Originally Posted by
Amazonia
1. Shifters that have numbers. I am drawn to the twist shifters but am not opposed to other ideas. I would think 8 speeds would be sufficient and I would shy away from more as it only makes it more complicated. I gather changing the shifter means changing the derailleur.
If you mean a full set of numbers,instead of just a couple numbers and bar markings,then that depends on the specific shifter.
Twisters are available for most drivetrains. Your shifter controls your indexing,so it must match the number of rings(front) or cogs(rear) you have. SRAM and Shimano pull different amounts of cable for their derailleurs,so you must use SRAM shifters with SRAM derailleurs. Shimano derailleurs need Shimano-compatible shifters;SRAM,SunRace,Microshift,and others make Shimano-compatible shifters,and of course Shimano has their own. If you want to swap a twist shifter for a trigger,then as long as the pull is compatible and it has the same number of gears,you're good-to-go.
You can also sometimes use the same derailleur if you change the number of gears,like if you go from 8spd to 9spd,but it depends on the specific derailleur. Some modern ones are designed to handle only a certain width chain(8/9/10spd chains are all different width).
Originally Posted by
Amazonia
2. I love steel frames. Ideas on other bikes or frames?
That's opening a can of worms. Steel,alloy,titanium,and carbon fiber all make excellent frames depending on what the bike is intended to do(despite what Rivendell would have you believe).
Originally Posted by
Amazonia
3. I know it is a potentially controversial topic but what manufacturers are known for what? SRAM, Shimano, Suntour, etc.
You'll get people promoting their fav brand,but really it depends on the component level and not the manufacturer. SunRace's top shelf parts are way better than the bargain crap Shimano makes for dept store bikes. Personally,I prefer SRAM's double-thumb trigger shifters to Shimano's thumb-and-finger triggers,but that's my personal taste.
Originally Posted by
Amazonia
4. I had a bike with disc brakes before and liked them. Is it possible to convert to them afterwards?
Converting a bike to discs requires different wheels(or the wheels rebuilt with disc hubs) and a disc-specific fork. It is possible to have a frame builder add disc tabs to a steel or ti frame,but it won't be cheap. There are conversion kits out there,but I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole or recommend them to anyone I gave a fig about. Unless you just want to add a disc to the front(70% of your stopping ability is in the front brake),then it's a good idea to get a bike with discs or frame that is designed for them.
Originally Posted by
Amazonia
I would love a resource that explains how bikes go together and what variations in the parts do and why someone who select one over the other. I have always loved bikes and owned a ridiculous number of them in my life but have never really understood the relationship between certain aspects of geometry, what benefit component variations have, etc.
You have it;these forums. Hang out in the Frame Building forum and you'll get your geo answers. Ask questions in the Mechanics forum as to how things work.