Bicycle Mechanics - STI/Brifters for old Dura-Ace Compatibility Question

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.



PDA
msvphoto
05-24-12, 02:24 PM
My wife has taken a liking to one of my road bikes I got a few years ago for me to ride. The bike is a (Chris King) Cielo frame from the early 1980s built all Dura-Ace from the era. The cassette is 6spd, Uniglide I'm pretty sure. Currently downtube friction shifters. Assuming I make this bike more "hers" (Do I have a choice? No.) and she wants/needs "brifters" (I still haven't warmed up to that word) because she has a hard time safely reaching the downtube friction shifters.

My understanding from reading the Sheldon Brown Dura-Ace compatibility page is that old 6-7-8 spd Dura Ace all index the same. Being friction I suspect the derailleur is probably pre-STI (which began in 1984 and the bike was built in more like 1982). So, my question is, is it safe to assume if I get a set of used Dura-Ace STI shifters for 8 spd that it may index correctly?

oldskoolwrench
05-24-12, 02:40 PM
The other thing to take into consideration is that the old Dura Ace R. derailleur wasn't index capable, for it didn't have a Centeron floating upper pulley. That being said, the only way to see if it will work is to hook everything up and give it a try.
dsbrantjr
05-24-12, 03:26 PM
Would your wife be amenable to some nice bar end shifters?

msvphoto
05-25-12, 09:54 AM
Would your wife be amenable to some nice bar end shifters?

I thought about that too. Perhaps. Sure would be a simpler idea wouldn't it? Cheaper too.

@oldskoolwrench, thanks for the advice, the RD was the component I wasn't sure about and it sounds like an expensive slippery slope. I think there is no mid-point. Keep the bike vintage as-is (perhaps with bar end shifters) or cold set the rear triangle and go for a full "upgrade" (which to me is a really bad idea because this bike is such a sweet vintage ride as-is and for the cost of the upgrade components I could find her a suitable bike on CL). "Her" bike is slightly newer, a Kestrel 4000, that at least has indexed shifting (downtube shifters still) so it could easily be converted. Hmmm...

Thanks again for your thoughts on this!