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 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find
parts shipped Worldwide captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗
sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

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.comduraOpen ↗
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 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-
find parts shipped Worldwide captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗
sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Twotone
[B]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.comduraOpen ↗
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 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-
find parts shipped Worldwide captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗
sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗ [/B]

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: sheldonbrown.comk7.htmlOpen ↗ for the
details on this.

You can see all of the available Shimano options at:
sheldonbrown.com9Open ↗. 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 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts
shipped Worldwide captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗
sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

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: sheldonbrown.comk7.htmlOpen ↗ 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.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<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 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali
costruite eccezionalmente bene"