want to add lower and higher gears to my bike - How?

luke5495

Hi,

I have never changed gears before and need some advice on what to do.

My girlfriends bike is a 5 speed 1980s raleigh, I got it her for her birthday and did it up like new, it looks beautiful now, however, the gears are a bit hard on hills, I was wondering if I could add more gears? but more importantly lower gears, and how I would go about doing so?

I have searched for how to set gears up on the internet but just can't seem to find anything, I would like to do it myself, because that is the only way you learn, I read on a forum that a good way to add more gears is to add an extra chainring at the front, but I have no idea what even that involves me messing about with and changing.

If you have any ideas, please help! haha

Luke

drlodge

This is going to be tricky, almost certainly not economically viable.

To add gears at the rear you'll need a new cassette. I doubt there are many if any cassettes that would fit your freewheel (probably a scerw on type). You might find a 6 or 7 speed cassette that will fit, but how much bigger the biggest sprocket will be to the one you already have I don't know.

To add a chainring at the front will require a new chainset and probably bottom bracket too. Then you'll need a front derailleur (band on) and shifter (band on down tube?). You might also need a new rear derailleur with additional capacity.

Probably easier all round to get a new (£300) bike, or just walk up or avoid the steep hills.

slowbike

5 speed means it's only got 1 chainring at the front ... count the teeth on the chainring.

Cheapest way to make it easier to go up hill would probably be to get a smaller chainring - ie less teeth. Remove the one that's on there now and put the smaller one on - you may need to shorten the chain too.

mattwind

I have a 5 speed 1980s Raleigh as well so well done on having good taste

I've gone overboard on mine and fitted triple chainrings but a useful improvement would be to remove the existing 5 speed freewheel (it's not a cassette) and fit a six speed MTB one (look on ebay). you may need to add a washer/spacer between the hub and dropout to give the small sprocket room. Because you have a friction shifter that's all you need to do to gain a wider gear range for a few quid.

Don't forget to adjust your high, low screws on the mech so you can get all the gears.

mattsccm

If its 5 speed its got a free wheel so ignore any thing that says cassette.
It will have down tube shifters as well. These will work with any freewheel, 8 being the maximum ever made.. Check the distance between the dropouts, (where the rear wheel fits) . It may be 120mm. If so it will need opening out. Advice will vary here. I just spring things but other get technical and say it won't like it. 126mm is easier to deal with. I free wheel with more sprockets will almost certainly be wider, although some 6 speed ones won't. These may mean an axle change. Its starting to get complicated now and needs thinking about. Maybe a different wheel that's either 26 or 130 mm across the lock nuts s needed. Then you buy a freewheel with bigger sprockets.
More sprockets mean its wider so may be too wider for the axle.
5 soeeds can go bigger.
Then you get to the point that the rear mech won't cope if you go silly.
It can be done but it may be fiddly.
Count the teeth on the biggest rear cog. You need that bigger or the front one smaller for lower gears.
Might I suggest that you wander over to the retrobike forum with a pic of the rear gears. Some one they will be able to tell you exactly what will work to the nearest mm and will have a box full of bits to sell you.