Suggestions for an 8 speed

TwoTone said:

My wife has a Rocky Mtn equipe with shimano XT - 8 speed (around 1995
I think) and we would like to get her shifting really nice again. She
has the old grip [censored]/shift shifter to change her XT drive train.
What could we use to replace her GS shifter that would still be
capatible with her shimano 8 speed drivetrain. Should I be looking
for another shimano shifter? If so, which model will work?

I get asked this a lot, so often that I have a canned boilerplate answer
that I keep in my Eudora 'stationery' file, viz.:

"Even if you could find them, I wouldn't recommend buying 8-speed
shifters unless they are _very_ cheap. It makes more sense to upgrade
to 9-speed, since the expensive part of this conversion is the shifter,
and you already need a shifter!

"The only additional parts you need for 9-speed are a new chain and
cassette, and these are normally consumable parts anyway--odds are yours
are already close to due for replacement.

"Some folks will tell you that you need a lot of other stuff to convert
an 8-speed bike to 9-speed, but they're wrong.

"Also, you can generally use the 9-speed shifters with your old 8-speed
cassette by using the "alternate cable routing" shown at
sheldonbrown.comdura ace.htmlOpen ↗

Sheldon "FAQ" Brown
+------------------------------------------------------+
| If I have been able to see farther than others, |
| it was because I stood on the shoulders of giants. |
| -- Sir Isaac Newton |
+------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Thank you for your response Sheldon. When you say I can go right to a
9 speed, can I buy any shimano 9 speed cassette and chain? Or do
they have to be a certain type. With all of the shimano marketing, I
want to make sure I buy the right part the first time and not end up
with the old "Oh you should have bought that one, not this one. Then
it will work" saying.

So if I order a 9 speed cassette, chain and shifter. What would you
recommend?

Sheldon Brown <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

TwoTone said:

My wife has a Rocky Mtn equipe with shimano XT - 8 speed (around 1995
I think) and we would like to get her shifting really nice again. She
has the old grip [censored]/shift shifter to change her XT drive train.
What could we use to replace her GS shifter that would still be
capatible with her shimano 8 speed drivetrain. Should I be looking
for another shimano shifter? If so, which model will work?

I get asked this a lot, so often that I have a canned boilerplate answer
that I keep in my Eudora 'stationery' file, viz.:

"Even if you could find them, I wouldn't recommend buying 8-speed
shifters unless they are _very_ cheap. It makes more sense to upgrade
to 9-speed, since the expensive part of this conversion is the shifter,
and you already need a shifter!

"The only additional parts you need for 9-speed are a new chain and
cassette, and these are normally consumable parts anyway--odds are yours
are already close to due for replacement.

"Some folks will tell you that you need a lot of other stuff to convert
an 8-speed bike to 9-speed, but they're wrong.

"Also, you can generally use the 9-speed shifters with your old 8-speed
cassette by using the "alternate cable routing" shown at
sheldonbrown.comdura ace.htmlOpen ↗

Sheldon "FAQ" Brown
+------------------------------------------------------+
| If I have been able to see farther than others, |
| it was because I stood on the shoulders of giants. |
| -- Sir Isaac Newton |
+------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Twotone said:

Thank you for your response Sheldon. When you say I can go right to a 9
speed, can I buy any shimano 9 speed cassette and chain? Or do they
have to be a certain type. With all of the shimano marketing, I want to
make sure I buy the right part the first time and not end up with the
old "Oh you should have bought that one, not this one. Then it will
work" saying.
So if I order a 9 speed cassette, chain and shifter. What would you
recommend?
Sheldon Brown <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

TwoTone said:

My wife has a Rocky Mtn equipe with shimano XT - 8 speed (around
1995 I think) and we would like to get her shifting really nice
again. She has the old grip [censored]/shift shifter to change her XT
drive train. What could we use to replace her GS shifter that would
still be capatible with her shimano 8 speed drivetrain. Should I be
looking for another shimano shifter? If so, which model will work?

I get asked this a lot, so often that I have a canned boilerplate
answer that I keep in my Eudora 'stationery' file, viz.:

"Even if you could find them, I wouldn't recommend buying 8-speed
shifters unless they are _very_ cheap. It makes more sense to upgrade
to 9-speed, since the expensive part of this conversion is the
shifter, and you already need a shifter!

"The only additional parts you need for 9-speed are a new chain and
cassette, and these are normally consumable parts anyway--odds are
yours are already close to due for replacement.

"Some folks will tell you that you need a lot of other stuff to
convert an 8-speed bike to 9-speed, but they're wrong.

"Also, you can generally use the 9-speed shifters with your old 8-
speed cassette by using the "alternate cable routing" shown at http://sheldonbrown.com/dura-http://sheldonbrown.com/dura-
ace.html#alternate"

Sheldon "FAQ" Brown +------------------------------------------------------
+
| If I have been able to see farther than others, | it was because I
| stood on the shoulders of giants. | -- Sir Isaac Newton |
+------------------------------------------------------+ Harris
Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone 617-244- 9772 FAX 617-244-
1041 http://harriscyclery.com/http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to- find
parts shipped Worldwide http://captainbike.com/http://captainbike.com
http://sheldonbrown.com/http://sheldonbrown.com

You can use 9 speed XT level chain, cassette, and shifter to keep
things at the existing quality. LX is still very good and XTR is a step
up... but quite expensive and not likely worth it unless she is racing
for money.

--

TwoTone said:

Thank you for your response Sheldon. When you say I can go right to a
9 speed, can I buy any shimano 9 speed cassette and chain? Or do
they have to be a certain type. With all of the shimano marketing, I
want to make sure I buy the right part the first time and not end up
with the old "Oh you should have bought that one, not this one. Then
it will work" saying.

So if I order a 9 speed cassette, chain and shifter. What would you
recommend?

You can use any Shimano-compatible 9-speed cassette that doesn't include
an 11 tooth sprocket. Might be able to use an 11 as well, depending on
the hub.

See: http://sheldonbrown.com/k7.html#hyperdrivec for the details on this.

You can see all of the available Shimano options at:
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/9. Select one with a gear range that
suits the rider's needs.

I'd recommend the SRAM PC59 chain, but any "9-speed" chain will work.

Sheldon "Choices" Brown
+--------------------------------------------+
| All the world's a stage and most of us |
| are desperately unrehearsed. |
| --Sean O'Casey |
+--------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Sheldon Brown said:

TwoTone said:

When you say I can go right to a
9 speed, can I buy any shimano 9 speed cassette and chain?

Quoted message said:

You can use any Shimano-compatible 9-speed cassette that doesn't include
an 11 tooth sprocket. Might be able to use an 11 as well, depending on
the hub.

See: http://sheldonbrown.com/k7.html#hyperdrivec for the details on this.

At the risk of stating the obvious, if the existing 8-speed cassette has
an 11t cog, the hub can handle the 11t of a 9-speed cassette.

--
Dave
dvt at psu dot edu

Quoted message said:

we would like to get her shifting really nice again.

Assuming that it shifted nicely when new, and that nothing is actually
broken, it's probably worth seeing what a good cleaning and oiling of
everything will do. Get all of the crud off/out of the derailers, the
cable housing going into the rear der, and the guides where the shift
cables go under the bottom bracket. Oil all the derailer pivits, make
sure everything is well adjusted, clean and oil the chain, and see what
happens. It can make a world of difference.

I don't know anything about cleaning up balky grip shifters, but if you
were just going to scrap them anyhow, there's nothing lost by trying
squirting WD40 or something similar into the works.

-- Andy

TwoTone said:

My wife has a Rocky Mtn equipe with shimano XT - 8 speed (around 1995
I think) and we would like to get her shifting really nice again. She
has the old grip [censored]/shift shifter to change her XT drive train.
What could we use to replace her GS shifter that would still be
capatible with her shimano 8 speed drivetrain. Should I be looking
for another shimano shifter? If so, which model will work?

Thank you

daveornee-<< You can use 9 speed XT level chain, cassette, and shifter to keep
things at the existing quality. LX is still very good and XTR is a step
up... but quite expensive and not likely worth it unless she is racing
for money. >><BR><BR>

Save yerself some headache later and get a SRAM trigger shifter set, a 9s
cogset and chain. There are only two types of 'STI', whether they be road or
MTB, ones that have failed and ones that will.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"