Slowly converting old 10 speed to bad ass commuter

[B.B.]

I'll be moving in a month and my daily commute to work will stretch
from 1 mile to about 15, through some high traffic areas in Dallas,
Texas.
My rickety old bike (Fuji Espree, circa late 70's I've been told)
won't be up to the task, so it's overhaul time. But I'm on a budget, so
it's going to be a gradual overhaul. Looking to spend roughly $50-$100
per month for as long as necessary to complete the project. Big ticket
items just mean saving up a few months. I prefer as low cost as
practical, but without getting into cheap **** that performs poorly or
breaks often.
First, and most expensively, wheels. I have 27" steel wheels.
Assuming I don't care at all about weight and care most about sturdiness
and compatibility with as much hardware and as many tires as possible,
what's a logical replacement? 700c? Good sources of prebuilt wheels?
Cassette hubs vastly preferred. Ugly is good too. Cheaper/better to
build my own? Tire recommendations? I've always gone with whatever was
cheap since they typically fall victim to glass cuts or vandals before
they wear out.
I'm perfectly content with ten speeds, but that doesn't appear to be
a viable option unless I want to buy all of my parts at thrift stores
and accumulate extra frames. I don't. What number of speeds should I
aim for if I want the most parts availability? Internal hubs are out
for now because asking around locally they seem both rare and mysterious
to the bike store guys, plus a bit too spendy. It looks to me like
eight or nine are about even in price/availability with 8 being a little
bit cheaper on the average. Correct?
At what point will I need to replace the derailer? A Suntour
Accushift right now. Am I going to be limited by chain dimensions, gear
sizes, travel, or something else? Towards the end of this project I'd
like the option of brifters. I've had exactly zero experience with
brifters, so what aspects do I need to take into account right now so I
don't find myself screwed a few months down the road? I've heard
Shimano's aren't fixable, so they're out; what other makers are there?
Is it practical to stick a nine speed cassette in the back and just
one chainwheel in the front, (on a temporary basis) or would chain line
become a problem? I favor faster speeds anyway, so I was thinking I
could get away with just the large chainwheel even if chainline isn't
optimal in the low gears.
BTW, still looking for a good bike shop in the DFW area. If you know
of one, I'm all ears.
Thanks.

--
B.B. --I am not a goat! thegoat4 at airmail dot net
movies.crooksandliars.com/Countdown-Timeline-Katrina.mov

 

[Ron Hardin]

Get a Huffy. It's much cheaper and comes with all new parts.

A MTB will get fewer flats, at the cost of higher tire drag ; but
time spent not changing tires makes it up.

High traffic means huge amounts of tire-puncturing debris.

When enough parts need replacement at once, get another Huffy.

I've been doing that for years, and if I haven't lost count, I'm
on my 3rd Huffy since 1988, which works out to about 6 years a Huffy,
or 48k miles each, which, independently of that calculation, seems
about right. I'm at 60k miles on the current one.

--
Ron Hardin
[email protected]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

 

[[email protected]]

Hi, B. B., I live in Benbrook (Ft Worth) and am a 'car-free' person.

Although I have several bikes, most of the time I ride an old, single
speed, Schwinn. It has lights (generator), fenders, mudflaps and has a
REALLY high 'dork' factor, so nobody has tried to steal it.

Also, it has 'Airfree Tires', so it is pretty much a bullet proof
machine and, in well over 2K miles, has never failed me for any reason.

If you are going to be a regular commuter, my suggestion would be to go
for reliability, simplicity, high visibilty, a sufficiently high 'dork
factor' as to make it unattractive to most thieves.

You should be able to find a machine from a charity organization, such
as Bikes for Tykes, which would work perfectly well for you.

Hope this helps.

Lewis.

 

[Peter Cole]

B.B. wrote:
> I'll be moving in a month and my daily commute to work will stretch
> from 1 mile to about 15, through some high traffic areas in Dallas,
> Texas.
> My rickety old bike (Fuji Espree, circa late 70's I've been told)
> won't be up to the task, so it's overhaul time. But I'm on a budget, so
> it's going to be a gradual overhaul. Looking to spend roughly $50-$100
> per month for as long as necessary to complete the project. Big ticket
> items just mean saving up a few months. I prefer as low cost as
> practical, but without getting into cheap **** that performs poorly or
> breaks often.
> First, and most expensively, wheels. I have 27" steel wheels.
> Assuming I don't care at all about weight and care most about sturdiness
> and compatibility with as much hardware and as many tires as possible,
> what's a logical replacement? 700c? Good sources of prebuilt wheels?
> Cassette hubs vastly preferred. Ugly is good too. Cheaper/better to
> build my own? Tire recommendations? I've always gone with whatever was
> cheap since they typically fall victim to glass cuts or vandals before
> they wear out.

Buy a set of heavy duty 700c wheels mail-order. These are typically used
on hybrids and go for $40-60 a set -- make sure they have Shimano hubs.
Stress relieve, adjust tension, bearing preload (lube), and true.


> I'm perfectly content with ten speeds, but that doesn't appear to be
> a viable option unless I want to buy all of my parts at thrift stores
> and accumulate extra frames. I don't. What number of speeds should I
> aim for if I want the most parts availability? Internal hubs are out
> for now because asking around locally they seem both rare and mysterious
> to the bike store guys, plus a bit too spendy. It looks to me like
> eight or nine are about even in price/availability with 8 being a little
> bit cheaper on the average. Correct?

8 is definitely cheaper. MTB shift/brake components are also much
cheaper -- as a matter of fact, *all* MTB components are cheaper and
tougher.

If you want drop bars, bar-end shifters are the best (economic) choice.


> At what point will I need to replace the derailer? A Suntour
> Accushift right now. Am I going to be limited by chain dimensions, gear
> sizes, travel, or something else?

Derailer are cheap, and even low-end ones are usually better and lighter
than good ons from a few years ago. MTB rear derailers are compatible
with anything and usually a good value.

> Towards the end of this project I'd
> like the option of brifters. I've had exactly zero experience with
> brifters, so what aspects do I need to take into account right now so I
> don't find myself screwed a few months down the road? I've heard
> Shimano's aren't fixable, so they're out; what other makers are there?
> Is it practical to stick a nine speed cassette in the back and just
> one chainwheel in the front, (on a temporary basis) or would chain line
> become a problem? I favor faster speeds anyway, so I was thinking I
> could get away with just the large chainwheel even if chainline isn't
> optimal in the low gears.

You'll need a front derailer to keep the chain from falling off. Expect
it to rub the chain at extreme gears.


> BTW, still looking for a good bike shop in the DFW area. If you know
> of one, I'm all ears.
> Thanks.
>

 

[LF]

B.B. wrote:
> I'll be moving in a month and my daily commute to work will stretch
> from 1 mile to about 15, through some high traffic areas in Dallas,
> Texas.
> My rickety old bike (Fuji Espree, circa late 70's I've been told)
> won't be up to the task, so it's overhaul time.

The Fuji Espree is a fine bicycle, and well suited to your needs. It
has a butted steel frame, and plenty of room for wider tires with
fenders. If you are looking for good overhaul advice, I like Zinn's
book on road bike maintenance.

But I'm on a budget, so
> it's going to be a gradual overhaul. Looking to spend roughly $50-$100
> per month for as long as necessary to complete the project. Big ticket
> items just mean saving up a few months. I prefer as low cost as
> practical, but without getting into cheap **** that performs poorly or
> breaks often.
> First, and most expensively, wheels. I have 27" steel wheels.
> Assuming I don't care at all about weight and care most about sturdiness
> and compatibility with as much hardware and as many tires as possible,
> what's a logical replacement? 700c?

Yup 700c is the "new 27 inch." However, you can propably keep on
riding the steel wheels. Unless they are totally shot, such as in
tacoed, the main problem with them is *stopping in wet.* Kool stop
continental brake pads (salmon color) will really help braking with
steel wheels. They are also a good, cheap upgrade for pretty much any
bike. You can still get 27 inch tires, and the Panasonic Pasella is a
favorite with many commuters. You can get them online, and your LBS
can order them. If glass is a problem, some commuters report good
experiences with some of the kevlar reinforced tires.

Good sources of prebuilt wheels?
> Cassette hubs vastly preferred. Ugly is good too. Cheaper/better to
> build my own? Tire recommendations? I've always gone with whatever was
> cheap since they typically fall victim to glass cuts or vandals before
> they wear out.

Cheapest source is wheels is from thrift store and yard sale bikes. AND
they come with tires. Learn how to tension and stress releive a wheel.
If you find a set of eyeletted wheels with 34-36 spokes, that will be
a good choice. I've found them at yard sales, from guys that were
"upgrading."

> I'm perfectly content with ten speeds, but that doesn't appear to be
> a viable option unless I want to buy all of my parts at thrift stores
> and accumulate extra frames. I don't. What number of speeds should I
> aim for if I want the most parts availability?

You can purchase replacement parts that will work with whatever you
have. If you stay with friction shifting, this is much easier.

> At what point will I need to replace the derailer? A Suntour
> Accushift right now.

Good derailer. If the pully wheels are worn out, you can replace them.

Probably one of the best upgrades you can do is to replace all of the
cabling. The new outer cables are teflon lined, and you can get
stainless inner cables. Shifting and braking will improve with this
uprade.


Towards the end of this project I'd
> like the option of brifters. I've had exactly zero experience with
> brifters, so what aspects do I need to take into account right now so I
> don't find myself screwed a few months down the road?

Brifters are in conflict with your other stated goals. Plus, they
won't help. You probably have stem shifters now, maybe downtube. Bar
end friction shifting is worth considering.

Maybe you really want two bikes. A durable, dorky, commuter and a
flashy gofast bike for tun.

All the best,
Larry

 

[B.B.]

In article <[email protected]>,
"LF" <[email protected]> wrote:

>The Fuji Espree is a fine bicycle, and well suited to your needs. It
>has a butted steel frame, and plenty of room for wider tires with
>fenders. If you are looking for good overhaul advice, I like Zinn's
>book on road bike maintenance.

Thanks for the title. And I'm a big fan of my bike, just want to
pamper it a little after these years.

>> First, and most expensively, wheels. I have 27" steel wheels.
>> Assuming I don't care at all about weight and care most about sturdiness
>> and compatibility with as much hardware and as many tires as possible,
>> what's a logical replacement? 700c?
>
>Yup 700c is the "new 27 inch." However, you can propably keep on
>riding the steel wheels. Unless they are totally shot, such as in
>tacoed, the main problem with them is *stopping in wet.* Kool stop
>continental brake pads (salmon color) will really help braking with
>steel wheels. They are also a good, cheap upgrade for pretty much any
>bike. You can still get 27 inch tires, and the Panasonic Pasella is a
>favorite with many commuters. You can get them online, and your LBS
>can order them. If glass is a problem, some commuters report good
>experiences with some of the kevlar reinforced tires.

Yeah, my rims are pretty much shot. Been dented and straightened so
many times I can't count 'em anymore. It also looks like it has a small
crack starting on the back rim.

>Good sources of prebuilt wheels?
>> Cassette hubs vastly preferred. Ugly is good too. Cheaper/better to
>> build my own? Tire recommendations? I've always gone with whatever was
>> cheap since they typically fall victim to glass cuts or vandals before
>> they wear out.
>
>Cheapest source is wheels is from thrift store and yard sale bikes. AND
>they come with tires. Learn how to tension and stress releive a wheel.
> If you find a set of eyeletted wheels with 34-36 spokes, that will be
>a good choice. I've found them at yard sales, from guys that were
>"upgrading."

I've never had much luck with thrift store tires--always look like
they've been outside in the sun for years on end, with permanent flat
spots from where they were parked. The few I have taken home always had
chewed up bearing cones anyway.
So I want to just splurge and get new wheels right now and care for
them properly.

>> I'm perfectly content with ten speeds, but that doesn't appear to be
>> a viable option unless I want to buy all of my parts at thrift stores
>> and accumulate extra frames. I don't. What number of speeds should I
>> aim for if I want the most parts availability?
>
>You can purchase replacement parts that will work with whatever you
>have. If you stay with friction shifting, this is much easier.
>
> > At what point will I need to replace the derailer? A Suntour
>> Accushift right now.
>
>Good derailer. If the pully wheels are worn out, you can replace them.
>
>Probably one of the best upgrades you can do is to replace all of the
>cabling. The new outer cables are teflon lined, and you can get
>stainless inner cables. Shifting and braking will improve with this
>uprade.

Ooh, good point. OK, that'll be first instead of wheels.

> Towards the end of this project I'd
>> like the option of brifters. I've had exactly zero experience with
>> brifters, so what aspects do I need to take into account right now so I
>> don't find myself screwed a few months down the road?
>
>Brifters are in conflict with your other stated goals. Plus, they
>won't help. You probably have stem shifters now, maybe downtube. Bar
>end friction shifting is worth considering.

Oh yeah! I'd completely forgotten about those things. I was
thinking about brifters in terms of getting away from downtube shifters
and being able to make gear changes quickly, which is important when
competing with traffic. Barends are a lot closer than downtubes. But
brifters would let me keep my hands on the brake hoods all the time, and
the way people drive around here, that's pretty important. If I go that
route, it'll be at the end of the project anyway.
I'll weigh them out and decide later. But my question is the same:
is there anything I need to take into consideration now so I don't wind
up constraining my options later? I assume bar end will be happy with
whatever is at the other end of the cable, so I'll only have to plan
around (possible) brifters later on.

>Maybe you really want two bikes. A durable, dorky, commuter and a
>flashy gofast bike for tun.

Heh, I'm already at my two bike limit. The Espree, and my
fancy-schmancy mountain bike for weekends. So the Espree will kind of
straddle two objectives at once: commute, and commute as fast as
possible.

--
B.B. --I am not a goat! thegoat4 at airmail dot net
movies.crooksandliars.com/Countdown-Timeline-Katrina.mov

 

[B.B.]

In article <[email protected]>,
Peter Cole <[email protected]> wrote:

>Buy a set of heavy duty 700c wheels mail-order. These are typically used
>on hybrids and go for $40-60 a set -- make sure they have Shimano hubs.
>Stress relieve, adjust tension, bearing preload (lube), and true.

How do I determine what is or isn't heavy duty? 36 spokes and a wide
enough rim for chubby tires?

>8 is definitely cheaper. MTB shift/brake components are also much
>cheaper -- as a matter of fact, *all* MTB components are cheaper and
>tougher.

Can I stick MTB stuff on a roadie? The only problem that jumps to my
mind is the front derialer expecting the wrong diameter tubing to clamp
to.

>> At what point will I need to replace the derailer? A Suntour
>> Accushift right now. Am I going to be limited by chain dimensions, gear
>> sizes, travel, or something else?
>
>Derailer are cheap, and even low-end ones are usually better and lighter
>than good ons from a few years ago. MTB rear derailers are compatible
>with anything and usually a good value.

I have a whole box full of 'em, just wondering when I should expect
to drag it out and start pawing through.

>You'll need a front derailer to keep the chain from falling off. Expect
>it to rub the chain at extreme gears.

OK, thanks.

--
B.B. --I am not a goat! thegoat4 at airmail dot net
movies.crooksandliars.com/Countdown-Timeline-Katrina.mov

 

[B.B.]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] wrote:

>Hi, B. B., I live in Benbrook (Ft Worth) and am a 'car-free' person.

Hey! I used to ride around Benbrook when I was in highschool. I
lived out in Westpoint.

--
B.B. --I am not a goat! thegoat4 at airmail dot net
movies.crooksandliars.com/Countdown-Timeline-Katrina.mov

 

[Peter Cole]

B.B. wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Peter Cole <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>Buy a set of heavy duty 700c wheels mail-order. These are typically used
>>on hybrids and go for $40-60 a set -- make sure they have Shimano hubs.
>>Stress relieve, adjust tension, bearing preload (lube), and true.
>
>
> How do I determine what is or isn't heavy duty? 36 spokes and a wide
> enough rim for chubby tires?
>

Most wheels made for hybrids are heavy duty, or as solid as anything in
a 700c size. The real issue is whether you have frame and brake
clearance for them.


>>8 is definitely cheaper. MTB shift/brake components are also much
>>cheaper -- as a matter of fact, *all* MTB components are cheaper and
>>tougher.
>
>
> Can I stick MTB stuff on a roadie? The only problem that jumps to my
> mind is the front derialer expecting the wrong diameter tubing to clamp
> to.

Front derailers have a different shape -- made for MTB chainrings
(typically 42T max). Front derailers are really cheap. Oversize clamps
can be used with a PVC shim. Another consideration is top vs. bottom pull.


>>> At what point will I need to replace the derailer? A Suntour
>>>Accushift right now. Am I going to be limited by chain dimensions, gear
>>>sizes, travel, or something else?
>>
>>Derailer are cheap, and even low-end ones are usually better and lighter
>>than good ons from a few years ago. MTB rear derailers are compatible
>>with anything and usually a good value.
>
>
> I have a whole box full of 'em, just wondering when I should expect
> to drag it out and start pawing through.

MTB vs road rear derailer is a marketing distinction. MTB derailers are
usually "long cage", which means they will accept a wider range cassette.

If you have old MTB parts lying around a flat bar may let you use those
shifters and brake levers. The brake levers have to be canti-type to
work with usual road bike brakes -- V-brake levers won't work.

I set up one bike with twist shift for the rear and friction DT shifter
for the front, a reasonable compromise, used old MTB canti levers on old
centerpull caliper brakes, kept the original front derailer and cranks.

 

[catzz66]

I suppose it bears mentioning that if you save up your hundred buck a
month budget for a few months, you could upgrade to a more current used
bike. Of course, doing the fixup yourself may be a lot of the
attraction for concentrating on the Fuji.

 

[Michael Press]

In article
<[email protected]
..net>,
"B.B."
<[email protected]>
wrote:

> Oh yeah! I'd completely forgotten about those things. I was
> thinking about brifters in terms of getting away from downtube shifters
> and being able to make gear changes quickly, which is important when
> competing with traffic. Barends are a lot closer than downtubes. But
> brifters would let me keep my hands on the brake hoods all the time, and
> the way people drive around here, that's pretty important. If I go that
> route, it'll be at the end of the project anyway.

I find shifting in traffic unnecessary, but will shift in
`quiet moments'. You really do not need to down shift at
traffic stops. For instance on a 50/18 gear you can ride
10 mph just ambling along at a cadence of 45, and ramp up
to +20 mph at a cadence of 100. Find a good gear and ride
it; you will surprise yourself. Plenty of bicycle
messengers ride a single speed bicycle. Get clipless
pedals and shoes. Shimano mountain bicycle shoes or the
equivalent are excellent.

As you are on a budget, leave brifters for the last.

--
Michael Press

 

[Jasper Janssen]

On Tue, 18 Oct 2005 00:21:42 GMT, Michael Press <[email protected]> wrote:

>I find shifting in traffic unnecessary, but will shift in
>`quiet moments'. You really do not need to down shift at
>traffic stops. For instance on a 50/18 gear you can ride
>10 mph just ambling along at a cadence of 45, and ramp up
>to +20 mph at a cadence of 100. Find a good gear and ride

Yeh, but getting to the 10 mph in that gear can be a pain. You can stand
up for a few strokes, but in traffic that'll make you unpredictable and
cause the other bicyclists around you to have to maintain a larger
distance than they would otherwise need to.

>it; you will surprise yourself. Plenty of bicycle
>messengers ride a single speed bicycle. Get clipless

So they do, but that's mainly because they can't afford gears at the rate
they burn through consumables.

>pedals and shoes. Shimano mountain bicycle shoes or the
>equivalent are excellent.

Excuse me, are you saying that clipping in your feet (particularly having
to clip in before you're even moving) will make it easier for you to do a
standing start on a gear that's too high?


Jasper

 

[Threeducks]

Don't bother fixing it up. Buy something new/used on eBay. Lots of
deals to be had.


B.B. wrote:
> I'll be moving in a month and my daily commute to work will stretch
> from 1 mile to about 15, through some high traffic areas in Dallas,
> Texas.
> My rickety old bike (Fuji Espree, circa late 70's I've been told)
> won't be up to the task, so it's overhaul time. But I'm on a budget, so
> it's going to be a gradual overhaul. Looking to spend roughly $50-$100
> per month for as long as necessary to complete the project. Big ticket
> items just mean saving up a few months. I prefer as low cost as
> practical, but without getting into cheap **** that performs poorly or
> breaks often.
> First, and most expensively, wheels. I have 27" steel wheels.
> Assuming I don't care at all about weight and care most about sturdiness
> and compatibility with as much hardware and as many tires as possible,
> what's a logical replacement? 700c? Good sources of prebuilt wheels?
> Cassette hubs vastly preferred. Ugly is good too. Cheaper/better to
> build my own? Tire recommendations? I've always gone with whatever was
> cheap since they typically fall victim to glass cuts or vandals before
> they wear out.
> I'm perfectly content with ten speeds, but that doesn't appear to be
> a viable option unless I want to buy all of my parts at thrift stores
> and accumulate extra frames. I don't. What number of speeds should I
> aim for if I want the most parts availability? Internal hubs are out
> for now because asking around locally they seem both rare and mysterious
> to the bike store guys, plus a bit too spendy. It looks to me like
> eight or nine are about even in price/availability with 8 being a little
> bit cheaper on the average. Correct?
> At what point will I need to replace the derailer? A Suntour
> Accushift right now. Am I going to be limited by chain dimensions, gear
> sizes, travel, or something else? Towards the end of this project I'd
> like the option of brifters. I've had exactly zero experience with
> brifters, so what aspects do I need to take into account right now so I
> don't find myself screwed a few months down the road? I've heard
> Shimano's aren't fixable, so they're out; what other makers are there?
> Is it practical to stick a nine speed cassette in the back and just
> one chainwheel in the front, (on a temporary basis) or would chain line
> become a problem? I favor faster speeds anyway, so I was thinking I
> could get away with just the large chainwheel even if chainline isn't
> optimal in the low gears.
> BTW, still looking for a good bike shop in the DFW area. If you know
> of one, I'm all ears.
> Thanks.
>

 

[Michael Press]

In article <[email protected]>,
Jasper Janssen <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Tue, 18 Oct 2005 00:21:42 GMT, Michael Press <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >I find shifting in traffic unnecessary, but will shift in
> >`quiet moments'. You really do not need to down shift at
> >traffic stops. For instance on a 50/18 gear you can ride
> >10 mph just ambling along at a cadence of 45, and ramp up
> >to +20 mph at a cadence of 100. Find a good gear and ride
>
> Yeh, but getting to the 10 mph in that gear can be a pain. You can stand
> up for a few strokes, but in traffic that'll make you unpredictable and
> cause the other bicyclists around you to have to maintain a larger
> distance than they would otherwise need to.

Does not have to be a pain; take it easy and you will be
up to speed in a surprisingly short time. You can
accelerate faster than you may think, even from a dead
stop.

>
> >it; you will surprise yourself. Plenty of bicycle
> >messengers ride a single speed bicycle. Get clipless
>
> So they do, but that's mainly because they can't afford gears at the rate
> they burn through consumables.
>
> >pedals and shoes. Shimano mountain bicycle shoes or the
> >equivalent are excellent.
>
> Excuse me, are you saying that clipping in your feet (particularly having
> to clip in before you're even moving) will make it easier for you to do a
> standing start on a gear that's too high?

I am not a strong rider, and I do this all the time. And I
often turn the cranks a couple times before clipping in
the second shoe. The first shoe is already in.

--
Michael Press

 

[Phil, Squid-in-Training]

> MTB vs road rear derailer is a marketing distinction. MTB derailers
> are usually "long cage", which means they will accept a wider range
> cassette.

Not true. The parallelogram has a different angle of motion, better-suited
to a close-range cassette.


--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

 

[Phil, Squid-in-Training]

Jasper Janssen wrote:
> On Tue, 18 Oct 2005 00:21:42 GMT, Michael Press <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I find shifting in traffic unnecessary, but will shift in
>> `quiet moments'. You really do not need to down shift at
>> traffic stops. For instance on a 50/18 gear you can ride
>> 10 mph just ambling along at a cadence of 45, and ramp up
>> to +20 mph at a cadence of 100. Find a good gear and ride
>
> Yeh, but getting to the 10 mph in that gear can be a pain. You can
> stand up for a few strokes, but in traffic that'll make you
> unpredictable and cause the other bicyclists around you to have to
> maintain a larger distance than they would otherwise need to.
>
>> it; you will surprise yourself. Plenty of bicycle
>> messengers ride a single speed bicycle. Get clipless
>
> So they do, but that's mainly because they can't afford gears at the
> rate they burn through consumables.
>
>> pedals and shoes. Shimano mountain bicycle shoes or the
>> equivalent are excellent.
>
> Excuse me, are you saying that clipping in your feet (particularly
> having to clip in before you're even moving) will make it easier for
> you to do a standing start on a gear that's too high?

I think he was saying that the clipless would smooth out the high-cadence
riding.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

 

[Phil, Squid-in-Training]

Threeducks wrote:
> Don't bother fixing it up. Buy something new/used on eBay. Lots of
> deals to be had.

I agree with this one here, unless the OP likes to tinker. Look for an
older mid-90's bike with DT shifters.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

 

[Peter Cole]

Phil, Squid-in-Training wrote:
>>MTB vs road rear derailer is a marketing distinction. MTB derailers
>>are usually "long cage", which means they will accept a wider range
>>cassette.
>
>
> Not true. The parallelogram has a different angle of motion, better-suited
> to a close-range cassette.
>
>

Not sure what you mean by "angle of motion". AFAIK, the only difference
between "road" and "mountain" rear derailers is the cage length.

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

 

[Jasper Janssen]

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 23:12:26 -0400, "Phil, Squid-in-Training"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>> MTB vs road rear derailer is a marketing distinction. MTB derailers
>> are usually "long cage", which means they will accept a wider range
>> cassette.
>
>Not true. The parallelogram has a different angle of motion, better-suited
>to a close-range cassette.

But a long versus medium versus short cage would also have that difference
in angle. It's cage length that's correlated with cassette type, not
'road' versus 'mountain'. Of course, it's possible some of the mountain
derailers are a bit heavier for their money and better sealed against the
elements, even if otherwise identical to a road counterpart.

Jasper

 

[Jasper Janssen]

On Tue, 18 Oct 2005 02:49:07 GMT, Michael Press <[email protected]> wrote:
>In article <[email protected]>,

>> Yeh, but getting to the 10 mph in that gear can be a pain. You can stand
>> up for a few strokes, but in traffic that'll make you unpredictable and
>> cause the other bicyclists around you to have to maintain a larger
>> distance than they would otherwise need to.
>
>Does not have to be a pain; take it easy and you will be
>up to speed in a surprisingly short time. You can
>accelerate faster than you may think, even from a dead
>stop.

The problem is that until you are accelerated, it's hard to make a good
straight line. When the light turns green at quite a few places here, it's
a lot like a mass-start race where 90% of the riders will never do
anything but go slow and are not so great at avoiding bumping in to
people.

>> Excuse me, are you saying that clipping in your feet (particularly having
>> to clip in before you're even moving) will make it easier for you to do a
>> standing start on a gear that's too high?
>
>I am not a strong rider, and I do this all the time. And I
>often turn the cranks a couple times before clipping in
>the second shoe. The first shoe is already in.

Hmm, yeah, that could work.

Jasper