Shinkers

Hey,

I'd like to thank all who provided advice in my Trek 1400 thread in the appraisal section. I'm very appreciative and very excited about this bike.

Which 7 speed cassettes are thought to be good? I see HG70 and HG50 in my searches here, and HG70's are outrageous and not available in the particular gearing I'm looking for. Are HG50's still decent? It was suggested I run a 13-28 cassette as I've got a 53/44 on the front which sounds pretty reasonable to me.

The bike has a short cage 105 derailleur. Will this still be okay with a 28t and the 53t ring (my research says yes, but double checking).

I know I'll need a new chain as well, what's a good 7 speed compatible chain? I was looking at the KMC x8.93 because I typically run KMC chains and this one seems middle of the road.

Another thing I'm considering is a dropping the 44t front ring and putting on a 38t. I'm pretty sure my BCD is 130 (still have to measure to verify, but it's the stock 91 Shimano 105 crank). What are good 7 speed compatible chainrings? I was looking at either the Sugino or Surly rings.

https://www.universalcycles.com/shop...&category=2629 (labelled as 8 sp., I'm assuming a non-issue).

If I move to a 38/53 front, will the stock 105 derailleur handle it fine? (again, I'm assuming yes, though shifts may be slower).

Thanks for any help and for your patience. I apologize if this is common knowledge and been rehashed.

steelbikeguy

just some quick comments....

the lower end cassettes are a bit lower tech, slightly heavier, and with a simple finish (not shiny silver, etc), but are very functional. Certainly no harm in using one. I've got HG50's on one or two of my bikes.

Chains? Gee... I just use SRAM out of habit, and because I like their master link design. For my 6, 7, and 8 speed bikes, I use the SRAM 8 speed chain. Works for me.

Chainrings? wow... I do tend to use Sugino rings, but there are probably a lot of good options. The 130 BCD Shimano cranks were soooo common 20 years ago (and now?) that it should be easy to find something that works.

I can't comment on whether the derailleur will handle the gears you suggest. It probably will.... but... ?? Since you already have the derailleur, you might give it a shot. The only complication is that you'd have to size the chain to match the derailleur, and you'd need to add a few links to use a wider range derailleur. This would require an extra master link to add those extra links.

Steve in Peoria

icepick_trotsky 

Not sure which 105 rd you have, but with the short cage I'd be concerned about chain wrap. With that cassette and those chain rings, you'd need to wrap 30 teeth of chain. Check your specs on velo base.

Shinkers

Icepick, thanks for the referral to Velo base. VERY helpful. My particular rear derailleur will work with up to a 28t cog and has a 28t chain wrap capacity. With a 13-28 cassette and 38/53 up front, that would be 30 teeth, so no go it looks like.

However, knowing that, I'll probably still go with the new cassette and keep my front crank intact.

One more question I forgot to ask, what are the chances that new chain will or won't play with my current chain rings? They look to be original (91) but aren't yet shark finned.

Edit: Never mind, I'm an idiot. Just realized that my Dura Ace cassette is Uniglide. I knew better than that.

So for now I'm going to ride it and think about what I'm going to do...

Thanks!

dddd

No problem with those rings, and the KMC X-series chains are all quite good, race-quality chains.

None of Shimano's quality levels of 7s cassettes were any lighter or better than others, other than finish/plating. Lightweight Shimano cassettes began with the XTR 8s models, then the IG (11t compact gearing) models, and then in 1997 with the much-lightened 9s road cassettes.

The older 105 derailers all would handle 28t just fine, and assuming that you won't want to be riding around in the very smallest chainring and cassette cog at the same time, there will be no problem maintaining chain tension, even with a 38t (or more-common 39t) small chainring. Chain cut length should be set to fully loop over the biggest cog and chainring, bypassing the rear derailer, plus two links, so the actual over-length will be between 2 and four links since links must be added/subtracted in pairs.

Shinkers

Damn, just realized my cassette is Uniglide and I'm going to have to see if my hub will take an HG cassette. So I really may ride what I've got for now and just man up (there's ton's of life on my current cassette, just geared high).

Thanks for the advice guys. Sorry if I wasted your time...

dddd

You can check for the Hyperglide spline pattern of your freehub without even pulling the cassette. Most 7s freehubs seem to be HG compatible, look for the telltale one (out of nine) wider spline groove by looking straight in at the cassette with the wheel removed from the bike, it should be discernable if any crud is first scraped off at the end of the freehub body inside of the threaded smallest cog.
All HG freehubs also have fine lockring threading of the inside diameter of the splined shell of the freehub body shell, again easily visible with any heavy crud scraped off.

Lazyass

The Sunrace CSM63 is a very nice cassette. I just bought one for my '92 Paramount with 105 group. You can get them for less than $20.

top506

See above post.
I've had good results with the SunRace 7 cog cassettes.

Top

Miele Man

If you're really lucky you might have a DUAL Uniglide/Hyperglide freehub. look for threading on the inside of the body. Also look for the one wide recess for the large Hyperglide spline. I have a freehub body on one of my 600 hubs.

If your smallest screw on Uniglide cog is still good you can use 6 cogs from an 8 speed cassette. Just remove the bolts/pins that hold the Hyperglide cogs together and then grind off part of each large tab on each cog so that it'll fit the Uniglide body.

Cheers

icepick_trotsky 

@Shinkers, I wouldn't be concerned about the 2 tooth discrepancy in chain wrap. 2 reasons: first, I would wager Shimano fudged that number conservatively, second, it would only be a problem in the small chainring/smallest cog combination, which you would never use.

Just make sure you set up the chain so it can cover the big ring/big cog combo and you'll be fine.

lanciat

+ 1 on SunRace cassettes (and on KMC chains). My own experience has been that with 7 speeds (maybe even 8 speeds) and lower, the gradations between available chins/cassettes really don't matter all that much, unless you're focused on weight or cosmetics.

RobbieTunes

1-See other posts, the SunRace or Shimano cassette will be fine in 7-sp.
2-KMC or SRAM would be fine. Heck, the Walmart Bell would be fine, but for the money, KMC or SRAM.
3-53/44 is an odd combo. For about $15 new, you can get Race Face 53/39 chainrings. I see no need to go 38t.

1+2+3 = all new cassette/chain/chainrings. I see no downside to that.

Shinkers

Warning, I still haven't pulled the rear wheel off but I glanced at my hub before work and checked velo base.

Looking on vb I'm fairly sure my hub is indeed uniglide. It looks just like this one with the dura ace logo and 'open/close' markings on it, flush with the end of the free hub. No noticeable threads inside of the free hub.

If that's in fact the case, I'm open to the idea of using 8 speed parts and grinding the tab off.

Thanks for all the help. You guys have been great.

Ex Pres 

7s DA is not dual UG/HG, that didn't come along until the 7403 8s hub.
But that doesn't mean you can't run HG cogs, you'll just have to file a little and keep the small threaded UG cog.
But grind the tabs off 7s cogs, not 8s cogs.

Shinkers

Yeah I don't have a problem filing a little bit.

So sunrace cassette, x8.93 chain and some race face rings...

Sunrace M63 12-28?

And robbie, your talking the cadence rings right?

Paramount1973 

I replaced the Uniglide freehub on my Trek 660 with a new Hyperglide model. It works perfectly. It was less than $20.

https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-STX-RC...Shimano+STX-RC

LeicaLad 

+1.

If that hub is the same as the photo, it appears to be the 7400. Beautiful hub, but major pain for cog replacement. I suggest you begin with the cog set you have. Remove and clean. Key to understand is that this hub requires a unique First AND Second position cog. Not the same, but each is unique. The second position is essentially impossible to source, so better hope that yours are still usable.

If you go for the swap, you'll need /your shop will need the tool specific to this model hub. You probably don't have it, and only an old shop with resident grey-beard will have.

Good luck.

jeirvine 

Pretty sure I have a spare 7sp Dura/HG freehub if you want to swap out.

Shinkers

Now I thought replacing the freehub on a dura ace hub was not always doable.

Ugh...

Shinkers

So, just so I'm clear, the second position cog has the splines offset to the inside to engage the free hub and if I were to use a hyperglide cog, it wouldn't properly engage the free hub correct?

Would it be weird to use an HG cassette and still use those TWO cogs from the UG? I also thought maybe I could source a single 28t UG cog from somewhere, but I'd need to put a new chain on used cogs/rings.

There's one shop locally who I thought would have the free hub tool, and they didn't. All the other shops are newer startup's that I don't see having it. I cannot justify 100+ on the tool so the Uniglide free hub will be staying on.

Mtbnomore

Don't modify the cassette. Replace the freehub, or convert the freehub/axle to a 9/10 speed HG freehub and redish the wheel a bit. It's fairly straightforward, and you'll have the option to upgrade to 8 or 9 (or even 10) speed if you feel like it.

Also, KMC chains are great, and typically include 2 extra links (and use a similar masterlink design to SRAM).

jeirvine 

What exactly is this Dura Ace specific free hub removal tool? Every one I'v escaped used a 12(?)mm hex wrench.

Shinkers

According to sheldon brown: Shimano Dura-Ace Compatibility

Pre 96 DA free hubs need a shimano tool TL-FH10 which is fairly spendy. I'm also led to believe that only DA free hubs are compatible.

But I hope I'm just missing something as a free hub transplant would solve my problems.

RobbieTunes

Yep. I have a set here still new in box....