Originally Posted by
Guyatwork37
That was originally the plan, but we like the idea of touring on vintage steel bikes. Just our preference this time around. It's not simply about the bikes being steel, but 80s steel.
I'm with you. I have a 1991 Witcomb made from Reynolds 531ST tubing. 3x7 gearing with Microshift brifters, 44x34x24 chainrings.
There are plenty of 80s touring bikes you can customize to your liking with modern parts. You can go 7 speed w/o adjusting the frame, or even 8/9 speed if you do the Sheldon Brown 8 of 9 on 7 method. The Microshift 7 speed brifters are excellent.
8 Of 9 On 7 -- or 9 of 10 on 7
If your 126 mm frame is aluminum, carbon fiber or held together by glue, you shouldn't try to spread it. That still doesn't mean that you're stuck with 7 speeds!
Any 7-speed Shimano Hyperglide Freehub will actually work with 8 or 9 sprockets, without any modification! What you need to do is to use 8 of the sprockets from a 9-speed cassette, with the 9-speed spacers -- or 9 of the sprockets from a 10-speed cassette. This trick also is useful when cassette body transplantation isn't possible -- on an off-brand hub or a Sachs 3 x 7
hybrid-gearing hub.
To make this work, you'll also need to use a 9- or 10-speed chain and shifters. Your old 7-speed derailer (except 1996 or earlier Dura-Ace) should work OK if it isn't too badly worn. Most,
but not all, 9- and 10-speed shifters will work.
The limit stops on the derailer will cause the useless position on the shifter to be locked out, so this will work as a perfectly normal 8- or 9-speed rig.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html