So, Am I Effin nuts???

[William]

I'm thinking about going retro on the Effin Cross bike. I've got a DA 8 STI kit that's in great shape. I will put a new canti set, stem, bars, post, headset, saddle, and wheels on her. But I'm seriously thinking of going retro.

Have I been hit in the head with too many sticks??? :confused: Can someone give me a valid reason why I shouldn't do it???


Wwwilliam

[dirtdigger88]

none from me-

Im currently gathering 8 speed parts for a bike I have due in - in 3.5 years

anyone got anything good-

Jason

[55/Rad]

None from me either as I've recently been bit by the retro bug. Hey, if you've already got modern covered, why not?

55/Rad

[dbrk]

Im currently gathering 8 speed parts for a bike I have due in - in 3.5 years
anyone got anything good-
Jason

Yup. Let me know what you need in 3-5 years. If'in I'm about then so will this stuff. It won't be more obsolete then than it is now! Woohoo!

As for "going retro"...William, William. You have to get to 7 or below and use friction even to qualify as "retro." I think of anything that clicks as "modern."

What possible _disadvantage_ could you have using 8? Answer: none.
This tells us far less about the retro disadvantages of 8 than it does the putative and hence largely false advantages of using more than 8.


dbrk
who uses whatever is in the boxes, from 4 to 10...

[Big Dan]

DA 8 speed is one of my all time favorites..........go for it......... :D

[atmo]

are you going to race? lose the 8 speed thing.
get 9, or if you must, 10. you'll be at a disadvantage
if you have drivetrains that are hard to find in the
parking lot. and, believe me, there will be a time
where you'll be glomming off of someone's stash.

[obtuse]

are you going to race? lose the 8 speed thing.
get 9, or if you must, 10. you'll be at a disadvantage
if you have drivetrains that are hard to find in the
parking lot. and, believe me, there will be a time
where you'll be glomming off of someone's stash.


what atmo said.

obtuse

[dbrk]

snip... there will be a time
where you'll be glomming off of someone's stash.

I take it back: if you race be sure you can glom in the parking lot. I have done as much, though the last time I entered a cyclocross race (some few years back) it was on a fixed gear. This really scared people and won me a cookie at the end for being "the crazy guy on the single speed." Since I had no chance of winning I thought to myself, "Why not make people afraid of me?" It worked, of course. I got clear sailing. Stopping was...uh...interesting. Lift the rear wheel, lock your cranks, skid some, hope for a lot. I gotta do this again. Maybe this coming year.

dbrk

[William]

My question was more from the gunk pov. Speedwise I loose nothing running 8 on the road compared to my 9 & 10 speed counter parts. But this cross thang is new to me and toying with running 8 is enjoyable, but atmo brings up a good point about breakage....unless I can find a stash of STI 8 parts.


William

[djg]

Seems awkward if you cannot even borrow a rear wheel.

It's a cool looking frame, but it also looks like a contemporary raceable one. If you're just riding it as one of several rec/trainers, use whatever parts you have (that you like, that work for you). If you're going to race it, I'd go for more contemporary parts if you can swing it.

[obtuse]

use your 8 speed garbage but use bar end shifters...then you can satisfy the whack-job luddite in you and use whatever wheel you need when you double flat pre-riding the course.


obtuse

[atmo]

My question was more from the gunk pov. Speedwise I loose nothing running 8 on the road compared to my 9 & 10 speed counter parts. But this cross thang is new to me and toying with running 8 is enjoyable, but atmo brings up a good point about breakage....unless I can find a stash of STI 8 parts.


William


it's not the running 8 thing that you'll be faced with.
heck - i doubt i use more than 3 cogs in a race. it's
all about being able to race, rather than watching. if
you trash your parts, you'll likely be watching if you're
on 8 speed whereas the venue will be filled with 9 and
10 speed knuckleheads atmo.
use your 8 speed garbage but use bar end shifters...then you can satisfy the whack-job luddite in you and use whatever wheel you need when you double flat pre-riding the course.


obtuse

i can't find whack-job in the manual manuel.

[Fixed]

bro just take a spare wheel.. you know d/a/ 8 speed works fine . I have two bikes with it .on one bike I have d.t. shifters and i don't feel bad about racing on it but I live in fla and it's flat.
cheers

[davids]

I'm just wondering why. Function? Looks? Ludditery? Other?

[manet]

it's not the running 8 thing that you'll be faced with.
heck - i doubt i use more than 3 cogs in a race. it's
all about being able to race, rather than watching. if
you trash your parts, you'll likely be watching if you're
on 8 speed whereas the venue will be filled with 9 and
10 speed knuckleheads atmo.


i can't find whack-job in the manual manuel.

nudnik

[William]

I'm just wondering why. Function? Looks? Ludditery? Other?

Well, to be frank, kids, new house, and running a business come first....leaving little coinage free for new gruppo at this time. Looking at using what I've got and trying to figure possible consequences of racing this group in the muck.


William

[BumbleBeeDave]

I have nothing against running retro 8-speed at all. But you have to tally the REAL necessary cost if you are racing vs. what you are saving if you're not.

If you're not racing, then go for it. All you really have to make sure you can get in the future are cassettes when what you have wears out.

If you are intent on racing, and you really want to have sufficient spares so as not to be dependent on somebody else having the same thing (unlikely), then you'll have to scour eBay and have two of everything so you can have a spare on hand just in case . . . To me, having to buy two of everything would pretty much negate the cost savings over buying 9-speed (or even 10) in the first place.

BBD

[Kevan]

just be willng to change if the demands call for it.

[coylifut]

just use it till you break it and then move on. btw. I suggest you start researching the strongest seat and seat post. I'm not talking about remounts either. I've seen guys your size break clamps and rails with some regularity. I'd also consider one of those welded Salsa Moto Ace stems.

[Bruce K]

William;

If you want to follow coy's advice on the stem, let me know. They were/are bulletp[roof (and black). I think I have one in the basement and I'll measure it if you want.

BK

[William]

Thanks for all the input folks. At the moment it's use it till it breaks (though someone may have a line on some NOS stuff for me). Things may likely change between now and then so I'll keep my options open. I could always CC it, but that's a :no: . Cash and carry only.

Coy, good advice on the beefy set. A broken seat post could be......well.....let's just not go there. :no: I have a Hellbent post that would likely be strong enough, but the Effin Cross Bike was built to eliminate the need for such an extreme off-set post.

Bruce, please let me know what you have if it's not too much trouble.


William

[dvancleve]

bring a spare wheel, a chain whip and cassette lockring tool? Seems like if you have more than 5 minutes and don't mind a greasy hand you can borrow any recent Shimano rear wheel and move over your cassette...

Doug


bro just take a spare wheel.. you know d/a/ 8 speed works fine . I have two bikes with it .on one bike I have d.t. shifters and i don't feel bad about racing on it but I live in fla and it's flat.
cheers