I have a good old-school 531 touring bike , which I would like to convert as easily and cheaply as possible to STI. It has down-tube friction levers for front ( very old Shimano ) and rear ( SuntourXT- E) derailleurs. The wheels are excellent Alesa Endeavour / Sora touring wheels, hand-built by Spa Cycles the rear being 8-speed but screw-on block , not cassette. The chainset is a triple Shimano Exage SG-X , with a " DUAL SIS COMPATIBLE " sticker on the outer chainring . I don't know which , if any , of this stuff I could retain , but I would definitely like to keep the wheels if possible. Any help would be appreciated.
Converting to STI
- Thread starter Borris
- Start date
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fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
How about indexed down tube shifters. You can pick up the 8 speed ones for less than £30.
I've just upgraded a 7 speed indexed bike to 8 with these shifters.
I've just upgraded a 7 speed indexed bike to 8 with these shifters.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Fair enough. I'm perfectly happy with indexed down tube shifters. Not had friction shifters for a very long time.
I find I can quickly change front chain ring and rear sprockets with one hand.
I find I can quickly change front chain ring and rear sprockets with one hand.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
You have a choice of lower end Sora shifters, or possible microshift if you want to stick with 8 speed
jay clock
Massive member
- Location
- Hampshire UK
RecordAceFromNew
Swinging Member
- Location
- West London
I must say I am surprised any sora hub could take a screw-on freewheel - I would have thought sora post-date them. You might want to check?
With a chainset with sis label there is a chance your Shimano front mech also has modern cable pull ratio if it is from the same era - you can find out what the model code of the mech is and go from there - either way new Shimano front mech and rear mech that are 8 speed sis compatible don't have to be expensive - you can probably pick them up new from under £10 a piece. This is probably your best bet for sti if you want to stick with 8 speed. The only other parts you need to get then are down tube cable stops/adjusters and new cables. The sourcing of cable stops can get a little complicated, depending on what type of boss/arrangement there is currently for the down tube shifters.
The other option you can consider is bar end shifters, they are especially popular for tourers due to lightness and easy maintenance/repair. These would be perfect.
I don't think you can get a 531 equivalent tourer for anything near £500, so it is probably a worthwhile conversion, imho.
Doyleyburger
Veteran
- Location
- NCE West Wales
Came across this a few weeks back. May be of use to you (or not)
View: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SJJyl0xPrJ0
View: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SJJyl0xPrJ0
Nigeyy
Legendary Member
- Location
- Massachusetts, USA
Another thing to suggest instead of STIs: aside from bar end shifters, there are also Pauls Thumbies or Kelly Take Offs (hard to find now). I have a couple of bikes with Kelly Take Offs and love them. Not quite STI convenience, but really close to it. Personally, I don't like shifting controls to be anywhere but close to where my hands spend most of their time (for me, on the tops or on the hoods for road handlebars) so I personally don't care for downtube or bar end shifters.
If your heart is set on STIs, go for it -but just be aware you may end up spending more money than you might think -new cables, new bar tape, possibly new derailleurs and cost of a mechanic if you aren't doing this yourself. And how old or worn is your drivechain already? If you want to cut costs you could try buying used STIs -though their complexity and the fact that usually once they break, they are not easily repairable -can make buying used STIs a bit of a risk. Having said that, I do think STIs are one of the best and easiest shifting systems out there, and I can see why you'd like them.... Hey, good luck!
If your heart is set on STIs, go for it -but just be aware you may end up spending more money than you might think -new cables, new bar tape, possibly new derailleurs and cost of a mechanic if you aren't doing this yourself. And how old or worn is your drivechain already? If you want to cut costs you could try buying used STIs -though their complexity and the fact that usually once they break, they are not easily repairable -can make buying used STIs a bit of a risk. Having said that, I do think STIs are one of the best and easiest shifting systems out there, and I can see why you'd like them.... Hey, good luck!
