sntgatchaman

Hey all! I'm using a spare parts at my local community bike shop to rebuild a Peugeot from the 80s that I wanted to turn into a cyclocross/road bike. Anywho, I'm very curious if this setup will work, or if I'm totally off (if so, what would you suggest??). I haven't done any cable work yet, as I'm feeling like I'm at an impasse and might need to switch some parts so that they align better...Basically, will this work? If not, what is the easiest thing to replace to make it all work? Much appreciated!!!

Crank: Shimano Exage Trail, 28 x 38 x 48 Biospace 175mm
Rear Derailleur: Campagnolo Veloce 9 speed rear derailleur I think it's a medium cage, but it might be small (from 2003 i think)
Front Derailleur: Shimano Exage Trail SIS (do i need to take this one off and match it with a back of the same kind?)
Cassette: Shimano CS7700 Dura-Ace 9 Speed 11-21 Cassette
Chain: SRAM 951
Shifters: random downtube shifters ... What would I need to do to convert to an STI shifting setup? Would any "9-speed STI shifter" work?

Andrew R Stewart 

Way wacky drive train combos, but...

First why go to a triple crank with only a 11/21 cog set?

The rear der will handle the cog set fine. whether it will handle the chain wrap is yet to be known, a short cage likely won't, medium cage should.

The Exage ft der should handle the rings choice but there are different max large rings that Shimano ft ders are designed for. So make sure that the cage curvature matches the big ring outer diameter well.

You don't say which hub in the system but the cassette will only fit on a Shimano 9 speed compatible hub.

Chain's a good fit.

Shifters can be friction although the tighter C-C of the 9 speed cog set will make the trimming a bit more sensitive then the classic wider cog spacing of 7,6,5 freewheels. One more point of discovery that you'll have to experience to make your own judgment. If you go indexed shifters then the details need finer compatibility. Like the ring's C-C widths and the ft der both not intended for 9 speed. Andy.

Al1943

For SIT shifting the rear derailleur will need to have an actuation ratio compatible with the shifter. Your 9-speed Campy RD would not play well with a Shimano index shifter. This would not be a problem with friction shifting.

HillRider

You will not get Shimano STI shifters to work with a Campy rear derailleur and a Shimano cassette. Even J-tek doesn't make a Shiftmate for that combination. You will need either a Shimano rear derailleur or Campy brifters and a Shiftmate. If you are willing to stay with friction shifting, any combination will work.

fietsbob

Think friction shifting.

sntgatchaman

Awesome! Thanks for the help here!! A couple questions to clarify:

1) Would you suggest just changing the C-C and the front derailleur so that I can make the cassette and rear derailleur better in sync? If so, what should I change it with? (I don't know how to identify), are there specifically "9-speed" Chainrings/Crank? Andy mentions matching up the front derailleur so that the cage curvature matches the big ring outer diameter well. Is there a guide somewhere about this? Is there a specific brand/name I should be looking for to match this up?

Also, I'm doing this whole bike from drawers of old parts, some really nice, but mostly pretty old...If you could name a few parts I that I can keep my eyes out for, that would help too!

Thanks again!!

Andrew R Stewart 

With the old friction shift levers just about any rear der/cog set/chain (allowing for cog speeds spec) will work. Now the more rear cogs you have the more sensitive the shifter trimming will be during shifts. But the lever will likely move the der enough to get the full width of the cog set. Many of the replies were thinking you're going indexed, which your first posting said not so.

Shimano ft ders (of the indexed world) have a chainring size spec. How large a ring will work best so the gap between the ring and cage bottom edge remains consistent along the cage edge (the curves match). So there are ders for 42/44 tooth rings, 46/48 tooth rings and so on. Road bike ders are pretty much all based on the 50/53 tooth ring size. Another aspect of ft der cages not usually mentioned is the inner cage plate height and is it designed for a double or triple ring set and the difference of tooth count between the two larger rings. If the der is for a triple and the middle ring is too large for the inner cage plate height the plate will scrape on the middle's teeth unless the der is set so high that the shifting to the large ring sucks. All this is usually found in the der specs. Not always on the retailer's or the discounter's websites but through Shimano's web site or on the included instructions if the der is NIB.

As for which parts to look out for that's very open ended a request. Nice ones that are not worn or damaged Can you tell me which driver to look out for when I'm riding??? Yes, the ones that are drunk or distracted... Happy Holiday. Andy.

zacster

If using friction, just about anything will work, old, new, Shimano, Campy, Suntour, whatever. Trimming however is actually easier with more cogs. The spacing is so narrow that you are never between gears, and just a touch of the lever does the shift. Also, with a more modern 9/10 sp cassette the ramps guide the chain just as well as they do on an indexed system, so it shifts quickly and quietly. I've been saying for years on BF that we wouldn't have needed indexed shifting if the old friction shifting had the guide ramps on the cassettes. It is self-indexing this way.

fietsbob

Just the Hyperglide stamped ramps on cogs, make the chain sometimes over eager to shift, if Guide pulley is off cog's center a Bit..

Prior full height teeth let the chain stay settled until forced to move off the cog.

09box

This sounds like a job for some Paul's Thumbies, some bar end shifters or even some Genevaulle shifters.

zacster

In practice, my Frankenstein drive works quite well, without over shifting or getting pulled down from off-center pulleys. Just a touch of the lever and it shifts, and I can shift the whole cog set in one motion. It also shifts smoothly uphill, something that the old cogs never did. There is never any chatter from being between cogs as the ramps always put you in one or the other. I could ride the entire day without having any shift problems, whereas even my 10sp Chorus setup will occasionally need adjustment after a shift, although even that is rare since I tuned it. DAG-2 goes a long way towards resolving all shifting issues!!!