quietglow

I'll try to keep this simple. I have searched for a straight answer to this question for .5 hour with no luck.

I have a bike with 126mm rear spacing, 7 speed freewheel and friction shifting (Campy SR). I would like to use a new rear wheel using a cassette style hub and 130mm spacing and retain my friction shifting. I am not worried about frame spacing -- I know that will work. What I don't know is if the friction shifting will work with the cassette.

I do know that this depends on the cassette. From what I have read, any shimano cassette will fit on any shimano hub (with some odd exceptions), so I am considering an 8 speed cassette as the cog spacing appears to be the same as with my current freehweel (5mm). If the rear der will only shift into 7 of the gears, that's fine with me. I am most concerned that the shifting/spacing will still be good.

I'd love to go campy, but it looks like campy 8 speeds don't fit on newer campy hubs. I could find an older campy 8 speed hub, but that would require getting a wheel built and if I was going to have a wheel built, I'd just use a campy freewheel hub (i.e. from the wheel I am replacing).

HillRider

Friction shifting is absolutely unconcerned with how many cogs you have in back or who made them. Friction levers will shift ANY 5,6,7,8,9,10 and soon 11-speed cassette. Nearly any dt lever has enough throw to cover the entire width of any cassette.

I expect using a modern cassette will thrill you with how well it shifts. The modern tooth shapes and enhancements that make indexing reliable greatly improve friction shifting too.

BCRider

If you haven't seen it already Sheldon's website has a HowTo on cold setting the frame to the new spacing.

The friction shifters will work fine. Friction shifters are universal. The rear derraileur will also work fine but you'll want to play with the high and low travel limit screws to adjust it so it shifts over the wider range of travel.

As for the new Campy stuff not accepting the old 8 speed setups just be patient and shop for used hubs from the 8 speed era.

Retro Grouch 

Not to worry. I use friction shifters on a bike with an 8-speed cassette. Everything works fine and I love it.

quietglow

Ah, this is what I needed to know. Thanks guys and/or gals. I think my concern was with the newer cassettes (i.e. 9-10 speeds) having much closer spacing. In my reading I thought I came across people who were complaining that friction shifting mixed with tighter clearances ended up making shifting rough and/or inaccurate. If 9 or 10 speeds are not ruled out, I can actually go campy (a club-mate has a campy hub wheelset for sale).

Al1943

Cog spacing and the number of cogs is not important to friction shifting, but the width of the chain will make a difference. Ideally you'll want a chain that is designed for the number of cogs on your cassette although there is quite a bit of tolerance.

Al

DannoXYZ 

When I was racing bikes 20-year ago, I was a weight-weenie with a 14-lb carbon-fibre bike. My tubulars had this super-lightweight Regina 7-spd freewheel with aluminium cogs that refused to work with my 8-spd Shimano shifters & RD. So I always used friction when racing. Also worked great to prevent your competitors from hearing you shift in preparation for a sprint...

bicycleptic

I may sound old fashioned but I still prefer friction shifting to indexed shifting. Indexed shifting is great when it is adjusted right but in all the years I ran indexed I would be at least 30 miles from the house or the nearest bike shop when it did get out of line.

HillRider

Apparently my experience with index shifting has been better than yours.

I've installed and ridden 7,8,9 and 10-speed index systems, both Shimano and Campy, using downtube, bar-end and brifter-style shifters. Once installed and initially adjusted, it maybe takes one or two slight cable tension tweaks after a couple of rides and the indexing is stable for months and thousands of miles.

quietglow

I guess I keep friction shifters out of a sort of minimalism. I just got in from a 50 miler in which I shifted, no joke, once. It was at the start of the ride, and it was to adjust to how my legs felt today. This is a product of a few years on a fixed gear and living in a largely flat area. Under such conditions, all that extra machinery for indexed shifting is more or less wasted -- especially when you're not racing etc. Lots of good reasons for friction and indexing.

quietglow

For the sake of consistency, and hopefully to help anyone else who is considering this: I bought a wheelset from a club-mate for an incredible price which was sporting a Dura Ace cassette of the 10 speed variety. I just installed it and holy crap: it shifts SO much smoother than the bike has ever shifted before. All I needed was a new 10 speed chain and simple derailleur adjustments. I haven't ridden it yet, but this seems to be a nearly perfect solution.

HillRider

I've ridden in places like Florida and Nothwestern Ohio where I'd never leave the big ring and shift maybe twice in a 40 mile ride every day for a week or more. Under those conditions, STI/Ergo brifters are an unneeded luxury as are 9 and 10-speed cassettes, etc. We'd joke about needing two gears; "with the wind and against the wind."

However, I live in Pittsburgh where LOTS of hills are a fact of life and brifters and 9 or more speed cassettes with a triple crank are certainly in their element.