Vitus 979 and triple setup

"Gareth Beale" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a Vitus 979 currently set up as a double. I use
this bike almost

exclusively,

Quoted message said:

and have accomodated the hilly terrain by installing a
larger mountain

group and

Quoted message said:

matching derailer on the rear. However this makes for
large jumps in

gearing. I'd

Quoted message said:

like to put a triple on to give me the flexibility I need.
I seem to

remember reading

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at least one article or posting from someone who had done
that, but warned

that this

Quoted message said:

frame isn't well suited to a triple setup, maybe due to
the geometry of

the lower

Quoted message said:

end, I can't remember.

Any experiences out there with a triple setup on this
frame? What

components are you

Quoted message said:

using?

I toured Europe and the UK on a 979 back in the 80's with a
triple on it; no worries. It was my racebike at the time and
I didn't care for tourers, so I just rode it instead of
getting another bike. I was traveling light, so I just used
a large seatbag in back and had most of my stuff in lowrider
panniers on the front, with homemade flat brackets that had
a hole for the skewer to go through. Had to take the skewer
out to change the tire, but no biggie. Kept the weight very
low and had just enough clearance under the pannier loop for
a 28mm Avocet.

As for the gearing, I used a Sugino crank (28/38/48) with a
13/24 6-spd freewheel and the original indexed Shimano 600EX
shifters with a longer pulley arm stolen off some cheapo
derailleur. Worked perfect. Wider 8-9spd cassettes would
give a bit sharper chain angles with the 40cm chainstays on
your Vitus, but I seriously doubt enough to cause problems.

SB

On 3/23/04 12:31 PM, in article [email hidden], "Steve

Blankenship said:

Wider 8-9spd cassettes would give a bit sharper chain
angles with the 40cm chainstays on your Vitus, but I
seriously doubt enough to cause problems.

The bigger problem with 8-9-10 spd cassettes is that they
generally require 130mm rear spacing while the 979 would
have had 126 for 6-7 spd. Aluminum doesn't like "cold
setting" (bending) nearly as much as steel does, so just
spreading the stays isn't particularly recommended.

I stick to 126 7 speed on my Vitus.

Baird

"Baird Webel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On 3/23/04 12:31 PM, in article luadnVlHxrnF6f3dRVn-
[email hidden], "Steve Blankenship"

Quoted message said:

Wider 8-9spd cassettes would give a bit sharper chain
angles with the 40cm chainstays

on

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

your Vitus, but I seriously doubt enough to cause
problems.

The bigger problem with 8-9-10 spd cassettes is that they
generally

require

Quoted message said:

130mm rear spacing while the 979 would have had 126 for
6-7 spd. Aluminum doesn't like "cold setting" (bending)
nearly as much as steel does, so

just

Quoted message said:

spreading the stays isn't particularly recommended.

I stick to 126 7 speed on my Vitus.

This is true of course, but I kept that Vitus long enough to
use it with 130mm, 8spd rear hubs. Just opened it a bit when
inserting the wheel and it was fine. Only 2mm per side,
after all. Never had the slightest problem with it. If only
the same could've been said for the field sprint pileup that
ended up doing my Vitus in, along with a few of my
vertebrae... ;-)

"Steve Blankenship" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Gareth Beale" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a Vitus 979 currently set up as a double. I use
this bike almost

exclusively,

Quoted message said:

and have accomodated the hilly terrain by installing a
larger mountain

group and

Quoted message said:

matching derailer on the rear. However this makes for
large jumps in

gearing. I'd

Quoted message said:

like to put a triple on to give me the flexibility I
need. I seem to

remember reading

Quoted message said:

at least one article or posting from someone who had
done that, but warned

that this

Quoted message said:

frame isn't well suited to a triple setup, maybe due to
the geometry of

the lower

Quoted message said:

end, I can't remember.

Any experiences out there with a triple setup on this
frame? What

components are you

Quoted message said:

using?

I toured Europe and the UK on a 979 back in the 80's with
a triple on it; no worries. It was my racebike at the time
and I didn't care for tourers, so I just rode it instead
of getting another bike.

One thing for sure: there's no mistaking a 979 for a touring
bike, but it is comfortable if quick steering.

Quoted message said:

I was traveling light, so I just used a large seatbag in
back and had most of my stuff in lowrider panniers on the
front, with homemade flat brackets that had a hole for
the skewer to go through. Had to take the skewer out to
change the tire, but no biggie. Kept the weight very low
and had just enough clearance under the pannier loop for
a 28mm Avocet.

As for the gearing, I used a Sugino crank (28/38/48) with
a 13/24 6-spd freewheel and the original indexed Shimano
600EX shifters with a longer pulley arm stolen off some
cheapo derailleur. Worked perfect.

If someone tries to do this you just want to be sure that
the compact fd clamps high enough on the seat tube that
it doesn't get into the flare at the bottom of the
tubing. I'm not saying it will, just that it's something
to keep in mind.

Quoted message said:

Wider 8-9spd cassettes would give a bit sharper chain
angles with the 40cm chainstays on your Vitus, but I
seriously doubt enough to cause problems.

My Vitus is spaced at about 125 (126 seems to be a
require a little stretch), and of course there is no
question of cold setting it, so you would have to pull it
open enough to shove in a 130 hub for 8+ speeds,
something I wouldn't do but others might be willing to
try. One of these days I will get around to trying the 8
of 9 on a 7 Sheldon trick, though.

JP

Quoted message said:

My Vitus is spaced at about 125 (126 seems to be a
require a little stretch), and of course there is no
question of cold setting it, so you would have to pull it
open enough to shove in a 130 hub for 8+ speeds,
something I wouldn't do but others might be willing to
try. One of these days I will get around to trying the 8
of 9 on a 7 Sheldon trick, though.

JP

Oddly enough, JP, that's what I'm currently using. I rode
the RAMROD here in WA last year, and needed some low gears
to save my knees. I got some DA barends from ebay for about
$50, and bought a Deore XT derailer and cassette. The top-
gear you have to replace costs half what the cassette does!
So along with the chain, I spent about $150. It works OK,
but I still think I'm inclined to move to a triple if I
continue using this as my all-purpose bike.

I have to agree about the frame stretching. There are a lot
of people out there who are willing to stretch the dropouts
of a carbon or Al bike to get an 8- or 9-speed axle in.
Braver than I am, Gunga Din.

Gareth