derailleur/shifter combos



B

blokedownpub

Guest
I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
hybrid.

To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
flightdeck 8x2 speed.

So my questions are....

Can I use any shimano 8 speed shifter for the rear or are there
different pitches dependent on the style?

Also, it seems imossible to get a 2 speed front shifter, so can I use
a 3 speed one instead and have one gear that doesn't work and if so,
would the chain come off at one end if the missing gear were engaged?

Please forgive me if my questions seem a bit stupid.

Thanks in advance,
Gavin.
 
blokedownpub said the following on 08/03/2007 17:23:

> Also, it seems imossible to get a 2 speed front shifter, so can I use
> a 3 speed one instead and have one gear that doesn't work and if so,
> would the chain come off at one end if the missing gear were engaged?


I can't answer the other bits, but it's perfectly possible to do the
above, but you need to make sure the derailleur limit screws are set to
cover just the two gears. I have done exactly this with my MTB, which
has a 3-speed shifter and only two rings.

> Please forgive me if my questions seem a bit stupid.


There is no such thing as a stupid question if you don't know the answer!

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/
 
blokedownpub wrote:

>I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
>problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
>come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
>flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
>hybrid.
>
>To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
>derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
>flightdeck 8x2 speed.


The Sora ST-3300 and ST-3304 levers have adjustable reach. What's
the betting you have the fixed ST-R500?
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"
 
blokedownpub wrote:
> I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
> problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes.


Bit of a stupid reply really, but have you tried moving the levers very
high up on the bars, ie till the hoods are pointing upwards?
Mine are set up like that - much higher than you would think right.
Your hands rest on the hoods in the fashion of bar-ends on flat bar
handlebars.
Can't help with the brake reach though - there has been a reply about that.

Also how wide are the bars? I swapped mine to 42cm, which these days is
considered narrow, and I'm happier with them.
 
in message <[email protected]>, Phil Cook
('[email protected]') wrote:

> blokedownpub wrote:
>
>>I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
>>problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
>>come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
>>flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
>>hybrid.
>>
>>To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
>>derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
>>flightdeck 8x2 speed.

>
> The Sora ST-3300 and ST-3304 levers have adjustable reach. What's
> the betting you have the fixed ST-R500?


The other thing is, if she doesn't like the drops, get her some auxiliary
levers like these:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360028451
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360012608

My partner has them on her bike. Unlike the 1970s style suicide levers,
they really work, and are easy to fit (not compatible with bar bags,
though).

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Friends don't send friends HTML formatted emails.
 
blokedownpub wrote:
> I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
> problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
> come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
> flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
> hybrid.


That may well be best but you shouldn't jump to any conclusion too quickly.
A different riding position from a shorter stem with the levers differently
positioned may well solve the problem nicely. Or the bars could be replaced
for more suitable drop bars, perhaps "women specific" ones - which should
help with reach to the brakes as well. Extension brake levers are available
too.

> To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
> derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
> flightdeck 8x2 speed.


> Can I use any shimano 8 speed shifter for the rear or are there
> different pitches dependent on the style?


Any Shimano 8-speed rear shifter will be compatible with the rear
derailleur.

> Also, it seems imossible to get a 2 speed front shifter, so can I use
> a 3 speed one instead and have one gear that doesn't work and if so,
> would the chain come off at one end if the missing gear were engaged?


The derailleur limit screw deals with that.

Not all Shimano indexed front shifters will index properly with the front
derailleur, though, and not all front derailleurs are happy with road bike
(large) chainrings.

Old fashioned non-indexed friction or ratchet thumb shifters work with
anything. One of these could be used for the front (left) only if you like,
with a modern indexed shiffer on the right.

~PB
 
In article <[email protected]>, Simon
Brooke
[email protected] says...

> The other thing is, if she doesn't like the drops, get her some auxiliary
> levers like these:
>

Not much use when she still has to reach the other brake levers to
change gear.
 
In article <[email protected]>, Phil Cook
[email protected] says...
> blokedownpub wrote:
>
> >I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
> >problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
> >come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
> >flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
> >hybrid.
> >
> >To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
> >derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
> >flightdeck 8x2 speed.

>
> The Sora ST-3300 and ST-3304 levers have adjustable reach. What's
> the betting you have the fixed ST-R500?
>

What's the betting it's not a female-specific frame either?
 
On 8 Mar, 17:47, Phil Cook <[email protected]> wrote:
> blokedownpub wrote:
> >I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
> >problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
> >come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
> >flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
> >hybrid.

>
> >To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
> >derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
> >flightdeck 8x2 speed.

>
> The Sora ST-3300 and ST-3304 levers have adjustable reach. What's
> the betting you have the fixed ST-R500?
> --
> Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"


Hi Phil, thanks for the information. I bought the bike second hand and
was advised that the brake levers couldn't be adjusted. Thankfully
they're ST-3300 so I've now adjusted them and now she can reach them.

Thanks :)
 
Thanks for this info, I think I'll try some of these too!


On 8 Mar, 19:17, Simon Brooke <[email protected]> wrote:
> in message <[email protected]>, Phil Cook
>
> ('[email protected]') wrote:
> > blokedownpub wrote:

>
> >>I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
> >>problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
> >>come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
> >>flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
> >>hybrid.

>
> >>To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
> >>derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
> >>flightdeck 8x2 speed.

>
> > The Sora ST-3300 and ST-3304 levers have adjustable reach. What's
> > the betting you have the fixed ST-R500?

>
> The other thing is, if she doesn't like the drops, get her some auxiliary
> levers like these:
>
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDeta...roductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360012608
>
> My partner has them on her bike. Unlike the 1970s style suicide levers,
> they really work, and are easy to fit (not compatible with bar bags,
> though).
>
> --
> [email protected] (Simon Brooke)http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
>
> ;; Friends don't send friends HTML formatted emails.
 
blokedownpub wrote:

>On 8 Mar, 17:47, Phil Cook <[email protected]> wrote:
>> blokedownpub wrote:
>> >I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
>> >problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
>> >come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
>> >flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
>> >hybrid.

>>
>> >To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
>> >derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
>> >flightdeck 8x2 speed.

>>
>> The Sora ST-3300 and ST-3304 levers have adjustable reach. What's
>> the betting you have the fixed ST-R500?


>Hi Phil, thanks for the information. I bought the bike second hand and
>was advised that the brake levers couldn't be adjusted. Thankfully
>they're ST-3300 so I've now adjusted them and now she can reach them.


Now fiddle about with stem length and position of the levers on the
bars so she is comfortable in the normal hands on hoods position. Then
give it a few weeks she'll wonder what the fuss was about riding on
dropped bars.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"
 
Pete Biggs wrote:
> blokedownpub wrote:
>> I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
>> problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
>> come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
>> flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
>> hybrid.

>
> That may well be best but you shouldn't jump to any conclusion too quickly.
> A different riding position from a shorter stem with the levers differently
> positioned may well solve the problem nicely. Or the bars could be replaced
> for more suitable drop bars, perhaps "women specific" ones - which should
> help with reach to the brakes as well. Extension brake levers are available
> too.
>
>> To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
>> derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
>> flightdeck 8x2 speed.

>
>> Can I use any shimano 8 speed shifter for the rear or are there
>> different pitches dependent on the style?

>
> Any Shimano 8-speed rear shifter will be compatible with the rear
> derailleur.
>
>> Also, it seems imossible to get a 2 speed front shifter, so can I use
>> a 3 speed one instead and have one gear that doesn't work and if so,
>> would the chain come off at one end if the missing gear were engaged?

>
> The derailleur limit screw deals with that.
>
> Not all Shimano indexed front shifters will index properly with the front
> derailleur, though, and not all front derailleurs are happy with road bike
> (large) chainrings.
>
> Old fashioned non-indexed friction or ratchet thumb shifters work with
> anything. One of these could be used for the front (left) only if you like,
> with a modern indexed shiffer on the right.
>
> ~PB
>
>
 

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