9 Speed on old Mercian; problems

I don't see how the rear spacing would affect shifting to the big cogs in the rear. Did you check
the limit screws on the derailer?

It also could be possible that those old downtube shifters can't pull enough cable to cover the
whole range.

What I would do. Take the chain off. Set the derailer screws to their outward limits (i.e. the most
movement you can get out of the derailer. With the rear wheel on, see if the downtube shifter can
move the rear derailer across the full range of the cassette.

This is how I always initially adjust the limits on my derailer.

Kyle

"mike berry" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:tdh%a.281$nf3.159@fed1read07...

Quoted message said:

I'm building up a old Mercian with parts around the garage and have run

into

Quoted message said:

some problems. Mostly that I can't get my rear derailleur to line up correctly with the cassette
I'm using. Here's my set up:

-1973 Mercian Professional -NOS Shimano clamp on down tube shifters (friction/rachet) -Shimano 105
Front Derailleur -Ultegra double crank -Shimano 105 Rear Derailleur -9 Speed Cassette and Hub

While on either front ring, I can't shift the chain up to the last two big rings on the rear
cassette. I assume this is because I can't align the

rear

Quoted message said:

derailleur with the largest ring on the rear cassette. The front

derailleur

Quoted message said:

shifting is fine.

Is this because of the rear spacing of this frame? I did have to spread

the

Quoted message said:

stays out a little bit to get the 9 speed wheel/hub/cassette onto the

bike.

Quoted message said:

Should I be looking for a 7 speed hub and cassette?

I did get to ride the bike a couple of miles this afternoon, and it rides and fits great so I
really want to pursue this.

Thanks All,
--
Mike Berry La Mesa, Calif. "I have to admit it's getting better, it's getting better all the
time..." Lennon/McCartney

The rear spacing appears to be 130mm, this should be wide enough for a 9 speed should it not?

--
Mike Berry La Mesa, Calif.

"I have to admit it's getting better, it's getting better all the time..." Lennon/McCartney "mike
berry" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:tdh%a.281$nf3.159@fed1read07...

Quoted message said:

I'm building up a old Mercian with parts around the garage and have run

into

Quoted message said:

some problems. Mostly that I can't get my rear derailleur to line up correctly with the cassette
I'm using. Here's my set up:

-1973 Mercian Professional -NOS Shimano clamp on down tube shifters (friction/rachet) -Shimano 105
Front Derailleur -Ultegra double crank -Shimano 105 Rear Derailleur -9 Speed Cassette and Hub

While on either front ring, I can't shift the chain up to the last two big rings on the rear
cassette. I assume this is because I can't align the

rear

Quoted message said:

derailleur with the largest ring on the rear cassette. The front

derailleur

Quoted message said:

shifting is fine.

Is this because of the rear spacing of this frame? I did have to spread

the

Quoted message said:

stays out a little bit to get the 9 speed wheel/hub/cassette onto the

bike.

Quoted message said:

Should I be looking for a 7 speed hub and cassette?

I did get to ride the bike a couple of miles this afternoon, and it rides and fits great so I
really want to pursue this.

Thanks All,
--
Mike Berry La Mesa, Calif. "I have to admit it's getting better, it's getting better all the
time..." Lennon/McCartney

mike berry' may have said:

While on either front ring, I can't shift the chain up to the last two big rings on the rear
cassette. I assume this is because I can't align the rear derailleur with the largest ring on the
rear cassette. The front derailleur shifting is fine.

Someone else already asked the obvious question about the stop screws; I'd just add that if the der
is mounted on an add-on bracket, that added bracket's thickness will move it away from the cogs
somewhat; you may have to back all the way off on one of the stops to get to the low cog. Also, you
might be running into what I found recently; I discovered that the old friction shifters on an early
'70s vintage road bike had just short of the amount of cable travel needed for the der that I was
considering swapping on to the unit. If you can pull on the cable clamp with your finger and get
additional travel over to the lower two gears, and if you've already got the cable adjusted for max
travel usage, then you may have to replace the shifter.

Quoted message said:

Is this because of the rear spacing of this frame? I did have to spread the stays out a little bit
to get the 9 speed wheel/hub/cassette onto the bike. Should I be looking for a 7 speed hub and
cassette?

Frame spacing shouldn't matter. The distance between the planes of the der mount surface and the big
cog might, but that der should have enough throw to be able to reach even if the der is mounted on a
bolt-on bracket instead of a tab on the dropout.

Others will have additional observations and suggestions; read and digest all of the information,
and check what seems relevant, before buying *anything* in an attempt to fix this. Troubleshooting
by parts swapping is mostly a way to get an expensive education, not an efficient means of fixing
the real problem.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail. Yes, I have a killfile. If I
don't respond to something, it's also possible that I'm busy.

Here's a good link on howto adjust it.

sheldonbrown.comderailer adjustment.htmlOpen ↗

I just installed sora 8 speed brifters on my daughters 1985 and had to change the rear derailer to
one that had a tension adjustment. Other than that, I haven't really had a problem with going from 6
speed 80's bikes to STI using the stock derailers. I would've tried it with the "600" rear that was
on the bike, but I had an early 90's 105 laying around. I'd suspect the levers don't have enough
travel to move the derailer full range.

Quoted message said:

"mike berry" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:tdh%a.281$nf3.159@fed1read07...

Quoted message said:

I'm building up a old Mercian with parts around the garage and have run

into

Quoted message said:

some problems. Mostly that I can't get my rear derailleur to line up correctly with the cassette
I'm using. Here's my set up:

-1973 Mercian Professional -NOS Shimano clamp on down tube shifters (friction/rachet) -Shimano
105 Front Derailleur -Ultegra double crank -Shimano 105 Rear Derailleur -9 Speed Cassette and Hub

While on either front ring, I can't shift the chain up to the last two

big

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

rings on the rear cassette. I assume this is because I can't align the

rear

Quoted message said:

derailleur with the largest ring on the rear cassette. The front

derailleur

Quoted message said:

shifting is fine.

Is this because of the rear spacing of this frame? I did have to spread

the

Quoted message said:

stays out a little bit to get the 9 speed wheel/hub/cassette onto the

bike.

Quoted message said:

Should I be looking for a 7 speed hub and cassette?

I did get to ride the bike a couple of miles this afternoon, and it rides and fits great so I
really want to pursue this.

Thanks All,
--
Mike Berry La Mesa, Calif. "I have to admit it's getting better, it's getting better all the
time..." Lennon/McCartney

--
Mark Wolfe wolfenet.orgwolfenet.orgOpen ↗ gpg fingerprint = 42B6 EFEB 5414 AA18 01B7 64AC EF46 F7E6 82F6
8C71 "I'd crawl over an acre of 'Visual This++' and 'Integrated Development That' to get to gcc,
Emacs, and gdb. Thank you." (By Vance Petree, Virginia Power)

"mike berry" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<tdh%a.281$nf3.159@fed1read07>...

Quoted message said:

I'm building up a old Mercian with parts around the garage and have run into some problems.
Mostly that I can't get my rear derailleur to line up correctly with the cassette I'm using.
Here's my set up:

-1973 Mercian Professional -NOS Shimano clamp on down tube shifters (friction/rachet) -Shimano 105
Front Derailleur -Ultegra double crank -Shimano 105 Rear Derailleur

Which version of the 105 rear derailleur are you using? I tried shifting an 8-speed cassette with a
7-speed derailleur and found that the derailleur did not have enough throw to reach the innermost
cog. That, and the amount of cable pull of the shift levers would be what I checked first.

Jeff

mike berry said:

While on either front ring, I can't shift the chain up to the last two big rings on the rear
cassette. I assume this is because I can't align the rear derailleur with the largest ring on the
rear cassette. The front derailleur shifting is fine.

How old is that rear derailleur? It may not have enough throw for 8/9 speed. Remember, they are
further from the dropouts than older freewheels were.

I modified an old Campy NR derailleur to work with 8-speed once. You have to grind down the stop
for the inner limit screw. With my old derailleur, it was a lot of grinding, but pretty easy to get
at, at least.

Quoted message said:

Should I be looking for a 7 speed hub and cassette?

Easier and cheaper to get a new derailleur, if my idea doesn't work.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. _`\(,_ | That is easy. All
you have to do is tell them they are being (_)/ (_) | attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for
lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any <country. --
Hermann Goering

It's got to be the adjustments of the rear derailleur, if you haven't reached it's limits. I'm using
a campy nuovo front derailleur, double chainring campy centaur crank (39/53), ultegra 9sp rear hub
with a 12-27 range, ultegra 9sp rear derailleur, downtube dura ace 9sp index shifters. Frame is a
reynolds 531 rodriguez which was cold-set to 130mm rear spacing. Very smooth shifting in any
direction. -tom

"David L. Johnson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

mike berry said:

While on either front ring, I can't shift the chain up to the last two

big

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

rings on the rear cassette. I assume this is because I can't align the rear derailleur with the
largest ring on the rear cassette. The front derailleur shifting is fine.

How old is that rear derailleur? It may not have enough throw for 8/9 speed. Remember, they are
further from the dropouts than older freewheels were.

I modified an old Campy NR derailleur to work with 8-speed once. You have to grind down the stop
for the inner limit screw. With my old derailleur, it was a lot of grinding, but pretty easy to
get at, at least.

Quoted message said:

Should I be looking for a 7 speed hub and cassette?

Easier and cheaper to get a new derailleur, if my idea doesn't work.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. _`\(,_ | That is easy.
All you have to do is tell them they are being (_)/ (_) | attacked, and denounce the
peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any
<country. -- Hermann Goering

Tom Nakashima' may have said:

It's got to be the adjustments of the rear derailleur, if you haven't reached it's limits.

Actually, in email, it turned out to be lack of adequate travel in the cable; the friction shifter
just didn't have a long enough pull.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail. Yes, I have a killfile. If I
don't respond to something, it's also possible that I'm busy.

Interesting, what shifter was it? -tom

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

Quoted message said:

Tom Nakashima' may have said:

It's got to be the adjustments of the rear derailleur, if you haven't reached it's limits.

Actually, in email, it turned out to be lack of adequate travel in the cable; the friction shifter
just didn't have a long enough pull.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail. Yes, I have a killfile. If I
don't respond to something, it's also possible that I'm busy.