Bill said:I have a Dawes Giro 300, the older type with conventional frame and
frame tubes. (circa 2000).
It is equipped with Shimano RSX components, and the front shifter has
become erratic, obviously the little pawl not catching which is well
documented on this group and in other forums. I have done all the
recommended fixes but no help so need to renew the component. Last
time I took a bike to bits it had friction levers on the front tube,
so this is a whole new ball game to me. I don't have a LBS so have
to buy online, but the variety and choice is overwhelming.
Just what do I look for as a search term. Shimano RSX seems to throw
up everything but what I actually want, or am I being incredibly
thick. The front is a triple, and the shifter is combined with the
brake lever.
I think you are suffering from obselete bits. At 5 years the bits on your
bike are obselete as far as the parts makers are concerned. Yes, you will
still be able to find stuff which works, but what was bought back then bears
no resemblence to what is in the catelogues now.
Quoted message said:I'm no luddite, but I can't help feeling the old style gears,
friction, no indexing etc were far less trouble, or am I getting old.
If wanting a new combined brake/gear lever for the left brake lever & front
gear changer, then you'll have to search around for someone with just that
part for sale. Most retailers sell the levers in pairs, and you get the
right had lever as well. Those levers are complex and expensive.
Pretty much any Shimano lever will work for the left, so long as its for a
triple mech. For the rear, you need the right number of sprockets (8,9,10).
Price depends a bit on quality, a bit on weight, with a law of diminishing
returns as the price rises. From £90 per pair, though I would pay a little
more to avoid the most budget of models. There is the option of swapping
to Campag shifters (significantly cheaper entry prices), but you need to do
some research as to which Campag shifters will work with which Shimano
mechanisms.
Alternatives:
Frame tube shifter for the front mech alone, leaving the rear mech
controlled by the RH brake lever (and not be in bad company, L.Armstrong was
using such on last year's Tour de France). You need to check that there is
a threaded boss on the frame for this (it will be where the gear cable swaps
from being in the flexible tube, to running down the frame; if you can
unscrew/unbolt a fixing you probably have the correct fitting).
Almost any shift lever will do for the front mech, though if changing the
rear as well, you will need to match the number of sprockets. Shop price
for good quality new is around £35 per pair.
Bar-end shifters, which fit on the end of the drop bars. They are popular
with touring bikes due to their robustness, yet not needing such a big reach
as a frame shifter. For just the front, any model will do. If swapping
the rear as well, then it needs to match the number of cogs on the back.
Shop price for good quality items is around £40 per pair.
- Nigel
--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/
