ak08820

Hello

I am rebuilding a Fuji Supreme 12 speed road bike. I am still debating whether I will make it a single speed or 12 speed as original. I have a handlebar/stem/brake levers/grip shifter set salvaged from a Raleigh M-20 MTB. I was wondering if I can use that on the Fuji as the Fuji has a steel drop bar and I don't like drop bars, having ridden Indian utility bikes in my youth and MTBs in the US. If this build works out, it may be decked out as a road touring bike.

The question is will the combo work? The right grip shifter indicates 7 speeds so I will not be able to use the 7th one. Also, it has click stops which may not be compatible with the friction shifted Fuji. The right shifter indicator is also off. It stops at 4 or 5 and shifts past 1, may be a small adjustment but is that doable?

Thanks

Bianchigirll 

Hello since your Fuji is friction shifting there is a very good chance this will not work.

first you do not say what type of rear deraileur and freewheel your Fuji has. Sunbtour? Shimano?

second most friction deraileurs will not index simply because they are not designed to.

three the spacing between cogs on a 6spd friction freewheel is different from a 7spd designed for friction.

where are the shifters on the fuji located? your best setup for now is to use the bars and brakelevers from the MTB and use the shifters on the Fuji as is for now. then you can get a 7spd freewheel and rearderaileur and upgrade the shifting later.

ak08820

That sounds good. In that case I have a new moustache bar lined up to receive the brake levers.

wrk101

Best bet is to clean it up, sell it, and then use the proceeds for exactly what you want. Modifying a bike like you describe is a fair amount of work, will never work as well as you want it to, and will lower the value of the bike.

Sounds like you really want a hybrid. Hybrids are cheap around here, have 700c wheels, flat bars, etc., and can make pretty nice touring bikes. They are set up for fenders, racks, and can handle a variety of tire choices (wide to narrow). I even had one (Giant Nutra) that had braze-ons for a front rack.

Rather than turn a vintage bike into something it isn't, just get what you want. A vintage Fuji in nice condition, with original drop bars, will bring a nice dollar on the marketplace. I have sold several Fujis in the last year, buyers love them.

Raleigh M20 by the way is bottom of the barrel. I would aim higher on parts to use. Highly doubtful front will index. If you want to use that stuff, find yourself a 7 speed wheel, swap it out, and install a Shimano RD.

Cognoscenti

Bear in mind that the friction/indexing happens in the shifter and not the derailleur. I have used various derailleurs interchangeably without issue. There is a good chance that it will work fine but be sure to set the rear der. limit screws so that you don't accidentally over-shift and throw your chain. Good luck!

dabac

Usually, but not always. Old Shimano Positron as well as equally old Sachs Commander had an indented thingy in the RD providing indexing at that end.

Steev

The Fuji probably has a freewheel hub. You could get a 7 speed freewheel and a new Shimano RD, they won't cost a lot, and the rear shifting will probably work. Does the Fuji have a triple or double crank. If it's a double, you'll probably be able to get the front to shift acceptably as is, if it's a triple, you may need to change FD as well.
The other question will be cable pull of the brake levers. Are the flat bar levers set up for V-brakes or cantilevers? If cantilevers, then it will work fine, but if the brake levers are for V-brakes you'll need to swap them out.
I would disagree with those saying an older steel frame roadie won't make a good touring/cruising bike, they are often quite nice for the job.

ak08820

I think that putting a moustache bar on a otherwise intact road bike will not be a too drastic mod.
The bike has Suntour Perfect 6 speed rear cogs, don't know whether freewheel or cassette. I may have to leave them as they are as I don't have to tools to remove them.
I always wanted to know what was the difference between the cable pull length for a V brake lever, caliper brake and cantilever brake lever? I had successfully used a caliper brake (front) with a cantilever brake lever on a single speed conversion.

Retro Grouch 

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned brake band size yet.

Most road style bars, like moustache bars, are 23.8 mm. Most mountain brake components are 22.2 mm.

dabac

Nothing strange about that, they use the same amount of travel.

A v-brake lever can pull abt 30 mm of cable before bottoming out against the handle bar, while a canti/caliper lever will only move around 22 mm of cable before bottoming out against the handle bar.

Steev

Suntour Perfects are freewheels.