IbisTouche

We have two Ibis Touche with 14 and 21 gears. We have started to do some longer distances with them but they need new paint. We have gone through them to see if anything other have to be done, when we take them apart. The wheels are getting old and we have to decide about what to do - there have been some new things in the design of a lot of bicycle materials. But do we have to get a broader hub or would it make the frame less strong? Will the new derailleur be too demanding in precision to mix with these elder tandem and their more soft character? Would it be a better idea to find a NOS 7 speed freewheel of high quality to both of them?

Carsten & Dorte, IbisTouche, Denmark

mkane77g

New parts will make it feel like a new bike. have your existing hubs relaced if staying with 7 speed. We have a couple of Ibis bikes also, Spanky's.

tandem rider

I had a '95 Ibis Touche that came with 8 speed which we later converted to 9 speed. I used a 145 mm hub although the rear triangle had to be spread some to put the wheel on. When I retired the Ibis I used the wheels on the new Co-Motion.

IbisTouche

We seems to have two possibilities. First to use a mountainbike hub at 135mm and set a 7 wheel casette on and second to use a 145mm tandemhub and have 5 mm removed to take a 7 wheel casette (This is the options SJSC in England talks about but which one is the best - which one will be best for us? The tandemhub will be with 40 spokes and the mountainbike hub will be with 36 spokes.

We do 200 km brevets and dream about doing 300 and linger brevets.

steve53mg

Take off your rear wheel and check the spacing between drop-outs. If it is a 7 speed freewheel, it should measure 140 mm. A 145 mm 8 or 9 speed hub, like a Shimano HF08, will require a 5 degree cold-set (or carefull spread) of the rear triangle. This is easily, on a steel frame, accomplished by a competent bike mechanic. I did this (9 speed) to my old Santana Visa and it shifts like a fine watch! My old DX 7 speed derraileur was fine-I just changed to a 9 speed barcon.
I have since changed to a new XT mega der. and a 9 speed 12-34 cassette and it is fantastic!
Believe me, it is well worth the small effort to do the cold-set. Throw away the 7 speed freewheel and don't bother with a 7 speed cassette hub-it's not worth it to use such obsolete stuff!