Going from an ancient helicomatic ten speed setup to something I can find parts for. Questions: Any suggestions on what to switch to? Price matters, weight doesn't. I don't care for too many gears. Can I keep my chain rings and front derailer, or are there oddball compatibility issues that may pop up? Very little wear in the chain rings. Since I'm using friction shifters, can I keep the rear derailer as long as it has enough travel and chain uptake? Anything else I need to watch for?
-- B.B. --I am not a goat! thegoat4 at airmail.net
Going from an ancient helicomatic ten speed setup to something I can find parts for. Questions: Any suggestions on what to switch to? Price matters, weight doesn't. I don't care for too many gears. Can I keep my chain rings and front derailer, or are there oddball compatibility issues that may pop up? Very little wear in the chain rings. Since I'm using friction shifters, can I keep the rear derailer as long as it has enough travel and chain uptake? Anything else I need to watch for?
Not sure how spacing will work--Your bike will be narrower than current standard parts, (I'm guessing yours is 120mm) but you can probably get a standard freewheel hub in your current spacing. If local shops don't have anything fairly cheap, I'd probably go to Ebay, or check thrift stores and garage sales for bikes for parts. 5 or 6 speed shouldn't cause any problems with your current gear, might require minor derailleur adjustments.
