old bikes

there not dangerous........just old spec

D@vo

the bigger the ring the more it hurts

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

Quoted message said:

i have a old bike i got second hand and the gears sticks are down on the
frame. are these bikes dangerous? decatholon will not sell them now.

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

Quoted message said:

i have a old bike i got second hand and the gears sticks are down on the
frame. are these bikes dangerous? decatholon will not sell them now.

A perfectly reasonable place to put the changers. You will probably find
you change gear a little less often but you will soon get used to them.

T

in message <[email hidden]>, mewthree

(') said:

i have a old bike i got second hand and the gears sticks are down on
the frame. are these bikes dangerous?

No, not in the least. Lance Armstrong used such a bike during part of
this year's Tour de France. A downtube-type shifter for the front
deraileur is sometimes preferred to an STI shifter because you can trim
it (you cannot so precisely trim an STI). Also it is lighter. So
professional riders still use them for particular stages and races.

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

;; Diplomacy, American: see Intelligence, Military

mewthree said:

i have a old bike i got second hand and the gears sticks are down on the
frame. are these bikes dangerous? decatholon will not sell them now.

Nothing wrong with them, I still have one bike with shifters down
there, although I hardly ever use it these days, since buying a new
road bike this summer.

mewthree said:

i have a old bike i got second hand and the gears sticks are down on

the

Quoted message said:

frame. are these bikes dangerous? decatholon will not sell them now.

Downtube gear changers do not make a bike dangerous.

mewthree said:

i have a old bike i got second hand and the gears sticks are down on the
frame. are these bikes dangerous?

They aren't, but apparently the ones which stick up in the middle of the
handlebars can cause groin and stomach injuries.

Daniele
--
Apple Juice Ltd
Chapter Arts Centre
Market Road www.apple-juice.co.uk
Cardiff CF5 1QE 029 2019 0140

mewthree popped their head over the parapet saw what was going on and
said

Quoted message said:

i have a old bike i got second hand and the gears sticks are down on
the frame. are these bikes dangerous? decatholon will not sell them
now.

My road bike has down tube shifters did find that there
was a minor wobble as I reached down to change gear
but that was more me than the position of the shifters .
MUCH easier to find gears (if your cable has stretched
a bit ) than index shifters as you can 'tweak' the shift/cable
slightly to get rid of any annoying (ineficient) rattles.

Looking for advice bit, said bike has been out the back
for ages (while I have been shooting about on the ATB)
now it needs the wheels replaced along with new tyres,
innertubes etc.Thing is will I use the 5 speed casette on
the back wheel or should I get a whole new casette
(can you still get 5 speed casettes or will I need to widen
the frame?) or will this mean I have to get new chain rings
and a new chain or should I just louse this bike as I don't
think it is a whoope do one (£70:00 S/H 14 years ago)
and so not really worth the expense of doing it up.
Or living in Edinburgh, well Balerno, could give it to
the bike station thing at Waverley (they may have spare
parts lying about).The more I describe what needs
replaced the more uneconomic the repair seems.

Frame is some sort of steel "Raleigh" job sorry but
I can see no other marks on the frame i.e. what sort
of tube it is made from (it had been resprayed before
I bought it). Crank set is riveted rather than screwed
another clue that this bike is not of the best quality.

--
yours S

Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione

soup said:

mewthree popped their head over the parapet saw what was going on and
said

Quoted message said:

i have a old bike i got second hand and the gears sticks are down

on

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the frame. are these bikes dangerous? decatholon will not sell them
now.

My road bike has down tube shifters did find that there
was a minor wobble as I reached down to change gear
but that was more me than the position of the shifters .
MUCH easier to find gears (if your cable has stretched
a bit ) than index shifters as you can 'tweak' the shift/cable
slightly to get rid of any annoying (ineficient) rattles.

I think you are referring to friction shifters, it IS possible and IMHO
not a bad option to have indexed downtube shifters.

Quoted message said:

Looking for advice bit, said bike has been out the back
for ages (while I have been shooting about on the ATB)
now it needs the wheels replaced along with new tyres,
innertubes etc.Thing is will I use the 5 speed casette on
the back wheel or should I get a whole new casette
(can you still get 5 speed casettes or will I need to widen
the frame?) or will this mean I have to get new chain rings
and a new chain or should I just louse this bike as I don't
think it is a whoope do one (£70:00 S/H 14 years ago)
and so not really worth the expense of doing it up.
Or living in Edinburgh, well Balerno, could give it to
the bike station thing at Waverley (they may have spare
parts lying about).The more I describe what needs
replaced the more uneconomic the repair seems.

I don't think you can get 5 speed cassettes, you could make one but I
expect your hub is not a cassette hub.

Quoted message said:

Frame is some sort of steel "Raleigh" job sorry but
I can see no other marks on the frame i.e. what sort
of tube it is made from (it had been resprayed before
I bought it). Crank set is riveted rather than screwed
another clue that this bike is not of the best quality.

If you really want to keep the bike the best option might be to buy
another similar s/h one to canabalise.

MSeries popped their head over the parapet saw what was going on and
said

Quoted message said:

I think you are referring to friction shifters,

Yes, did mean friction shifters sorry for any confusion

Quoted message said:

I don't think you can get 5 speed cassettes, you could make one but I
expect your hub is not a cassette hub.

Yup sloppy writing again just used casette to mean the
'gang' of sprockets on the back wheel whether I should have
called it something else I don't know.

Quoted message said:

If you really want to keep the bike the best option might be to buy
another similar s/h one to canabalise.

Not that bothered about keeping this bike was more looking
for a 'cheap' way to renovate a second bike I already have
but think I will just louse it or give it to some charity (if anybody
wants it). Have already used the pedals of it, as the bearings
went on the ones on the ATB, also took the rear "Derailleur"
from it as the one on the ATB was bent .

--
yours S

Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione

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

Quoted message said:

i have a old bike i got second hand and the gears sticks are down on the
frame. are these bikes dangerous? decatholon will not sell them now.

Modern gear changing systems are so much easier to use that they have
made the downtube lever obsolete. However, there is nothing
intrinsically wrong with downtube levers. They are light, reliable,
mechanically simple, and perfectly safe.

--
Dave...

Dave Kahn said:

Modern gear changing systems are so much easier to use that they have
made the downtube lever obsolete. However, there is nothing
intrinsically wrong with downtube levers. They are light, reliable,
mechanically simple, and perfectly safe.

Not sure I agree with you about the reason why dt levers are used less.
They are not obsolete on 2 of my bikes !! ;-) The fact they are "light,
reliable, mechanically simple" makes them worthy of a place on my
machines. I have no plans to sunset them, in fact I am toying with the
idea of dsipensing with the front mech STi on #1RI and fitting a dt
lever, much more reliable and lighter.

MSeries said:

idea of dsipensing with the front mech STi on #1RI and fitting a dt
lever, much more reliable and lighter.

Is that not the general setup that Lance Armstrong uses?

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch said:

Is that not the general setup that Lance Armstrong uses?

Pete.

For mountain stages of the Tour de France it is. He doesn't use a
triple chainset though. When I used a double the changing was good,
especially since the Ulty levers are universal and when used with a
double there is an amount of trim available. Now with a triple the
adjustment is not yet spot on so changing to the smallest ring is
sometimes troublesome. Before I make such a switch I'm going to
persevere with trying to get it set up properly. My situation may be
slightly complicated by the fact I am using 52/39/30 chainrings and the
39 is not ramped and pinned specifically for triple use so it doesn't
encourage the chain to move further down. Ulty comes with 52/42/30 and
I am used to using a 39 so I have stuck with it. Friction shifting a
front mech is pretty easy to set up properly and TBH I have always
wondered why indexed was ever invented for this, especially for double.

soup said:

mewthree popped their head over the parapet saw what was going on and
said

Quoted message said:

i have a old bike i got second hand and the gears sticks are down on
the frame. are these bikes dangerous?

Only with stupid riders, who choose stupid moments to change gear, like,
say, on a blind bend at 30 mph.

Quoted message said:

My road bike has down tube shifters did find that there
was a minor wobble as I reached down to change gear
but that was more me than the position of the shifters .
MUCH easier to find gears (if your cable has stretched
a bit ) than index shifters as you can 'tweak' the shift/cable
slightly to get rid of any annoying (ineficient) rattles.

I used to use the best of both worlds: indexed down tube levers with a
friction mode. I used to love them, but that was when I only had 6 cogs
and tons of energy and a non-knackered back. Ergo levers are the business
for me now.

Quoted message said:

Looking for advice bit, said bike has been out the back
for ages (while I have been shooting about on the ATB)
now it needs the wheels replaced along with new tyres,
innertubes etc.Thing is will I use the 5 speed casette on
the back wheel or should I get a whole new casette
(can you still get 5 speed casettes or will I need to widen
the frame?)

Local bike shop may have suitable 5 (and maybe 6) speed freewheels.

Quoted message said:

or will this mean I have to get new chain rings
and a new chain

New chain if the existing one is well worn. Might get away with the
rings, though.

Quoted message said:

or should I just louse this bike as I don't
think it is a whoope do one (£70:00 S/H 14 years ago)
and so not really worth the expense of doing it up.
Or living in Edinburgh, well Balerno, could give it to
the bike station thing at Waverley (they may have spare
parts lying about).The more I describe what needs
replaced the more uneconomic the repair seems.

I know the feeling. If the frame is good for you then I think it's worth
doing up with parts salvaged from another second-hand bike. Of course,
you might prefer the other bike instead altogether :-)

~PB

MSeries said:

For mountain stages of the Tour de France it is. He doesn't use a
triple chainset though. When I used a double the changing was good,
especially since the Ulty levers are universal and when used with a
double there is an amount of trim available. Now with a triple the
adjustment is not yet spot on so changing to the smallest ring is
sometimes troublesome. Before I make such a switch I'm going to
persevere with trying to get it set up properly. My situation may be
slightly complicated by the fact I am using 52/39/30 chainrings and
the 39 is not ramped and pinned specifically for triple use so it
doesn't encourage the chain to move further down. Ulty comes with
52/42/30 and I am used to using a 39 so I have stuck with it.

Chicken Cycles (distributors) have TA pinned middles, but pins (and most
of the ramping) are actually for changing up. They help pick up the chain
from the smaller ring. I'm quite sure of that because I've watched them
working and recently had improved shifting after trying a pinned middle
ring in place of the non pinned one I normally use (but didn't stick with
it cos wrong size).

So I doubt the middle ring is to blame for the problems going down. I
would try tweaking angle and height of front mech then a different
make/model front mech. Alternatively, perhaps a Chain Watcher or Deda Dog
Fang would help by allowing you to limit the mech less, so you could shift
further inboard without fear of loosing the chain -- a crude but effective
way of plonking on granny quickly.

~PB

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

Quoted message said:

Dave Kahn said:

Modern gear changing systems are so much easier to use that they have
made the downtube lever obsolete. However, there is nothing
intrinsically wrong with downtube levers. They are light, reliable,
mechanically simple, and perfectly safe.

Not sure I agree with you about the reason why dt levers are used less.

So what is the reason? It takes skill and practice to use d/t levers
effectively. Modern systems are much easier to use and give precise
effortless shifting. D/t levers have become rare because they've been
usurped by something that manufacturers prefer to supply and consumers
prefer to buy in spite of the added weight and complexity. That sounds
like obsolescence to me.

--
Dave...

Pete Biggs said:

Quoted message said:

So I doubt the middle ring is to blame for the problems going down.

I

Quoted message said:

would try tweaking angle and height of front mech then a different
make/model front mech. Alternatively, perhaps a Chain Watcher or

Deda Dog

Quoted message said:

Fang would help by allowing you to limit the mech less, so you could

shift

Quoted message said:

further inboard without fear of loosing the chain -- a crude but

effective

Quoted message said:

way of plonking on granny quickly.

I am pretty sure its due to mal adjustment. Its not very serious as I
have developed a technique to complete the shift anyway. I have made an
adjsutment but so far not road tested it. The problem isn't bad enough
to warrant a new mech. I chose a DA mech as opposed to Ulty as DA is
optimised for 52/39/30 and Ulty isn't. I'd rather fit dt lever that
[censored] around with new mechs, then I know it will work as I want it and
I already have a DA front mech lever going spare. [Its partner, the
rear, is on my Royal for the 8 of 9 on 6 trick]

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

Quoted message said:

Friction shifting a
front mech is pretty easy to set up properly and TBH I have always
wondered why indexed was ever invented for this, especially for double.

Depends on the system - Campag Ergopower uses a fine ratchet and so
can be trimmed to a reasonable degree, as well as allowing the same
pattern of lever to be used for doubles or triples. Both Shimano on-
and off-road STI, as I've found on my Trek MTB, simply use a 2- or
3-position ratchet (depending on the type of front mech & chainset)
with far less scope for adjustment and unpleasant scraping noises with
certain gear combinations.

David E. Belcher

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

Quoted message said:

Not sure I agree with you about the reason why dt levers are used less.
They are not obsolete on 2 of my bikes !! ;-) The fact they are "light,
reliable, mechanically simple" makes them worthy of a place on my
machines. I have no plans to sunset them, in fact I am toying with the
idea of dsipensing with the front mech STi on #1RI and fitting a dt
lever, much more reliable and lighter.

I use a broadly similar set-up for cyclo-cross, though I have to
confess it was done mostly on cost grounds (I had a lone Simplex
bar-end lever - to use with the front mech - in the bits box already,
got a pair of Saccon aero levers for only six quid or so - though I
only needed one - and bought a Campag Chorus 9sp Ergo lever very
cheaply just because it was an odd R/H one with no L/H partner)!

David E. Belcher