speedy austro

Hello. What a great forum! My first post.

I'm rebuilding a '75 Austro-Daimler A-D SLE. I'd like to put downtube shifters (friction) on it but need some help.

Components:
-RD: Suntour Cyclone GT
-FD: Huret
-Suntour 5 spd 14-17-21-27-32
-Chainrings: 52 & 42

I don't have shifter bosses on the downtube but do have a little braze-on tab under the tube which looks like it would prevent clamped shifters from sliding.

Will I be able to simply get a set of downtube shifters which will clamp on?

If so, what kind would you recommend given my other components?

Thanks in advance for your help. I'll post some pictures soon. It's gonna be a beauty.

ozneddy

welcome speedy austro to BF C&V , I wish I had a (75 A-D) nice bike, I would favor a full Campy nuovo record setup in keeping with the age of the bike but I will admit I,m a bit bias as thats my alltime fav group ! (boy would,nt it look good tho !)

top506

No problem.
I'd look for a set of band mounted Sun Tour Powerratchet shifters. They were OEM on my Moto and worked quite well.
Top

speedy austro

Thanks so much for the tip. I've found a few, though my tube diameter might be just a hair too big for the clamp. I'll do some more research. I hadn't heard of those power shifters before, but after some reading, they sound really impressive! Thanks again.

Grand Bois

Simplex Retrofrictions are considered by many to be the best ever made. I liked the Suntours until I tried the Simplexes.

speedy austro

Whew! I wish I could get some of those. They get scooped up so fast by people with far more money than I have. I'll keep watching the auctions anyway. Maybe next time...

Poguemahone

+1. I took the Campy shifters on my AD Vent Noir and tossed them for a pair of retrofrictions. The Campys are crap next to the retrofrictions; it's the best upgrade you can make to a friction shifting drive train.

Caferacernoc

The clamp on will work fine with that "nub" on your tubing. I did the same thing on my Traveler. Shimano clamp on shifters to match the rest of my components and replace the stem shifters.

ted grant

Informative thread, does anybody have experience attaching downtube or stem mounted friction shifters on bikes that arent made for them? (I run a 28-42 fornt setup so i dont shift the front ring very often) i want to do a setup like lances TdF bike . with an sti rear shifter and a downtube or stem mount friction front shifter. the tubes on my bike are way too big to get a vintage shifter around. any ideas? thanks

kcycrs

I have an Austro-Diamler S that I recently purchase. It will be stripped and turned it into a fixed gear in the next two weeks or so. Contact me if you would like the shifters or anything else on it. You can have the components for the cost of shipping. I was planning on throwing them out anyway. Yes, I know, I'm a Philistine.
Here is a link to the thread I put up last week: