Bicycle Mechanics - shimano nexus 7

hi,
i have been given a nexus 7 speed hub by a friend as he had no use for it. I am contenplating putting it on my downhill bike as from what i have read it will give me greater gear range as i a running a single ring at the front. Unfortunatley the hub didn't come wuth a shifter and i was just wondering if it was possible to use a standard shimano 7speed click shifter. I would be greatful of any advice as i don't really want to be shelling out for a new shifter, nor do i really want to be using a gripshifter.
Peace out
Jim

Nope. Doesn't work with anything but the nexus 7 specific shifter. I roughly measured the pull distance for the nexus as about twice that of a shimano 8 spd STI. I have a project in the works to lay out a measuring device for various shifters so I can create an interface device to hopefully allow a Shimano brake shifter to operate a nexus 8. Using something like the Travel Agent I plan to increase the pull distance to the right amount for the nexus 8. Haven't started it yet. Probably not till May or June.

You also need to get a chain tensioner if your running it with vertical drops.


Nope. Doesn't work with anything but the nexus 7 specific shifter. I roughly measured the pull distance for the nexus as about twice that of a shimano 8 spd STI. I have a project in the works to lay out a measuring device for various shifters so I can create an interface device to hopefully allow a Shimano brake shifter to operate a nexus 8. Using something like the Travel Agent I plan to increase the pull distance to the right amount for the nexus 8. Haven't started it yet. Probably not till May or June.

Sounds neat. Be sure to announce, and give pictures, if you get it to work.

I'm glad I'm not the only one struggling with shifts for the Nexus hubs. I'm fitting a 4 speed to a pre war touring bike, I think it's an Armstrong. I need to find the indices for the inter 4. I have an old sturmey archer 4 speed shift that I may be able to modify, but I'm loth to charge in in total ignorance. Does anyone know how these may compare?

I also have a shimano internal 4 speed but haven't measured the pull distances yet on the twist shifter. Sheldon Brown might know details, and the web site offers twist and rapidfire shifters for the 4. Once I get my jig set up, I'll be able to measure, but the specs may be available online somewhere.

I've seen a nexus 7sp hub shifted by an old XT thumbshifter. Seemed to work alright.