Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.LittleBigMan
12-23-03, 07:20 AM
Just liked the Beatles' song touch. It echoed in my hollow skull...
Anyway, I know manufacturers try to protect themselves, but when they say, "no, you can't mix parts," are they always right? I realize some things are just incompatible, but a few years back (?) my integrated brake/shifters went totally south, and I didn't have the money to replace them. I was not about to stop riding, so I had to figure something out.
I bought a very old Schwinn Super Sport from a thrift shop for $15 and cannibalized the old-fashioned friction shifters from it. I've been using them ever since on my Trek 1200 road bike.
In many ways I actually like them better than the original equipment for several reasons:
1) Seemed like I was always adjusting them, they had to be so precise to work properly. But the Schwinn shifters are very forgiving about that. The derailleurs have to be way out of adjustment before I have a problem, due to the fact that any slack is taken up by slight changes in shift lever position.
2) Shifting put more stress on the cables due to the jerking motion of the derailleurs (mainly front,) causing me to go through cables more often on my triple. But the Schwinn shifters are smooth and gentle, and it seems I don't have to replace cables as often.
3) Changing a cable was a real pain, the adjustments took me forever and it seemed I never got it quite right. But the Schwinn shifters seem to let me throw on a cable and go, almost no adjustment.
Any thoughts, advice?
Anyway, I know manufacturers try to protect themselves, but when they say, "no, you can't mix parts," are they always right? I realize some things are just incompatible, but a few years back (?) my integrated brake/shifters went totally south, and I didn't have the money to replace them. I was not about to stop riding, so I had to figure something out.
I bought a very old Schwinn Super Sport from a thrift shop for $15 and cannibalized the old-fashioned friction shifters from it. I've been using them ever since on my Trek 1200 road bike.
In many ways I actually like them better than the original equipment for several reasons:
1) Seemed like I was always adjusting them, they had to be so precise to work properly. But the Schwinn shifters are very forgiving about that. The derailleurs have to be way out of adjustment before I have a problem, due to the fact that any slack is taken up by slight changes in shift lever position.
2) Shifting put more stress on the cables due to the jerking motion of the derailleurs (mainly front,) causing me to go through cables more often on my triple. But the Schwinn shifters are smooth and gentle, and it seems I don't have to replace cables as often.
3) Changing a cable was a real pain, the adjustments took me forever and it seemed I never got it quite right. But the Schwinn shifters seem to let me throw on a cable and go, almost no adjustment.
Any thoughts, advice?