Can I change this 7 speed to an 8, 9, or 10 speed?

[rsilvers]

I bought a bike from a friend around 1989. It is a Mavic bonded small diameter tube aluminum frame (I guess not that stiff, but I was 135lbs at the time) with mavic friction tube-mounted shifers, Mavic front and rear derailer, Dura-Ace cassette, Dura-Ace brakes, Mavic wheels and hubs, Mavic Look style pedals, etc. Nice bike -- especially in 1988. It is very low miles and it is a shame to not use it. However, new bikes seem to have the following significant improvements:

1. Brake mounted shift levers.
2. 9 and 10 speed drivetrains.
3. Revised frame geometry.

My question: If I want to convert this to 8, 9, or 10 speeds, can I just change the cassette and chain since the shifting is friction and not indexed?

1. Will a narrrow chain work on the rear-derailer pulleys?
2. Will a new cassette fit into the same width as the old one? On my existing wheels and hub?
3. Should I just get a new Dura-Ace rear derailer and put this classic beauty on display on my desk as a cute little art object?
4. Should I replace the braze-on tube-mounted shifters with brake-mounted ones? And if so, can I cap off the braze-on area so it does not look stupid?

http://www.photomosaic.com/miscphotos/derailer.jpg

http://www.photomosaic.com/miscphotos/sprocket.jpg

[Cadence230]

I can't answer any of your questions but just wanted to say I love those rear mechs. Does the bike have those cool Mavic Cranks? Oh yeah. Ya gotta put up some photos showing the whole deal so I have something to look at...right now it's like looking at a picture of a girls ankle. It's okay and suggestive but I need more for lack of imagination.

[rsilvers]

Yeah! The cranks are friggen gorgeous. I will put put a photo in a few minutes.

[palincss]

I bought a bike from a friend around 1989. It is a Mavic bonded small diameter tube aluminum frame (I guess not that stiff, but I was 135lbs at the time) with mavic friction tube-mounted shifers, Mavic front and rear derailer, Dura-Ace cassette, Dura-Ace brakes, Mavic wheels and hubs, Mavic Look style pedals, etc. Nice bike -- especially in 1988. It is very low miles and it is a shame to not use it. However, new bikes seem to have the following significant improvements:

1. Brake mounted shift levers.
2. 9 and 10 speed drivetrains.
3. Revised frame geometry.

My question: If I want to convert this to 8, 9, or 10 speeds, can I just change the cassette and chain since the shifting is friction and not indexed?

1. Will a narrrow chain work on the rear-derailer pulleys?
2. Will a new cassette fit into the same width as the old one? On my existing wheels and hub?
3. Should I just get a new Dura-Ace rear derailer and put this classic beauty on display on my desk as a cute little art object?
4. Should I replace the braze-on tube-mounted shifters with brake-mounted ones? And if so, can I cap off the braze-on area so it does not look stupid?





Here's what Sheldon has to say on the subject:


8 Of 9 On 7
If your 126 mm frame is carbon fiber or held together by glue, you probably shouldn't try to spread it. That still doesn't mean that you're stuck with 7-speeds!

Any 7-speed Shimano Hyperglide Freehub will actually work with 8 sprockets, without any modification! What you need to do is to use 8 of the sprockets from a 9-speed cassette, with the 9-speed spacers.

To make this work, you'll also need to use a 9-speed chain and shifters. Your old 7-speed derailer should work OK if it isn't too badly worn. The limit stops on the derailer will cause the useless 9th position on the shifters to be locked out, so this will work as a perfectly normal 8-speed rig.



"Held together by glue" sounds like your frame, so don't spread it. If you must, go for 8 of 9 on 7. Sheldon goes on to answer others of your questions, re: the derailleur. Yours is certainly not "badly worn", the 9-speed chain should work, and if you want to stay with friction there's no point in changing the derailleur. As for the shifters, if downtube works for you and you want to stay with friction, why change it?

However, if you must: all you need to do is remove the levers, you can use the shifter bosses (with a little adapter) as stops for the cables from bar-end or STI type shifters. Here's a link to a photo of one of my bikes that shows the downtube shifter bosses being used as cable stops for bar end shifters: http://www.freewebs.com/palincss/left_front_bag_from_rear_large.jpg

If you want indexing, you will very likely have to change the derailleur for one compatible with the brifters or indexing bar-end shifters you've chosen.

[rsilvers]

http://www.photomosaic.com/miscphotos/bike.jpg

http://www.photomosaic.com/miscphotos/crank.jpg

[Louis]

RS,

Looks to me like a Vitus 979. (Nashbar had some NOS frames on sale a while back, and I have one down in the basement.)

IMO I would leave it as it is. If you want a bike with all the new stuff, then get a more recent frame and build that up. The older components on the older bike and newer stuff on a newer bike make more sense IMO,

Louis

[rsilvers]

You are probably correct to leave it how it is.

It rides like a dream -- but I don't have much to compare it to since I have only ridden a few nice bikes.

[Gothard]

The bike is gorgeous! Very special saddle too.
I would not change a thing. You'll end up with a half done bastard, whereas it looks great as is right now.

[sc53]

Rsilvers--I would leave that beauty just as it is! 7 speeds is just fine for most of us unless you live in the mountains. If you are curious about the newer gear, do as the above poster said and buy another frame and build it up with 10 speed something. I think 10 speed is overkill and wish they still made the old 7 and 8 speed components. I still ride my Record 8 speed and it works like a dream. I don't do much climbing and the 16 gears I have are fine; I don't even use all of them. I could probably be happy with an old 10 speed! anyway, that silver bike of yours is gorgeous, I don't think you should change anything at all (except the tires; I don't like that color!)

[rsilvers]

Funny cause the tires are new -- they have not even been glued in place yet -- but I agree, I now wish they were black. I could look for some others tomorrow.

[rsilvers]

I just weighed it at 19.5. I noticed some bikes are 18. Are they really 18, or 18.9? I am just wondering where my bike is packing lbs. Maybe the all steel cassette and pedals. It would seem hard to take 680 grams off it.