installing a front derailleur

hello, i have a roadbike with a rear derailleur and 7 speed cassette (shimano 105 set) but no front
derailleur. it's a decent--not fantastic, but decent--bike, and i was wondering if it would be
possible and/or reasonable price and effort wise to install a front derailleur. (part of the reason
is that this summer i intend to go riding around in a fairly mountainous region and my knees are
aleady in less than ideal shape.) the bike, unfortunately, does not seem to have the usual front
derailleur cable stops, so i assume i'd have to have those brazed on. in addition, i assume i'd need
the following: new front derailleur, new chainring(s), new chain, shifter, derailleur cable. as is
probably obvious, i don't know a whole lot about bikes but thought that, if it's not too expensive
to acquire these parts and if i can do most of the labor (other than brazing on those cable stops),
it might be a good way to learn some stuff. thoughts on the feasibility/ recommendability of this
idea? thanks! --vincent.

 

Before you install a front derraileur, be sure you've got a multi-speed chain ring in front! You may
need to replace THAT, too!

Others may have more technical advice about gear rations and stuff - and will probably talk you out
of modifying the bike. I'd probably agree.

 

"vincent chiao" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> hello, i have a roadbike with a rear derailleur and 7 speed cassette (shimano 105 set) but no
> front derailleur. it's a decent--not fantastic,
but
> decent--bike, and i was wondering if it would be possible and/or
reasonable
> price and effort wise to install a front derailleur. (part of the reason
is
> that this summer i intend to go riding around in a fairly mountainous
region
> and my knees are aleady in less than ideal shape.) the bike, unfortunately, does not seem to have
> the usual front derailleur cable stops, so i assume i'd have to have those brazed on. in addition,
> i assume i'd need the following: new front derailleur, new chainring(s), new chain, shifter,
> derailleur cable. as is probably obvious, i don't know a whole lot about bikes but thought that,
> if it's not too expensive to acquire these parts and if i can do
most
> of the labor (other than brazing on those cable stops), it might be a good way to learn some
> stuff. thoughts on the feasibility/ recommendability of this idea? thanks! --vincent.
>
>

Once you get done brazing and upgrading what you have now, you're probably going to be at about the
same dollar range as if you'd gone out and bought a new hybrid bike. As an added bonus for you, the
hybrid comes with a triple already installed.

Alternatively, you can get a smaller front chainring, a bigger set of cogs (+ chain) in the back,
and just ride what you've got.

Mike

 

In article <[email protected]>, "vincent chiao" <[email protected]> writes:

>hello, i have a roadbike with a rear derailleur and 7 speed cassette (shimano 105 set) but no front
>derailleur. it's a decent--not fantastic, but decent--bike, and i was wondering if it would be
>possible and/or reasonable price and effort wise to install a front derailleur. (part of the reason
>is that this summer i intend to go riding around in a fairly mountainous region and my knees are
>aleady in less than ideal shape.) the bike, unfortunately, does not seem to have the usual front
>derailleur cable stops, so i assume i'd have to have those brazed on. in addition, i assume i'd
>need the following: new front derailleur, new chainring(s), new chain, shifter, derailleur cable.
>as is probably obvious, i don't know a whole lot about bikes but thought that, if it's not too
>expensive to acquire these parts and if i can do most of the labor (other than brazing on those
>cable stops), it might be a good way to learn some stuff. thoughts on the feasibility/
>recommendability of this idea? thanks!

I may be fuzzy on what you are doing here, but you can probably get by without any brazing. Is there
a cable guide on the bottom of the BB for the rear derailleur? If so, does it have an empty guide
slot for the front derailleur? If you have that, or can add one that covers both cables then all you
need is a clamp on set of shifters for your downtube. Where is the shifter for your rear derailleur?

Tom Gibb <[email protected]