derailleur/shifter combos

blokedownpub said the following on 08/03/2007 17:23:

Quoted message said:

Also, it seems imossible to get a 2 speed front shifter, so can I use
a 3 speed one instead and have one gear that doesn't work and if so,
would the chain come off at one end if the missing gear were engaged?

I can't answer the other bits, but it's perfectly possible to do the
above, but you need to make sure the derailleur limit screws are set to
cover just the two gears. I have done exactly this with my MTB, which
has a 3-speed shifter and only two rings.

Quoted message said:

Please forgive me if my questions seem a bit stupid.

There is no such thing as a stupid question if you don't know the answer!

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

blokedownpub said:

I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
hybrid.

To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
flightdeck 8x2 speed.

The Sora ST-3300 and ST-3304 levers have adjustable reach. What's
the betting you have the fixed ST-R500?
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

blokedownpub said:

I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes.

Bit of a stupid reply really, but have you tried moving the levers very
high up on the bars, ie till the hoods are pointing upwards?
Mine are set up like that - much higher than you would think right.
Your hands rest on the hoods in the fashion of bar-ends on flat bar
handlebars.
Can't help with the brake reach though - there has been a reply about that.

Also how wide are the bars? I swapped mine to 42cm, which these days is
considered narrow, and I'm happier with them.

in message <[email hidden]>, Phil Cook

(') said:

blokedownpub said:

I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
hybrid.

To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
flightdeck 8x2 speed.

The Sora ST-3300 and ST-3304 levers have adjustable reach. What's
the betting you have the fixed ST-R500?

The other thing is, if she doesn't like the drops, get her some auxiliary
levers like these:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360028451
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360012608

My partner has them on her bike. Unlike the 1970s style suicide levers,
they really work, and are easy to fit (not compatible with bar bags,
though).

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Friends don't send friends HTML formatted emails.

blokedownpub said:

I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
hybrid.

That may well be best but you shouldn't jump to any conclusion too quickly.
A different riding position from a shorter stem with the levers differently
positioned may well solve the problem nicely. Or the bars could be replaced
for more suitable drop bars, perhaps "women specific" ones - which should
help with reach to the brakes as well. Extension brake levers are available
too.

Quoted message said:

To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
flightdeck 8x2 speed.

Quoted message said:

Can I use any shimano 8 speed shifter for the rear or are there
different pitches dependent on the style?

Any Shimano 8-speed rear shifter will be compatible with the rear
derailleur.

Quoted message said:

Also, it seems imossible to get a 2 speed front shifter, so can I use
a 3 speed one instead and have one gear that doesn't work and if so,
would the chain come off at one end if the missing gear were engaged?

The derailleur limit screw deals with that.

Not all Shimano indexed front shifters will index properly with the front
derailleur, though, and not all front derailleurs are happy with road bike
(large) chainrings.

Old fashioned non-indexed friction or ratchet thumb shifters work with
anything. One of these could be used for the front (left) only if you like,
with a modern indexed shiffer on the right.

~PB

In article <[email hidden]>, Simon
Brooke
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

The other thing is, if she doesn't like the drops, get her some auxiliary
levers like these:

Not much use when she still has to reach the other brake levers to
change gear.

In article <[email hidden]>, Phil Cook
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

blokedownpub said:

I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
hybrid.

To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
flightdeck 8x2 speed.

The Sora ST-3300 and ST-3304 levers have adjustable reach. What's
the betting you have the fixed ST-R500?

What's the betting it's not a female-specific frame either?

Phil Cook said:

blokedownpub said:

I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
hybrid.

Quoted message said:

To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
flightdeck 8x2 speed.

The Sora ST-3300 and ST-3304 levers have adjustable reach. What's
the betting you have the fixed ST-R500?
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Hi Phil, thanks for the information. I bought the bike second hand and
was advised that the brake levers couldn't be adjusted. Thankfully
they're ST-3300 so I've now adjusted them and now she can reach them.

Thanks 🙂

Thanks for this info, I think I'll try some of these too!

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Phil Cook

(') said:

blokedownpub wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
hybrid.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
flightdeck 8x2 speed.

Quoted message said:

The Sora ST-3300 and ST-3304 levers have adjustable reach. What's
the betting you have the fixed ST-R500?

The other thing is, if she doesn't like the drops, get her some auxiliary
levers like these:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360028451http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360012608

My partner has them on her bike. Unlike the 1970s style suicide levers,
they really work, and are easy to fit (not compatible with bar bags,
though).

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke)http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Friends don't send friends HTML formatted emails.

blokedownpub said:

Phil Cook said:

blokedownpub said:

I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
hybrid.

Quoted message said:

To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
flightdeck 8x2 speed.

The Sora ST-3300 and ST-3304 levers have adjustable reach. What's
the betting you have the fixed ST-R500?

Quoted message said:

Hi Phil, thanks for the information. I bought the bike second hand and
was advised that the brake levers couldn't be adjusted. Thankfully
they're ST-3300 so I've now adjusted them and now she can reach them.

Now fiddle about with stem length and position of the levers on the
bars so she is comfortable in the normal hands on hoods position. Then
give it a few weeks she'll wonder what the fuss was about riding on
dropped bars.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Pete Biggs said:

blokedownpub said:

I've recently bought a road bike for my wife but she's having real
problems with the drop handlebars and also reaching the brakes. We've
come to the conclusion that it would be better if she had a bike with
flatbars instead so I'm looking into converting her bike into a
hybrid.

That may well be best but you shouldn't jump to any conclusion too quickly.
A different riding position from a shorter stem with the levers differently
positioned may well solve the problem nicely. Or the bars could be replaced
for more suitable drop bars, perhaps "women specific" ones - which should
help with reach to the brakes as well. Extension brake levers are available
too.

Quoted message said:

To do this I need advice on the correct shifters to get to match the
derailleurs/cogs already fitted. The bike currently has a sora
flightdeck 8x2 speed.

Quoted message said:

Can I use any shimano 8 speed shifter for the rear or are there
different pitches dependent on the style?

Any Shimano 8-speed rear shifter will be compatible with the rear
derailleur.

Quoted message said:

Also, it seems imossible to get a 2 speed front shifter, so can I use
a 3 speed one instead and have one gear that doesn't work and if so,
would the chain come off at one end if the missing gear were engaged?

The derailleur limit screw deals with that.

Not all Shimano indexed front shifters will index properly with the front
derailleur, though, and not all front derailleurs are happy with road bike
(large) chainrings.

Old fashioned non-indexed friction or ratchet thumb shifters work with
anything. One of these could be used for the front (left) only if you like,
with a modern indexed shiffer on the right.

~PB