Wingra and the upright positioning and quick shifters
>> mounted on the upright handlebars have me jealous. He let me ride it
>> and it is much more comfortable as well as easier on my back.
>> I'm not ready to spend $500 on a new bike for the limited riding I do
>> which amounts to 1 to 2 hours per week. What I do want to play with
>> is to update my 10 speed to the quick shifters/brake handles on
>> upright handlebars.


landotter wrote:
> Unless it's a sweet older bike (which it might be), the investment in
> brifters is probably going to be more money than it's worth. You
> *might* be able to make a cheap Sora set work with a modern rear mech
> and freewheel for 200 bucks or so worth of stuff. I'll let the experts
> chime in on that one.
>
> If I were you, I'd just update freewheel and chain to modern
> hyperglide, which should cost you $30 or so. This will make shifting
> considerably crisper. Use the old shifters and mech. Retro is the new
> modern. I personally prefer downtube shifters to brifters for their
> simplicity--but I don't compete, either. The grass is always greener
> and your mileage may vary.


"Retro is the new modern" heh heh that's pithy!
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
 
On Sep 26, 12:05 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Sep 26, 12:01 pm, Ozark Bicycle
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On Sep 26, 11:39 am, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:

>
> > > On Sep 26, 10:56 am, A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:

>
> > > > "Retro is the new modern" heh heh that's pithy!

>
> > >http://tinyurl.com/2f5xpz

>
> > What's in *your* closet? ;-)

>
> It's not a collection of self-stick Robert Goulet moustaches, if
> that's what you're getting at!


LOL!!!

No, not at all.......just making a joke re: "fashion" *on and off the
bike).

Speaking of bicycles and fashion, there's gonna be a "fashion show"
featuring overpriced bike duds in Little Rock on the night of the
29th. Look out for the Yupeleton!

http://www.cycle-chic.com


:-(
 
In article
<[email protected]>
,
Ozark Bicycle
<[email protected]> wrote:

> On Sep 26, 12:05 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On Sep 26, 12:01 pm, Ozark Bicycle
> >
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > On Sep 26, 11:39 am, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:

> >
> > > > On Sep 26, 10:56 am, A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:

> >
> > > > > "Retro is the new modern" heh heh that's pithy!

> >
> > > >http://tinyurl.com/2f5xpz

> >
> > > What's in *your* closet? ;-)

> >
> > It's not a collection of self-stick Robert Goulet moustaches, if
> > that's what you're getting at!

>
> LOL!!!
>
> No, not at all.......just making a joke re: "fashion" *on and off the
> bike).
>
> Speaking of bicycles and fashion, there's gonna be a "fashion show"
> featuring overpriced bike duds in Little Rock on the night of the
> 29th. Look out for the Yupeleton!
>
> http://www.cycle-chic.com


This means you owe us a full report on the event.

--
Michael Press
 
On Sep 26, 12:17 pm, Ozark Bicycle
<[email protected]> wrote:
> On Sep 26, 12:05 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > On Sep 26, 12:01 pm, Ozark Bicycle

>
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > On Sep 26, 11:39 am, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:

>
> > > > On Sep 26, 10:56 am, A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:

>
> > > > > "Retro is the new modern" heh heh that's pithy!

>
> > > >http://tinyurl.com/2f5xpz

>
> > > What's in *your* closet? ;-)

>
> > It's not a collection of self-stick Robert Goulet moustaches, if
> > that's what you're getting at!

>
> LOL!!!
>
> No, not at all.......just making a joke re: "fashion" *on and off the
> bike).
>
> Speaking of bicycles and fashion, there's gonna be a "fashion show"
> featuring overpriced bike duds in Little Rock on the night of the
> 29th. Look out for the Yupeleton!
>
> http://www.cycle-chic.com
>
> :-(


Doesn't look bad at all. Just some floral print synthetics. It's not
like they're doing some fake courier rebel look **** trying to look
like me out on a beer and dogfood run with my sun faded old Timbuk2 on
my back. If they really wanted the "look", they could pluck about half
the hair from the tops of their heads. :p When this forehead gash
turns into yet another shiny scar--I'm gonna be so much cooler than
any of those fashionistas! Remember, kids, scabs are gross, but scars
are the new piercing!
 

Similar threads