Bicycle Mechanics - What Cassette for a new rear wheel?

I just got my Christmas wish: A set of Easton Vista Wheels. I would like to buy a new cassette that will work with my existing setup. Currently, I have a Shimano Dura Ace Hyperglide 8 speed (8 cogs) on the rear wheel. The bike is outfitted with Dura-ace, but I'm not sure what cassette to look for that will be compatible. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! :D

I'm not sure.

I seem to remember that 8-speed Dura-Ace is it's own animal. I think that it's the same as 9-speed Shimano spacing. If that's the case you might have to do some innovating. If it was my bike I think that I'd borrow a 9-speed cassette and see if I could get 8 of the cogs to index. Another option might be to install a 8-speed Dura-Ace cassette with a 4.5mm spacer behind it.

Ebay does have a few 8 speed, dura-ace cassettes to offer. Are you using brifters or downtube shifters? If you have downtubes (or bar-cons), you can always go to friction mode....that would allow you to use a 9 speed cassette pretty easily. I do seem to recall there being a difference in cable pull for the Dura-ace 8 speed group.....you might try Sheldon Browns' web site for more information on that topic.

Of course you could also change shifters, but that isn't what you inquired about, so no need to even travel down that road.

mark

Any current Shimano 8 speed cassette should fit that freehub body with no spacer & no problems. The cog spacing on D-A 8 speed is the same as other Shimano 8 speed. D-A rear derailluers can handle up to a 26 cog I think.

Any current Shimano 8 speed cassette should fit that freehub body with no spacer & no problems. The cog spacing on D-A 8 speed is the same as other Shimano 8 speed. D-A rear derailluers can handle up to a 26 cog I think.

Yeah, I think the 8-speed D-A spacing is the same as other Shimano 8-speeds. 8-speed D-A has a unique cable pull and rear derailleur throw ratio that offset each other.

Al

Any current Shimano 8 speed cassette should fit that freehub body with no spacer & no problems. The cog spacing on D-A 8 speed is the same as other Shimano 8 speed.
That's correct. The first year of Dura-Ace 8, 1989, was with the older Uniglied cassettes, but the O.P. said he has hyperglide, so any Shimano Hyperglide cassette, 7-,8-,9- or 10-speed will fit the hub.

D-A rear derailluers can handle up to a 26 cog I think.
That's the Official Party Line, but in practice they can go lower, generally as large as 30 teeth.

See: http://sheldonbrown.com/capacity

Owners of old (pre-9-speed) Dura-Ace stuff would do well to bookmark my Dura-Ace Compatibility page: http://harriscyclery.com/dura-ace

General questions of drivetraing compatibility are addressed at: http://sheldonbrown.com/speeds

Sheldon "It Works!" Brown

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