Out and Back

I have a 1980 Raleigh alloy steel bike I dearly love and after over a decade of raising children I would like to get it and me back into shape. Its components were high quality at the time, but it is time to upgrade. I am hoping you can help me with these questions:

I need a new derailleur; the old one is bent and I can't reach my losest gear to help me with hill climbing. Will a Shimano 105 or Integra derailleur be compatible with my traditional 6-speed freewheel? Or will I need to purchase a new rear wheel to change-over to a cassette system? Is there a particular chain (width) that I will need for the new derailleur, and will it be compatible with the freewheel gears?

Similarly, I have a Sugino 52/42 crank from the same era. I have some serious hills where I live and am considering changing this out for a compact crank or a triple crank. But I would like to first swap-out the rear derailleur and see how the bike performs using that lowest gear. But will my older chain rings function well with the other drive train components I am going to upgrade?

Thanks

cny-bikeman

On a 1980 bike you would have friction shifting - you can use any derailleur that is compatible with the freewheel and total capacity required.

Out and Back

You are saying that as long as the new derailleur can accomodate the largest freewheel cog and take-up the chain slack it will be OK with my friction shifters?

BTW, if I should eventually want to convert my 1980 bike to index shifting, is this possible? I recognize I would need a new real wheel/hub for the cassette... but would a 9 speed cassette and hub fit in my rear dropout opening? I currently have a 6 speed freewheel.

Thanks

cny-bikeman

Well, I thought that was clear already but yes, ANY friction derailleur is fine. Yes it's possible to later convert to indexed shifting but you would need indexed shift levers/brifters and index-compatible housing as well as freehub/wheel and cassette, and finally you would need to reset the rear triangle. Unless you have a high-end Raleigh it may not be worth the trouble and expense.

Kimmo

My acid test for whether a frameset is worth pimping up is generally whether it has an integral RD hanger.

Does this bike have one, or does it use a claw?

fietsbob

Be more economically efficient to just buy a new 9 [or 10] speed bike.

frame is too narrow.. staying with friction shifting, 6~7 speed are compatible,
8 is 1 more added on the end of a 7 speed, needing more space.. Axle width thus frame spread.

Out and Back

The RD hanger is integral to the frame.

Out and Back

I was afraid that the spread between dropouts would be a problem.

So if I stick with my freewheel and wheel-hub, I might look to replace my old Sugino 52/42 crank with one that helps me up the hills. Any reason to prefer a triple crank over a 50/34 compact crank, when it would be mated with a 6 speed freewheel? I age 56 and not the hill climber I once was....

Thanks

fietsbob

IDK , you got downtube shifters? what gear ratios do you use most? [tooth counts]

How would you like it if 2 most commonly used gear ratios to be used in sequence required
a double shift , down on one end and up on the other? and vca-vsa..

Consider something like VO's 46/30 cranks, functional for cruising along single ring + granny..

I have a 52-42-26 triple, any smaller than 52, the over the BB cable run to RD
interferes with lower tip of FD.

another bike, Under the BB cable run, allows use of 50-40-24t triple. [I, 65 ]

consider a TA tripleizer replacement 42t, it allows a 74mm BCD to be bolted to it.
then a longer BB axle..

(site lockup on computer, so edit restates a bit,
what i was trying to get to in #11, which then I got to repost)

Snappy? shifting.. may be over relying on the parts and less on using your eyes and head ..

climbing a hill wanting to change cogs in the middle of it
means you have to get ahead of the gear you are in, to take strain off the chain
to derail it.

Read the terrain, ahead of you.. anticipate the next gear you need..

double shift, to the granny and a 20t cog in back, then if steeper, RD shift downward ..

Out and Back

I have downtube shifters. And my RD cable runs under the bottom bracket.

Doe the triple crank shift snappy? I really like my current gear ratios with my 52/42 crank (my largest rear cog is a 30).
I just need a little more low-end gearing for some of these steep (and I mean steep) Missouri hills. So a granny-tripple crank may be the ticket.

Thanks

fietsbob

You want a snappy shifting triple? rebuild the back wheel around a hybrid IGH-3 speed
+ cassette driver.
Sram & SA both offer one. they will shift, bogged down on a hill, or at a dead stop.

realistically,

If you use your eyes and head and read the terrain ahead of you, then you anticipate the gear you will need
before you need it.

Attempting shifting too late, already in the hill, I have had to turn downhill on the other side of the road,
taking strain off the chain so it will allow itself to be derailed from the chainring it's on.
then turn back up the hill .

cny-bikeman

Google compact vs. triple - been discussed multiple times in multiple venues.

Out and Back

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think I will perform a minimal upgrade on this bike, replacing the RD and the crank with a triple. I think I will get a lot of bang for those bucks on my old Raleigh. I love that bike....