converting to sti

shifters, I've gone and bid for some

Quoted message said:

STI shifters on ebay... Great! Finally adopting 20th century
technology! Very exciting!

to be able to

Quoted message said:

route the cable appropriately without removing the bar tape?)

I did this recently, and usually wish I had stuck with the totally
reliable and adaptable dt shifters, since I have had some shifting
problems .Things got better when I used proper gear outer instead of my
previously usual cheap brake outer all round, which was fine for dt
shifters.Also I use centre-pull brakes and there is no adjuster on the
sti levers, so I could do with putting cable adjusters in the brake
cables sometime.I tried wrapping the gear cables under the bar tape but
that probably made the shifting even worse.
Things seem to have settled down for the moment.
TerryJ

davek said:

OK, so despite having been perfectly happy for years with good
old-fashioned downtube friction shifters, I've gone and bid for some
STI shifters on ebay... Great! Finally adopting 20th century
technology! Very exciting!

Now, I know I need to swap the current shift levers for some downtube
cable stops, and fit some cable outer between the STIs and the cable
stops, but is there anything else I need for this job?

I'd recommend fitting downtube cable stops which include a cable length
trimmer.
I have those on one of my bikes (an old 10-speed racer converted to flat
bars and mountain bike STI changers) and they mean that I can easily trim
any slight errors in gear selection. The one I have has a small lever from
the side of the cable housing which pulls the housing out along a screw
thread adjuster.

Quoted message said:

I have a hunch I'm going to need to replace the bar tape as well, or
will the STIs fit on the same bar mounts as the Exage levers I
currently have installed? (And is it realistic to expect to be able to
route the cable appropriately without removing the bar tape?)

Can't answer that bit.

- Nigel

--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

davek said:

Now, I know I need to swap the current shift levers for some downtube
cable stops, and fit some cable outer between the STIs and the cable
stops, but is there anything else I need for this job?

I've done it twice; fairly straightforward, it should all be in the
box; what sti's are you going for? I got given a free pair today,
beaten up and 8spd so no use to me ;-)

Quoted message said:

I have a hunch I'm going to need to replace the bar tape as well, or
will the STIs fit on the same bar mounts as the Exage levers I
currently have installed?

Should be fine; same fixing to the bars.The cable goes sideways off
the top of the units. Just need to thread it down to the brackets on
the down tube.

in message <[email hidden]>, Nigel Cliffe

(') said:

I have those on one of my bikes (an old 10-speed racer converted to
flat bars and mountain bike STI changers) and they mean that I can
easily trim any slight errors in gear selection. The one I have has a
small lever from the side of the cable housing which pulls the housing
out along a screw thread adjuster.

I have one like that, and I think it's brilliant. Only problem is I was
given it and I haven't a clue what make it is or where to get another.
Mine is a nicely finished polished aluminium part. Do you know what make
yours is?

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Ye hypocrites! are these your pranks? To murder men and give God thanks?
Desist, for shame! Proceed no further: God won't accept your thanks for
murther
-- Roburt Burns, 'Thanksgiving For a National Victory'

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Nigel Cliffe

(') said:

I have those on one of my bikes (an old 10-speed racer converted to
flat bars and mountain bike STI changers) and they mean that I can
easily trim any slight errors in gear selection. The one I have has a
small lever from the side of the cable housing which pulls the housing
out along a screw thread adjuster.

I have one like that, and I think it's brilliant. Only problem is I was
given it and I haven't a clue what make it is or where to get another.
Mine is a nicely finished polished aluminium part. Do you know what make
yours is?

Sounds very nice. I have a pair of Dura-Ace ones which can normally be
found for a few quid on eBay.

...d

Nigel Cliffe said:

I'd recommend fitting downtube cable stops which include a cable length
trimmer.

Sounds like a sensible idea. I'll look out for them.

Thanks,

d.

MartinM said:

I've done it twice; fairly straightforward, it should all be in the
box;

Mmm, trouble is, being an ebay purchase, I don't know whether they even
come in a box. But I guess I'll soon find out.

Quoted message said:

what sti's are you going for?

Tiagra - there were some 105s and Ultegras listed as well but they
seemed to be quickly spiralling out of my budget range.

I got given a free pair today,

Quoted message said:

beaten up and 8spd so no use to me ;-)

There seem to be lots of 9spd shifters on the market at the moment, due
to people upgrading to 10spd. I'd be surprised if anyone would be able
to sell 8spd shifters for much money.

Quoted message said:

Should be fine; same fixing to the bars.

That's good news.

The cable goes sideways off

Quoted message said:

the top of the units. Just need to thread it down to the brackets on
the down tube.

Mmm, gear cables I'm not so worried about - it's the brake cables that
could be tricky. But we'll see...

d.