Replace Shifters
 

I just bought a new Merax Finiss Aluminum 21 Speed 700C Road Bike and so far it is actually a great bike for the price but I would like to replace the following with speed shifters:


Front Derailleur: Shimano TZ-31
Rear Derailleur: Shimano RD-TZ50
Shifters: Shimano SA050


What I need to know is what would be good speed shifters to replace these with?
Any help in this would be greatly appreciated. I am a novice at this so please bare with me!! :thumb:


Drew

What is a speed shifter?

So it looks like you have thumb shifters on it at the moment, no?

By speed shifters do you mean STI, like integrated brake lever/shifters?

For that bike I'd look at something like these.
Microshift Shifters 3x7 Speed Road Derailleur Dual Control Levers for Shimano | eBay

For it to be a 21 speed it's a 3x7, meaning 3 chain rings in front and 7 cogs on the rear cassette. You will need a 3x7 shifters. I'm getting my specs of your bike from this link Merax Finiss Aluminum 21 Speed 700C Road Bike Racing Bicycle Shimano - Walmart.com
I use the MicroShift shifters, they are good solid components that work well. If you are wanting to upgrade I'd say start with the shifters and see how the derailleurs handle the shifting from there. No offense but that's not a bike you want to start spending a lot upgrading. Get it working well for you and if you want better plan on buying a complete better bike.

Maybe they mean, "brifters"?


If that's the case, they'll need:

• Right and left brifters
• Front & rear derailleurs
• Cassette
• Chain
• New brakes (because the brifters will have a specific pull ratio for the brakes)
• New brake and shifter cables w/housings

These items need to be generation specific (i.e. you can combine Shimano 5800 with 6800 but you can't combine 5800 with 6700)
Also, they need to be speed specific (you can't use a 9 speed chain with an 11 speed cassette or a 9 speed brifter with an 11 speed cassette)


There are a lot of other caveats like being able to combine different groupset components as long as they are of the same generation and speed but that's just going to get confusing.


Basically you need a new groupset. A compact Shimano Claris would probably do you fine...


...and don't be shocked by the sticker price, even for a take-off set that you find on eBay (spoiler alert: I haven't priced it but I wouldn't be surprised if even a take-off Claris groupset costs more than what you got your bike for).


**edit: I'm assuming that the left brifter will be compatible with the crankset that's already on the bicycle.

Microshift or these

https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Tourn...himano+tourney

I like the shifting actuation of the MicroShift awfully well. I know I like it better than the Shimano that uses the brake lever and I think I like it better than I would the little wing style release level of the Tourney (or Campy for that matter). I like the rear exiting cables of the later Shimano but that's the only reason I'd go away from the MicroShift 10 speed STI's I have now. I had Claris on my other bike and the MicroShifts are way smoother and more responsive than the Clairis but I'd expect anything above 5700 would be more responsive and smoother than the MicroShift.

I install a set of the tourney 2x7 on a bike for my son. They work fine. I paid 60 for the set wuth cable and housing.

He is 12 they had adjustable reach While the microshift didn't. Microshift makes a short reach but I could not find anyone selling it. I wanted the micro shift but for a kid the reach 2as key

Yes that is what I mean

Thank you for the response.

Or he can just get a set of these and call it a day because they mesh perfectly with the rest of his groupset:

https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Tourn.../dp/B00GQCC9A0

The same ones I already posted. But Microshift also mesh perfectly

Oh yeah, that makes way more sense. Easy and inexpensive.