Old Shimano Shifters

[longy]

I have a '88 Fat Chance Wicked mtn bike that I had custom assembled way back when. Full Sh Xt components. No suspension, it was very much an unproven tech then. Shimano 'cause they had the best index shifting at the time. Still love the bike, it's still faster than me, and I don't put in enuff miles to justify a new bike at the same quality level. So, the original 5 speed hub got changed to fit the 'new' 6 sp cassette (hyperglide?) by machining the splines. The original rear shifter did not handle this well as the amount of cable moved per shift changed. So I've been using it in 'friction' mode ( a backup feature no longer seen) for ever. I am now trying to determine if a newer rear shifter assembly would get me back into index shifting?

It's getting hard to keep up with my kids - fumbling around with a shift lever is slow, it's hard to precisely move that short lever.

Any gear heads to comment on this??

 

[bplipschitz]

Get a new (to you) bike.

Seriously.

Find a bike from the '90s or early '00s that has 8- or 9-speed components on it that is in good shape, and just buy it. You really can't upgrade any further without major reworking of your bike (like getting the rear dropout spacing widened from 130 to 135mm {yours might even be 120 mm} through cold bending).

There's plenty of great mtb's or road bikes from that era to be had on Craigslist. If your kids are riding road bikes, get a road bike.

Keep your old bike the way it is, love it for what it used to be, and get another bike for riding around and keeping up with the kids.

You'll feel like a kid on a new bike. . .

<says the guy who just built up a 1977 Mercian King of Mercia frame as a "Polish 3-speed">

 

[austin1972]

You might be able to find a used Shimano that could work.

I have a 6 speed LX index shifter for a rear derailleur from 1990. If the spacing is correct, it could work.

The better idea might be to take the whole wheel, derailleur and shifter as a package.

I can't be the only one with this crap lying around. My wheel is a Mavic on that bike, and a Phil Wood hub.

If you were closer....

edit - just checked. It's XT shift stuff. That was a nice bike at one time!

 

[NaptimeAgain]

Agree buy a newer bike. I am enjoying a Cannonade Carbon w/Lefty fork.

 

[Point Break]

You might be able to find a used Shimano that could work.

I have a 6 speed LX index shifter for a rear derailleur from 1990. If the spacing is correct, it could work.

The better idea might be to take the whole wheel, derailleur and shifter as a package.

I can't be the only one with this crap lying around. My wheel is a Mavic on that bike, and a Phil Wood hub.

If you were closer....

edit - just checked. It's XT shift stuff. That was a nice bike at one time!

XT was good stuff!

 

[longy]

A new bike isn't really in my cards right now, I'm not the ED. It's a good, solid bike, (even has cult followers) and I'm fairly confident that there is a shifter out there that will do the job. And if I get a modern bike I lose all my excuses when the kids pass me! Plenti of NOS out there if I can identify just exactly what works. And I've already got a spare bike hanging in the rafters - full custom frame Davidson Signature w/ Sh Dura-ace.

 

[blunderfull]

Go for it:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/

 

[longy]

Unfortunately, I've read all his stuff, & (unless I missed it) nothing directly relates to my situation. But a great site!

 

[austin1972]

You might be able to find a used Shimano that could work.

I have a 6 speed LX index shifter for a rear derailleur from 1990. If the spacing is correct, it could work.

The better idea might be to take the whole wheel, derailleur and shifter as a package.

I can't be the only one with this crap lying around. My wheel is a Mavic on that bike, and a Phil Wood hub.

If you were closer....

edit - just checked. It's XT shift stuff. That was a nice bike at one time!

XT was good stuff!

All of it was. Phil Wood bottom bracket, headset and hubs. I paid my rent (and broken bike parts) through college by working in a bike shop.

Built on a Waterford frame (formerly Schwinn Paramount).

Parts at cost and fix/tune after hours with all the correct stands and....Snap-On tools.

Man that was good stuff.

 

[MoeAlfa]

What's the rear spacing, 125 mm? Get it cold set to 130, buy a new wheel and a whatever-speed freewheel, and put whatever Shimano is selling these days on it as a shifter. What am I missing?

That's a great frame. I'd hold onto it.

 

[mikewof]

You might be able to find a used Shimano that could work.

I have a 6 speed LX index shifter for a rear derailleur from 1990. If the spacing is correct, it could work.

The better idea might be to take the whole wheel, derailleur and shifter as a package.

I can't be the only one with this crap lying around. My wheel is a Mavic on that bike, and a Phil Wood hub.

If you were closer....

edit - just checked. It's XT shift stuff. That was a nice bike at one time!

XT was good stuff!

The big rivalry back in the day was between Campagnolo and Shimano's Dura-Ace. Campy was wickedly expensive but beautiful, Dura-Ace was cheaper, less beautiful, just as smooth and efficient.

XT seemed to offer all of the efficiency of Dura-Ace without the expensive hand polish. I had a Dura-Ace front derail in an old Klein it was very smooth, not sure if it was worth the investment, especially with a yucky Biopace gearset. But the back XT was everything I could have asked, smooth and precise and reliable. If that frame is in good shape, especially if it's a good rigid steel frame, there may not be any need to replace everything. You can get vintage shifters on eBay that should be properly indexed for that XT set.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-MTB-NOS-Shimano-XT-730-732-735-STM-091-Shifter-Klein-Fat-Chance-Ringle-/121737077427?nav=SEARCH

 

[shortbus]

I purchased a Merlin MTB in '91 ( built in Sommerville MA down the street from FC) from a friend's shop with the request "money is no object, I never want to look at another bike again". Absolutely fantastic bike which served me well until similar problems of just not being able to keep up with friends who I just knew I was in better shape than.

Fast forward to 2013 where I found a great deal on a Santa Cruz tallboy carbon and jumped on it and am still blown away by the advances in technology and how much faster I can go. The changes are really not all marketing intended to push new bikes on people who don't need them. The changes to geometry, gearing, brakes and suspension etc are incredible in how much more they can squeeze out of your effort which has in turn rekindled my love of riding. Best money I have spent in a decade + for how much fun I have gotten out of it.

Meanwhile, don't make the mistake I made and sell your retro ride. Bring it back to as close to original shape as you can and call it what it is - a time machine. Fat Chance cycles are fantastic and a good bike will hold its value and be a good time for an occasional rip on an old school rigid, but should not be your primary steed. If I could buy mine back for the $800 I sold it for I would tomorrow but I still love my current MTB and what it has done for me, my fitness and friends. Enjoy and don't let the bike you own (now) dictate your riding experience for ever.

 

[IStream]

Try

WWW.loosescrews.com

 

[austin1972]

You might be able to find a used Shimano that could work.

I have a 6 speed LX index shifter for a rear derailleur from 1990. If the spacing is correct, it could work.

The better idea might be to take the whole wheel, derailleur and shifter as a package.

I can't be the only one with this crap lying around. My wheel is a Mavic on that bike, and a Phil Wood hub.

If you were closer....

edit - just checked. It's XT shift stuff. That was a nice bike at one time!

XT was good stuff!

The big rivalry back in the day was between Campagnolo and Shimano's Dura-Ace. Campy was wickedly expensive but beautiful, Dura-Ace was cheaper, less beautiful, just as smooth and efficient.

XT seemed to offer all of the efficiency of Dura-Ace without the expensive hand polish. I had a Dura-Ace front derail in an old Klein it was very smooth, not sure if it was worth the investment, especially with a yucky Biopace gearset. But the back XT was everything I could have asked, smooth and precise and reliable. If that frame is in good shape, especially if it's a good rigid steel frame, there may not be any need to replace everything. You can get vintage shifters on eBay that should be properly indexed for that XT set.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-MTB-NOS-Shimano-XT-730-732-735-STM-091-Shifter-Klein-Fat-Chance-Ringle-/121737077427?nav=SEARCH

XT was for offroad and DA for road bikes in my day. The difference between XTR and DA was the look but that was about it. The internal workings were identical. They weighed about the same.

At least in the derailleurs. Shifters were different.

Campy was more finicky to tune but if you got it just right, it was like telepathy to shift. The front derailleur could be a bitch if the bike got laid down though. You could bend the Shitmono stuff back into shape (maybe leave a little twist on the bottom back guide and open up in front outside on a right side crash).

Couldn't do that with Campy stuff. It was too light and would fail after tweaking.

 

[longy]

^^^^^^ I considered both (esp for the road bike). I would have gone Campy on it but Shimano index was wayyy better than Campy for that period. I'm not going to jack the rear end wider. I can't keep track of all the gears with what I've got!! No need to get more, that's just more weight to drag around. The Wicked 's got too many good ride memories in it to bastardize. I had a tight cluster & skinny/smooth tires to swap in to use it as a trainer for when I wanted to ride with less concern than the road bike. The roadies would catch me going down PCH, but they couldn't drop me once I tucked in. Once I wasnt pushing wind I could hang with any of them. Great fun watching them shift around trying to drop me!!

 

[Point Break]

^^^^^^ I considered both (esp for the road bike). I would have gone Campy on it but Shimano index was wayyy better than Campy for that period. I'm not going to jack the rear end wider. I can't keep track of all the gears with what I've got!! No need to get more, that's just more weight to drag around. The Wicked 's got too many good ride memories in it to bastardize. I had a tight cluster & skinny/smooth tires to swap in to use it as a trainer for when I wanted to ride with less concern than the road bike. The roadies would catch me going down PCH, but they couldn't drop me once I tucked in. Once I wasnt pushing wind I could hang with any of them. Great fun watching them shift around trying to drop me!!

I rode an Allez with all Specialized components back then (early 80's). I rode PCH pretty regularly between Oside and Torry Pines (I hated that last hill up onto the top as you enter Torry Pines!!). There was one guy who wore a SD Wheelmen jersey that was out every time I was. I could keep up behind on the flat......but any hill........didn't matter what shifters I had.

 

[rdavis]

Bought a Cannondale road bike back in the late 80's when they all had the same frame for $399. Used that for years, rebuilt it every year, new bearings, etc. The rear hub exploded many years later. Could not find a replacement wheel that would fit because they were all 8/9 speeds by then and would not fit. Gave up for years and bit the bullet and bought a new one for $1500 plus. 2 years later and broke my ankle followed by broken toe and had not ridden since, been sticking to sailing and afraid to get on the road with all of the idiots on it.

 

[bplipschitz]

Fine, ignore our good advice, that's your prerogative.

Are you wanting to keep the bike as stock as possible? If that's the case, get on Ebay or CL and try to find an XT 6-speed rear shifter. That will do the trick. Problem solved.

If you don't care 100% about keeping the bike stock, try this: put both shifters into friction mode, turn them upside down and switch the sides they are on.

<rant> I don't know who in their fucking mind thinks thumb shifters "work great" sitting with the lever above the bar -- THAT'S NOT WHERE YOUR FUCKING THUMB IS!</rant>

By turning them upside down (and switching sides, because, that's how that works), you place them closer to where your thumbs are actually on the bar. I did this with my daily commuter ('99 Gary Fisher Supercaliber frame), and the friction shifting for the rear works *much* better. I am able to find gears quickly and efficiently, without indexing.

It takes some learning, but after about a week my thumbs were trained.

So, two cheap options.

I still say, go buy a newer used bike for <$400. Who doesn't want a new bike?

 

[longy]

You're the first to actually name a specific component. Oops, no, Austin beat you. But I'll still have to confirm gear spacing. Thank you. Yes, I would like to keep it close to original. If I do put the newer shifter on I will change out the front shifter to match. But damn, I wish they did not have the indicator window/line on them.