Originally Posted by
Joshua A.C. New
I just got a Softride with some neat history.
- I can't figure out what size the wheels are. I'd assumed they were 650c, but they say "26 x 3/4" on the sidewall. Is that code for 650c?
- The bike is really too short for me, front to back. I can slide the saddle back, due to the unique Softride bar, and that puts my legs in the right place. I'm using a 1" threaded to 1-1/8" threadless adapter and a 12mm stem, along with risers, to get my body in a decent position. I'd really appreciate any advice on retro-sizing a bike.
- The cassette is a 7-speed. Downtube shifters are inconvenient, particularly from riser bars. What options might you suggest?
That is a tiny bike! Are you quite short? Because, cool as the bike may be, it's gonna be tough to make it fit properly... kinda like buying some 26" waist jeans then taking them to a tailor to get them to fit better.
Are you using mtb riser bars? If so then it is easy to find rapidfire shift levers for 7 speed, I think, and you can get cable stops (from Shimano and others) that bolt on to the downtube shifter boss. Shift cable housing leaves shifters and goes into the cable stops. Front derailleur might not shift very well with mtb shifters, but I am not sure. You could also try Paul's Components Thumbies to mount some 7sp barend shifters.
Edit:
LINK TO CABLE STOPS
Good luck!