Hey bike geeks!

lost_in_thought

Buns, RJSterry, I'm looking at you.....

Will this Hellfrauds thingo fit my mixte?

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... i&istBid=t

bigmat

I've got a 7 speed one you can have if that would be any good? Brand new, got it when wrongly assuming my early 90's Ridgeback wouldn't take a cassette.

rjsterry

Probably. Given the type of bike, it's unlikely to have a freehub (like your Viner and Tifosi). Do you have a freewheel tool or will you be getting them to fit it as well? It's a quick job, but is likely to need a bit of grunt and a long spanner. There are various different fittings for old freewheel tools, so it might be easier to get your LBS to do it rather than hunting for the right one.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/freewheels.html

jonginge

Ah, Mr Hammond with your new username you are confusing us (me).

Need the 28t sprocket, Lit? That rear mech is from a time when men were real men, women were real women and freewheels didn't have sprockets larger than 23t*


*This may not be entirely true

lost_in_thought

Probably not, no, but that seems to be The Size In Which They Are Available!

I don't think it has a freehub, no, I just wondered whether there are different varieties of freewheel cassette doobree...

And Mat, thanks, I have no idea whether a 7sp one would be interchangeable with a 5sp one!

Bike geeks?

rjsterry

lost_in_thought wrote:

Probably not, no, but that seems to be The Size In Which They Are Available!

I don't think it has a freehub, no, I just wondered whether there are different varieties of freewheel cassette doobree...

And Mat, thanks, I have no idea whether a 7sp one would be interchangeable with a 5sp one!

Bike geeks?

Assuming you have friction DT shifters rather than indexed, then it shouldn't be a problem. The Sheldon article lists the different threads found on screw-on freewheels, but assuming the bike isn't some obscure import, it shouldn't be a problem. The tool to remove/fit it is more likely to vary though. The new one is likely to be a Shimano fit, but the old one might be something else (see the pictures in the Sheldon article).

secretsam

As per previous posts, this should fit - but try SJS or Spa who may have a wider range - they'll probably give you advice if you ring them.

You might want to think about converting to a more modern set up? I've squeezed a 9 speed 105 hub into my 1988 vintage Reynolds 531, which I think is roughly the age of your bike? I got the wheels cheap off the CTC website (£45 the pair). I need to spend that much now getting them trued, however!!!

The Rookie

13-24 for £15
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sun ... &promo=PPC
(Evans have others)
More up LiT's street http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sachs-7-speed-13- ... 2eb2817d31

Simon

gtvlusso

Assumed Mixte is steel framed?

If so, you can "cold set" the frame to accomodate more standard gearing. As you are looking at a 5spd cassette - I would guess that you have a 120mm rear end ;-) i.e. frame spacing at the bit where the rear wheel drops in.....

You can probably get away with cold setting to 130mm (standard for most of todays frames) for 10 speed kit.

I think some early Sachs stuff had a TPI of 24 (Threads per inch), but most of it was 26 TPI. I went through the same paranoia when finding out about screw on 5 spd cassettes on my old TT bike - hence a 120mm rear end and an excellent fixie conversion!

wgwarburton

Hi,
As others have said- It'll likely fit, dpending on your hubs, but may not be what you want.

What do you want from the bike, LiT? Is this an urban runabout?

I don't recall what sort of quality the frame was, I'm afraid- is this a classy Reynolds-tubed ladies tourer? Cheap Raleigh hack?

How much do you want to invest in it? Is this a labour of love or a budget commuter?

No point putting an expensive modern drivetrain on a pub bike. Hub gears might be a neat solution for an urban commuter, or simple friction-shift parts (many Mixte frames had stem-mounted shifters, as the down-tube isn't right). If it's a nice 531 touring frame it might be nice to put classic parts on it.

Cheers,
W.

lost_in_thought

Thanks geeks!

It's not going to be used for anything other than riding around London, so in reality I really think 5 gears will be plenty.

It's a Raleigh, don't know much else, it has a sticker on it about the tubing though, so assume it's something worth printing a sticker about!

The shifter is indeed on the stem, well, on the head tube to be more exact, and is friction not indexed. I quite like it, it has a certain charm.

I don't really want to spend the money on hub gears, I just want to end up with a rideable machine, and this seems a cheap'n'cheerful way to go about it. The rear derailleur works (to an extent - cable has seen better days), and I would appreciate some bigger gears but don't mind not having them.

SmellTheGlove

Looks nastily like a 5spd version of the 7spd that I stuck on my old (now nicked) BSO last spring. I kid you not, t'was kaput within 500 miles, with freewheel pawls sticking at highly inconvenient times.
Verdict FWIW = avoid.

lost_in_thought

SmellTheGlove wrote:

Looks nastily like a 5spd version of the 7spd that I stuck on my old (now nicked) BSO last spring. I kid you not, t'was kaput within 500 miles, with freewheel pawls sticking at highly inconvenient times.
Verdict FWIW = avoid.

Ooooh thanks!

itboffin

LiT I have both 5 & 7 speed if you want them, both will work both are more than suitable for pootling around town mind you they weigh the same as the sun.

FWIW 7 speed will be easier for you to find indexed downtube shifters and rear mech - both of which I also have.

I have too much stuff ...

rolf_f

Just to check - you do know for sure you need a new one? I've just killed the freewheel of my Dawes - it managed over 7000 miles on the original chain........

UndercoverElephant

I would say that keeping the five speeds is a mistake. Think about the bikes which use five-speed these days, bargain bucket BSOs. Sadly, the problem will come when you try to use any parts you can buy new for any amount of real use. You'll find that you're stuck with the crappy, pressed-cheese cassettes which can't shift and wear out in seconds.

I've found that even with the seven speeds on my Orbea, I can either find BSO worthy shite, or at best something verging on half-decent, but that costs way more than something very good in nine-speed.

wgwarburton

lost_in_thought wrote:

Thanks geeks!

It's not going to be used for anything other than riding around London, so in reality I really think 5 gears will be plenty.

It's a Raleigh, don't know much else, it has a sticker on it about the tubing though, so assume it's something worth printing a sticker about!

What's on the sticker, LiT? Could be 531 or 18-30... 531 'butted' being Very Good, 18-30 being poor, with quite a few in-betweens!

The shifter is indeed on the stem, well, on the head tube to be more exact, and is friction not indexed. I quite like it, it has a certain charm.

I don't really want to spend the money on hub gears, I just want to end up with a rideable machine, and this seems a cheap'n'cheerful way to go about it. The rear derailleur works (to an extent - cable has seen better days), and I would appreciate some bigger gears but don't mind not having them.

You can still get decent friction-shift parts on ebay. It's probably not worth spending lots on upgrades.
Cheers,
W.

lost_in_thought

WGWarburton wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Thanks geeks!

It's not going to be used for anything other than riding around London, so in reality I really think 5 gears will be plenty.

It's a Raleigh, don't know much else, it has a sticker on it about the tubing though, so assume it's something worth printing a sticker about!

What's on the sticker, LiT? Could be 531 or 18-30... 531 'butted' being Very Good, 18-30 being poor, with quite a few in-betweens!

The shifter is indeed on the stem, well, on the head tube to be more exact, and is friction not indexed. I quite like it, it has a certain charm.

I don't really want to spend the money on hub gears, I just want to end up with a rideable machine, and this seems a cheap'n'cheerful way to go about it. The rear derailleur works (to an extent - cable has seen better days), and I would appreciate some bigger gears but don't mind not having them.

You can still get decent friction-shift parts on ebay. It's probably not worth spending lots on upgrades.
Cheers,
W.

Argh, I forgot to check the sticker! Ah well... it's probably 18-30... wee bit of (hopefully surface) rust on the LHS chainstay.

And I don't want to spend lots on upgrades! It was my birthday on sunday so I've got wheels, cassette, bars, grips, stem, shifters, cables, brakes, and now just need to put the whole lot on the bike and I'm done!

jonginge

lost_in_thought

That list includes the stuff obtained from your good self Mr Ginge, so I've got everything I need! Oh, and forgot to mention white wall tyres

jonginge

White wall tyres*. My sense of anticipation is heightened even more *tenterhooks engaged*




* don't crash on your lawn

rjsterry

Pick-chahs, pick-chahs, pick-chahs!

Whaddawewant...

lost_in_thought

Well, at the moment they'd just be of a pile of bits on the floor.....

Cafewanda

You've got two evenings plus the whole weekend. Expecting pics by 7pm Sunday evening

redvee

Cafewanda

Go round LiT's place with your camera and toolkit and get pics for the boys.

rjsterry

lost_in_thought wrote:

Well, at the moment they'd just be of a pile of bits on the floor.....

Err, being a bike geek, that would be absolutely fine :roll:

wgwarburton

Hi,
So, do you have a fettling weekend planned, LiT? Will Friday's pile-of-parts be transport-to-work come Monday morning?

Either way, I'm strangely curious to know what the frame's made of- If you get a chance to report on the transfers, lugwork (plain or fancy), braze-ons (properly brazed or tacked in place?) and dropouts (thin pressed steel or chunky forged ones), I'd be interested to know!!

Cheers,
W.