Converting to STI
 

What parts would be required to convert a classic bike with downtube shifters to STI shifting. Thanks for the help.

I've just been looking into this myself. I have a 30 yr old Moto, decided to leave it alone. If your rear hub cannot handle 9 speed cluster, which it certainly can't if it's an old classic, first you have to alter the rear fork (widen it) to accept a new wheelset with 9 spd cluster. STI only works with 9 or 10 speed. So you need new wheelsets (if you do the rear, you almost gotta do the front), new derailleurs, STI levers. Then there is the potential problem of your old crank, which may have the wrong spacing and pitch for the new chain that you need for the STI system. Depending on which level you go for (Sora, 105, Ultegra, DuraAce), it could cost a bit, including getting the frame opened up.

would all that be nessecary if I were to use adjustable levers such as these? Does anyone have expierence with these levers?

What "adjustable levers" are you talking about?

If its a steel bike often you can cram a wider rear hub in no problem, I didn't bother to respace my Paramount. Not worth the effort... a lot depends on the bike though.

PS there are 8spd Sora and Ultegra 600 levers out there.

Now is a good time to be going 9spd, the new Ultegra is 10spd but the old 9spd stuff will be going for cheap pretty soon. You'd need to do the front crank, derailleur, chain, wheelset, cables and housing, bar tape, STI shifters, rear derailleur, cassette, and bottom bracket.

It would help us to know what bike you are thinking of doing this too, and the approx. vintage and what parts it has now.

I think STI conversion is rarely, if ever, worth the expense or the hassle. One can cost-effectively get 18 speeds with a triple chainring and a 6-speed freewheel, 14 with a 2x7 setup, or 21 with a 3x7, often for only the cost of the freewheel itself, or perhaps that plus a chainring, long stack bolts, and a longer BB spindle. How many gear ratios do you really want or require?

If you don't like reaching down between your knees, get a set of barcons.

opps forgot to post the link
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...egory_ID=5144#

These were the adjustable levers i was talking about

By the way it's a 80's paramount with shimano components

Never used/seen those. It says it'll work with Shimano 7, 8 or 9 speed. Is your paramount a 7 speed?

its actually a friends ill try to check

Hmmm... interesting levers! Never seen them before.

My STI'd roadbike is a 1989 Paramount OS3 actually. It was all used parts I got redicuously cheap, so total including I the bike I have about $320 into it. Well worth it from my standpoint but not everyone can build a bike or get parts hook ups like someone that works for a shop. If he likes the bike enough to drop the coin then do it by all means.

ok just checking
indexing cassette w/index shifters are new style and freewheel w/friction shift are vintage
so you cant use an index shifter with a freewheel right
and odds are a friction shifter dont work too good with a cassette and indexing derailer of course
so if you change one you have to change all 3 cassette, derailer and shifter right ?

also does rear hub have to be changed ?

yes yes yes yes

yea I'm on a roll lol

Why won't a friction shifter work with modern cassette? Have you tried this?

I converted a 1976 bike to work with modern parts - or rather I paid the original framebuilder to do it. Things to watch out for: originally my frame took a band-on design of friction levers. STI/Ergo groupsets come with parts which expect to screw in to where the friction shifters would go, so I had to get these brazed on. As already mentioned by someone else, modern hubs are a little wider, but this shouldn't be too much of a problem with a steel frame. My frame was designed for 27" wheels, so the front fork was shortened a little and a new bridge brazed on the rear. The front fork was drilled to take modern brakes, which fit partially inside the frame rather than bolting through it. The new bridge at the rear was obviously OK. I also had new ends brazed on as my frame was designed to take a rear derailleur hanger, which was a real pain. The total bill came in at £700, including a lovely paint job and the new groupset. In purely economic terms it wasn't worth it, but I had that frame made for me and we've been through a lot together.

John

There is 7 and 8 speed STI. Cranks are really not an issue. Pitch is the same.

The levers are junk. Think of the complexity of trying to incorporate the different cog spacings involved into one unit.It's an idea that sounds good but just doesn't fly.I have local performance stores here and see los of returned ones on the flush table for 75% off and no takers.

If it's 7 speed index, the easy way is with Shimano 7 speed Sora STI. An alternate is any 8 Speed Shimano STI other than DA. the 7/8 cog spacing is different,but close enough that it works.

You could have used a clamp on cable stop on the downtube, and you paid alot of money to have frame work done that involves cheaper work arounds. The 'framebulder' took you behind the woodshed on that one.

There are index capable freewheels.

That's a matter of opinion. I'd been using workarounds for years, and I was doing a lot of miles on that bike. The original paint job was sadly in need of redoing, and due to years of abuse there was some brazing that needed to be done anyway - including a new rear bridge.

Don't forget that the price included a complete Campag groupset as well. The only parts that weren't replaced apart from the frame were the handlebars and stem, saddle and pedals. I've lost track of the miles I've covered on that bike since, but it's a good few thousand. Part of the reason for doing it was that I needed reliable daily transport, and all the workarounds weren't really doing the job. As I said before, I knew it wasn't an economical proposition. However, the frame had already survived one major collision, which wrecked the front wheel and landed me in hospital, completely unscathed, so I reckoned it was probably a deal tougher than a modern aluminium frame. I could go on, but you get the point, I hope.

If your "classic bike" is a 10-speed bike (i.e. 5 cogs on the rear), forget it unless you have access to lots of free parts, have a deep wallet or really like your frame. If you have a 7-speed freewheel, there are chances it might be compatible with Shimano's 7-speed spacing, and therefore with 8-speed spacing (about the same).

You could then spread the frame to 126 mm and install a 7-speed Shimano freewheel or get a new wheel with a 7-speed cassette. It would then be compatible with 8-speed STI... providing you get a rear derailleur that is newer than 1996-1997. 15 and 20 year old derailleurs don't pull the same amount of cable (believe me, I have one at home).


There are two other cheaper options, however. These two options forego the "indexed" part, which is the most critical to get.

1. Get Kelly Take Offs. This is a bracket that you install under your brake levers, and that allows you to install your current shifter levers near the brake levers. Some like them, others hate them, but I have no experience with these.

2. Get bar-end shifters. Rivendell (http://www.rivbikes.com) sells SuperMix, as well as pods to install your current downtube shifters on the bar ends. You could also use modern Shimano bar-end shifters, maybe even an old set of 7-speed or 8-speed bar-end shifters. While they are indexed just like the STI, they also have a non-indexed setting which is compatible with any derailleur, number of speeds, cassette, etc.
IOW, you just need to buy the shifters and there are no other compatibility issue to consider.

ok I'm goin to start a new thread for my convertion
callin it "Convert Vintage to Modern"
any and all input is appericated

Rivendell's friction shifters (with or without the barcon adapters) are as nice as it gets. I run them as barcons on my old commuter and would not even consider switching to index on that bike. Far more elegant that Shimano barcons.

That's just not right.All shimano index RDs beginning with 1985 with their first index system are intercompatible,except PRE 9 speed DA which have a unique throw ratio and have to be used with pre 9 speed DA shifters.

1) TRUE. It is also true that cassettes are mechanically superior to freewheels, for various reasons. However, rear shifter indexing is not always superior to friction, and I argue strongly that front shifter indexing is undesirable, because of the loss of control over cage trimming.

2) NOT NECESSARILY TRUE. My 1988 mountain bike has period-correct SunTour Accushift friction/index thumb shifters and a 7-speed SunTour freewheel. Although I prefer friction mode, it works fine in index mode, as well.

3) FALSE. Assuming it can take up enough cable, any friction shifter will work very well with any cassette and "indexing" derailleur. (The only difference between an "indexing" derailleur and a "friction" one is that the former has greater intentional horizontal slop in the jockey wheel's bearing.)

4) FALSE. See 2) and 3), above.

5) Cassettes and freewheels require different rear hubs. If you increase the cog count, you may need to spread your frame (if it can take it!) and get a wider axle.