dclout

My wife and I have a 1994 (I think) Trek T-200. We bought it new in 1995 or so, and it saw a fair bit of use, including some loaded touring. Early on we replaced both wheels due to a faulty rear hub and a ton of broken spokes. We are now getting back into tandem cycling after about 10 years off.

My major issue with this bike is that the shifting has always been temperamental. It came with an 8 speed xtr drive train. The only changes we made were replacing the cluster with a 32-12 (or 11?) and replacing the granny with a 24 tooth. We also installed a device which routes the rear derailleur cable over a pulley to eliminate the 90 degree bend in the cable housing at that point. The shifters are indexed bar ends.

The shifting works, as long as I have recently adjusted it, but it has always been finicky. When on tour I usually end up switching the bar end shifter to friction at some point.

So, finally, the question. The tandem's shifting is much worse than my new single with brifters. Has the technology improved to the point where I can significantly improve my shifting by making some changes to the drive train (if so, what)? Is this worth doing, or am I polishing something that shouldn't be polished?

Thanks,
Dennis