Down-tube to STI shifter conversion

"Zilla" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:tKjla.43951$u81.35816 @fe05.atl2.webusenet.com:

Quoted message said:

Is the above conversion worth doing? If so
- How difficult? What steps are involved? (Some steps are obvious, but humor me)
- How expensive?

Any bicycle repair book will have detailed instructions, so I won't reproduce them here. Cost will
be $100 to $200 for a set of STI levers, depending on quality level. Add maybe $20 for a new set of
cables and housing and $10 for new handlebar tape.

You might also consider bar end shifters, which will cost about $50 plus cables and tape.

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

Quoted message said:

Is the above conversion worth doing? If so
- How difficult? What steps are involved? (Some steps are obvious, but humor me)
- How expensive?

Yes, the conversion is worth doing. Difficulty depends on your experience working on a bike. You
need to be able to tape bars, run new derailleur cables and housing, adjust your brakes, and adjust
your derailleurs. I thought it was pretty easy. Cost will depend on what is on your bike now. If
your current setup is the same speed as the STI levers, then the cost is just the levers, they
should come with cable and housing. Basically you untake your bars and remove your old brake levers,
you can re-use the brake cables and housing if they are in good condition. You then install the new
STI levers and brake cables and housing. At this point you can re-tape your bars. You then measure
and cut the STI housing to go from the levers to where you down tube levers are mounted. You then
remove your downtube levers and replace them with the cable stops that should have come with your
STI levers. Then you run the cables to your derailleurs. You can now test the set up and make the
necessary adjustments. Total time should be under 2 hours.
-----------------
Alex __O _-\<,_ (_)/ (_)

Thanks for the tip/encouragement folks!

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

Quoted message said:

Is the above conversion worth doing? If so
- How difficult? What steps are involved? (Some steps are obvious, but humor me)
- How expensive?

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- Zilla (Remove XSPAM)

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

Quoted message said:

"Zilla" <[email hidden]> wrote in

news:tKjla.43951$u81.35816

Quoted message said:

@fe05.atl2.webusenet.com:

Quoted message said:

Is the above conversion worth doing? If so
- How difficult? What steps are involved? (Some steps are obvious, but humor me)
- How expensive?

Any bicycle repair book will have detailed instructions,

so I won't reproduce

Quoted message said:

them here. Cost will be $100 to $200 for a set of STI

levers, depending on

Quoted message said:

quality level. Add maybe $20 for a new set of cables and

housing and $10 for

Quoted message said:

new handlebar tape.

You might also consider bar end shifters, which will cost

about $50 plus

Quoted message said:

cables and tape.

If you buy new Shimano STI levers, the shifter/brake cables/housing and stops should be included.
All 'new' - as in bought in a store - Shimano STI is nine speed though these days, with the
exception of Sora. Alternatively you can find seven and eight speed STI shifters either new or used
on eBay or rec.bicycles,marketplace. What dérailleurs/cassette/crankset do you have though?

And if you're careful, you may be able to re-use your current bar tape.....

I know you can get Mirage Ergo shifters complete with cables and the requisite rear derailleur for
<$125. I can tell you where they are avaialble. You can use 8 of 9 cogs on a 7sp Shimano hub with
either 9sp STI or Ergo. You need a cassette and chain too.

When you go for brifters, you get new brake levers too.

Alex Rodriguez <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

Is the above conversion worth doing? If so
- How difficult? What steps are involved? (Some steps are obvious, but humor me)
- How expensive?

Yes, the conversion is worth doing. Difficulty depends on your experience working on a bike. You
need to be able to tape bars, run new derailleur cables and housing, adjust your brakes, and
adjust your derailleurs. I thought it was pretty easy. Cost will depend on what is on your bike
now. If your current setup is the same speed as the STI levers, then the cost is just the levers,
they should come with cable and housing. Basically you untake your bars and remove your old brake
levers, you can re-use the brake cables and housing if they are in good condition. You then
install the new STI levers and brake cables and housing. At this point you can re-tape your bars.
You then measure and cut the STI housing to go from the levers to where you down tube levers are
mounted. You then remove your downtube levers and replace them with the cable stops that should
have come with your STI levers. Then you run the cables to your derailleurs. You can now test the
set up and make the necessary adjustments. Total time should be under 2 hours.
-----------------
Alex __O _-\<,_ (_)/ (_)

....................It can be done on almost any bike. Whether it's worth it or not depends of the
bike and what else has to be changed. The new shifters have to be compatible with the rest of the
drivetrain,and it friction that means lots or other parts. The front derailer may not be STI
compatible depending on vintage even if the rest of the drivetrain is index. There are also frames
that used clamp on shifters rather than bosses.....The poster provided insufficient into to answer
other than.... 'it can probably be done,but.'

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

Is the above conversion worth doing? If so- How difficult? What steps are involved? > (Some steps
are obvious, but humor me) >- How expensive?

It is not difficult at all. Just some common sense. Basically it requires you to turn the knob to
center the chain and you are done. Depending how resourceful you are, buying used stuff can be very
rewarding. I would suggest go as high a level as you can afford. Don't forget to get a new chain,
original Shimano of course. To summarize, you will need STI shifters, cassette (may be new rear hub
if not compatible) and a new chain. Write back for details when you are ready.

Don't forget you can get 9 speeds downtube SIS shifting for DIRT CHEAP even at the Dura Ace level.
Another approach is to buy a new complete STI bike, strip the parts and sell that frame.

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

Quoted message said:

Is the above conversion worth doing? If so
- How difficult? What steps are involved? (Some steps are obvious, but humor me)
- How expensive?

Easy to do. Fairly expensive (to me at least). I find them invaluable for two conditions and
completely unneccesary in all others. They really help when going over 30 mph on twisty bumpy roads,
and they really help on fast paced group training rides. If you do either of these then you'll not
understand how you could have gone without them. If you don't then to me it would be a waste of time
and money. I have two bikes with downtube shifters, one with Ergo levers. I ride them all, and like
the downtube shifters.

"Grenouil" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de news: ....

Quoted message said:

If you buy new Shimano STI levers, the shifter/brake cables/housing and stops should be included.
All 'new' - as in bought in a store - Shimano STI is nine speed though these days, with the
exception of Sora. Alternatively you can find seven and eight speed STI shifters either new or
used on eBay or rec.bicycles,marketplace. What dérailleurs/cassette/crankset do you have though?

If you buy 9-speed STI, there is a way to use them with 8 or 7-speed cassette by running the cable
on the other side of the screw on the derailleur. Instructions are somewhere on
shimano-europe.comshimano-europe.comOpen ↗ . Using 9-speed levers means you would be ready for a 9-speed cassette
or for 8-speed on 7 when the time comes to change the cassette. Alternatively, you might be able to
find cheap used 8-speed levers from someone who just upgraded.

Another consideration: brakes. If you have v-brakes, you will need an adaptor such as the Travel
Agent (there are 2-3 competing designs). They run at $15-20 per brake. If you have cantis, you are
OK, although you might need to readjust cable geometry.

Regards,

Michel Gagnon

The bike in question is a 1996 Trek 1200.

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- Zilla (Remove XSPAM)

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

Quoted message said:

Alex Rodriguez <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

Is the above conversion worth doing? If so
- How difficult? What steps are involved? (Some steps are obvious, but humor me)
- How expensive?

Yes, the conversion is worth doing. Difficulty depends on your

experience

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

working on a bike. You need to be able to tape bars, run new derailleur

cables

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and housing, adjust your brakes, and adjust your derailleurs. I thought

it was

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

pretty easy. Cost will depend on what is on your bike now. If your

current

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

setup is the same speed as the STI levers, then the cost is just the

levers,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

they should come with cable and housing. Basically you untake your bars

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

remove your old brake levers, you can re-use the brake cables and

housing if

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

they are in good condition. You then install the new STI levers and

brake

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

cables and housing. At this point you can re-tape your bars. You then

measure

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and cut the STI housing to go from the levers to where you down tube

levers are

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

mounted. You then remove your downtube levers and replace them with the

cable

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

stops that should have come with your STI levers. Then you run the

cables to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

your derailleurs. You can now test the set up and make the necessary adjustments. Total time
should be under 2 hours.
-----------------
Alex __O _-\<,_ (_)/ (_)

....................It can be done on almost any bike. Whether it's worth it or not depends of the
bike and what else has to be changed. The new shifters have to be compatible with the rest of the
drivetrain,and it friction that means lots or other parts. The front derailer may not be STI
compatible depending on vintage even if the rest of the drivetrain is index. There are also frames
that used clamp on shifters rather than bosses.....The poster provided insufficient into to answer
other than.... 'it can probably be done,but.'