So I have a Nishiki Olympic 12 road bike that I keep at my mom's house in Italy. Since I live in New York, I only get to ride this bike once or twice a year when I go visit her. It is currently set up as a 6 or 7 speed freewheel, I think (this is the problem with trying to upgrade a bike that you only get to see on rare occasions) with Dura-Ace downtube shifters (used on friction setting). Hubs are Shimano 600 Ultegra HB-6207, rear derailleur is a Campy 990 (rare-ish 80s model) and front derailleur is a Campy 980. The crank is a Shimano 600 double, not sure about the chainrings. Here's a picture of the current set up:

So, I have a beat up pair of Shimano 105 ST-5500 integrated shifters (9-speed I believe), that were given to me and have been sitting around in my parts bin for years, that I would like to refurbish and install on this bike when I go to Italy in mid-December. The shifters need some work, small parts and new hoods, but assuming that they are usable, what else will need to be done to upgrade this bike to 9-speed, STI shifting? Will I need to replace the derailleurs with Shimano 9-speed compatible? What about the rear hub? Will I need a new wheel with a 9-speed freehub and cassette, or is there some way I could get the shifters to work with what I have on it now?

I do have a set of adjustable shifter cable stops, so at least there's that!

Thanks in advance for any and all advice/suggestions!

It sounds like a lot of trouble to go to for a bike which is working already and which you only ride a couple of times a year.

If you do decide to go ahead I would strongly suggest that you ensure that the shifters are working 100%; repairing Shimano brifters is not a sure thing. You also seem unsure of the exact configuration of either the brifters or the chainwheels; this sounds like a shaky foundation for a project you will be doing during an overseas vacation.

"Never Fix A Running Piece" may apply here.

What you say is all so true! Come to think of it, I'm not 100% sure of the integrity of the shifters (sorry, I really hate the term "brifters"), nor do I think it will be easy to source the small replacement parts. Hmm, maybe this is a bad idea. I suppose alternatively I can say "to hell with these shifters" and start fresh, because I would really like to convert the bike to STI. Even though I only ride it a few times a year, those are some pretty incredible rides (Tuscany).

Yeah. If it were me, I'd very likely stick with the classic dt shifters and current gearing if they were in good shape and working well, but I rode bikes like that for many years before indexed shifting and brifters came into vogue.

ship the bike you like better with you on the next trip, and leave it there

and bring a brand new Italian made bike back with you.

Actually I used to bring bikes back and forth, but decided to build a bike a leave it there, which is how this bike got there in the first place.

Also my sweet Italian bikes stay with me in New York, where I live and can ride them all the time :-)

I appreciate all the advice on what you guys would do if you were me, but assuming I insisted on upgrading this bike to STI, what do people think I need?

6 speed hubs are narrower , so frame is narrower too , have to do more to pry the frame wider..
might need hiring local help on that.
8+ speed need 130 wide hubs , 6~7v were 126.

maybe relocate the friction levers to the front of RetroShift brake levers,
if the need to have the shifters off the frame, ( I did that because I got Old.)

I like bar end shifters myself, that's way simpler.

Maybe find more vintage Campag components,
so there doesnt need be the coldsetting, to stuff in wider hub wheels.

or start over with a more modern frame..

only my 3 speed has a click shifter..

You have a frankenbike now that, it seems , is worth something to you, and you want to spiff it up without making it more of a mess or spending much. Hmmm, well you're going to need:

- The frame's rear stays spread to 130mm and the dropouts aligned
- Rear wheel with Shimano compatible freehub (Depending on the freehub, might need spacers)
- 9-Speed Shimano or Sram cassette
- 9-Speed STI shifters/brake handles (I 'really' hate the the term brifters)
- 9-Speed Shimano road rear derailleur
- 9-Speed crankset with STI rings (Find one to fit your square taper bottom bracket spindle)
- Might as well get an STI front derailleur too (Sram or Shimano - Probably 28.6mm)
- STI derailleur cables and housing
- Handlebar tape

*You could try to get by with your existing front derailleur and crankset, but... Keep in mind that index shifting is great when components match up and they are properly installed and adjusted. Otherwise it's a giant pain.

With some effort you'll be able to find all this stuff on e-Bay pretty cheap. A local shop can do the frame work inexpensively and you can do the rest if you have a bunch of tools there. Good luck.

Thank you! Very, very helpful.