Down tube shifter advice

itboffin
itboffin Posts: 20,072
edited January 2009 in The workshop
I'm just about to purchase some new down tube shifters for my tourer and wondered if I should buy dura ace 9 speed indexed or cheap n cheerful 7 speed, this rear cassette is 7 speed at the moment but I plan to upgrade.

Should I spend the small additional extra for 9 speed and ignore the last two positions?

What kind of rear derailleur can I use now with 7 speed cassette and 27" wheels and later with 9 speed & 700c wheels.
Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.

Comments

  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    the dura ace (downtube) shift well, i''ve got them on old red as the old friction shifters drove me potty. at least on the rear, i've left the shifter on the front as friction no slight touching here!

    oh and i think you can get the down tube shifters in 10 as well? they are also nice and shiny, and only what £30?

    i would guess that most derailers would work as all the shifting is done by the shifter?

    i can see my LBS from my back garden almost... so i use them i don't have the time nor intrest to play with the oily bits though i have a box full of suntour 5 speed stuff that i must shift at some point.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    I have a very old suntour + shimano shifters ATM but neither is indexed and whilst I'm happy with the front shift the rear is far to sensitive I can't successfully shift from low to high without skipping 3-4 gears, plus the whole looking down and back at you wheel to make sure i'm in the right gear is a little dangerous.

    I do like the look and feel of down tube shifters but like all things practice makes perfect.
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,716
    It won't work. 9 speed spacing is different to 7 speed, so each shift will be out. You'll get maybe two working gears, at opposite ends of the cassette...

    Get the cheap ones for now and use it with the current mech, and do the whole 9 speed upgrade at the same time.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    whyamihere wrote:
    It won't work. 9 speed spacing is different to 7 speed, so each shift will be out. You'll get maybe two working gears, at opposite ends of the cassette...

    Get the cheap ones for now and use it with the current mech, and do the whole 9 speed upgrade at the same time.

    Thanks but what about the rear derailleur?
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,716
    Your current one will probably work for now with indexed shifters, it sounds like there's just not enough resistance on the current friction shifter.
    For a new one though, assuming you're using a Shimano shifter, any Shimano rear mech will work, so it's your choice from Sora to Dura Ace. ;)
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    you can run the dura ace as friction, i run the one driving the front derailer that way.

    so that as and when you move to a more modern 130mm spacing you can keep the shifters?
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    roger merriman wrote:
    you can run the dura ace as friction, i run the one driving the front derailer that way.

    so that as and when you move to a more modern 130mm spacing you can keep the shifters?

    I have limited experience (to the shops and back) with friction shifting but from what I can see it's pretty cool on the front at least, the rear is a different story, I don't want to have to keep looking down every time to make sure i've changed correctly, so index for the rear me thinks.
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    itboffin wrote:
    roger merriman wrote:
    you can run the dura ace as friction, i run the one driving the front derailer that way.

    so that as and when you move to a more modern 130mm spacing you can keep the shifters?

    I have limited experience (to the shops and back) with friction shifting but from what I can see it's pretty cool on the front at least, the rear is a different story, I don't want to have to keep looking down every time to make sure i've changed correctly, so index for the rear me thinks.

    thats what i've ended up with on old red (profile pic) and yes friction does suck at the rear as you where, just seems a shame to buy a new part that you plan to upgrade away from. on the other hand it's only £30 so...

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