Steeljunky

Hey again,

I posted yesterday about wanting a new bb for a bike. After sleeping on it, I have decided to spend the money on my commuter, since that it what I ride everyday and depend on. The fun stuff will have to wait.

I bought a commuter (BBF "Retro Style") last year. It came outfitted with an 8 spd IHG. That thing has been a pita, to say the least. It is time to go back to an external rear derailleur and I'm thinking a triple front chainring cause I'm a weak pedaler and I go up a hill everyday on my way home.


I am not sure if the current bb and spindle will work with 2 or 3 rings up front. Also, there is no braze-on for a front derailleur, so i will need the clamp on variety, which i don't think will be a problem.

I am hoping to get some input on good systems, including everything (shifters, levers, etc), and how much cost I am looking at. I will be doing all the work myself, so it is just the parts themselves. I am sure somebody has done a conversion on a similar setup before and it would be nice to hear some things that happened that maybe they weren't expecting! Thank you for any input!

2lo8

Don't count on the BB spindle being the right length. It might be, but it's not terribly likely. Freewheel wheels are cheap, and good for 7 speeds. The low end Shimano stuff shifts okay. Microshift 9 speed shifters are dirt cheap, but 9 speed needs a cassette hub. If you have to change everything, it's seriously worth considering either buying a donor bike or buying a new bike if you're not good at sourcing individual parts. You might want to just try lower gearing and doing maintenance, some MTBers ride them with very low gears without problems. The 8 speed hub has an annoyingly large gearing jump between 5 and 6 though.