Classic & Vintage - Giant RS920

I am the proud new rider of a Giant RS920. This bike was my brothers but has gone unridden for several years and since I was looking to get into riding and so he let me have it. I had posted already in the Mechanics section but have been not too lucky on getting specific info on the bike just general info, which is great but I need a little more. If a mod would like to move the other thread or merge these or whatever that would be great.

So this is my first real bike and I am just learning the terminology so forgive me for my occasional lack of knowledge I am working hard to get educated, hence why I am here! So any info you could give me would be really really appreciated. I have been plowing through all the great Sheldon Brown info and everything else I can find online.

So it's a Giant RS920 with Suntour Accushift alpha-2000 components. From clicking through the shifters it feels like there is indexing for 8 gears in the rear however the sprocket set has only 6 gears. From my reading I think it's a freewheel setup. I wonder if I could update that to an 8 sprocket pack from either Suntour or someone else. Reading on Sheldon's page (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html) it appears that the 6-pack looked evenly spaced at 3.5mm with 2.0mm sprockets giving a C-C of 5.5mm. It looks however that the 8-pack has spacers at 2.8 and 3.0mm. So I am wondering what is up with the indexing and why there would be an 8 position shifter with a 6 sprocket pack?

I have so far cleaned and greased the gears, with the help of a friend trued the wheels and put in fresh tubes and new tires, then we did our best to adjust the derailluer. It seems to shift so-so....it goes very smoothly from a smaller gear diameter up to a larger gear diameter, but when shifting back from the larger size gear down to the smaller it doesn't seem to want to shift, it struggles to get down onto that smaller gear and can take just a little fiddling with the shifter and a whole lot of soft peddling.

So any help you guys can give me in understanding this older bike and all it's gear would be really greatly appreciated. I look forward to getting on the road and maybe even running down some new bikes on the old steel. Thanks guys!

Oh yeah....some pics!


http://ryanecurry.com/filelibrary/images/bike/rs920/RS920.JPG

http://ryanecurry.com/filelibrary/images/bike/rs920/Shifter.JPG

http://ryanecurry.com/filelibrary/images/bike/rs920/Sprocket.JPG

Your Giant looks to me to be a late 80's bike... sort of an entry level component group. I'd be surprised if it came with more than a 6 speed setup on the rear.

I hated the early indexing stuff like is on your Giant... my '88 Trek 1000 has similar level Shimano stuff on it. I find that they're hard to get adjusted and keep adjusted. I'd really doubt that a new freewheel will solve your shifting ailments.

Those shifters have a friction mode... right? Flip 'em into friction mode and your indexing problems are solved.

Other than that, grease it... true the wheels... put on new brake pads... replace the cables if they're sticking... and ride!

I was looking at your post on the other forum. Regarding the Nitto Technomic, Rivbike.com has the regular and a deluxe version and veloorange.com has the regular. They go up to 120mm. Yours looks to be about an 80 (mm from cl of stem bolt to cl of handlebar).

There are worse things than friction shifters. I would stick with them. Or, go on roadbikereview.com and read up on the Modolo Morphos- those sound interesting to me but I decided to go fixed and get a multispeed NEW bike instead. Just a suggestion.

What are peoples thoughts on the quill to threadless adaptors? In looking through the options for longer quill's I saw the conversion, it would bring me up to date with current standard and allow for alot easier adjustments in the future and an adapter and stem can be had for the same price as a new quill. Just a thought, any feedback welcome.

I'm considering the same thing. I've found the adapter for $15 and stems from $15.