cudak888 

I've been considering doing a build around the Dura-Ace 7900 group I have kicking around here, but I'm dead set on whatever I build being an English club-style bike with North Roads.

As such, not only do I have the problem of trying to find something from the recessed-brake era with fender eyelets (gotta have 'em!) and the right panache for the job, I also have to figure out shifters other than the stock brifters. Far as I know, DA-7900 is one of those 10 speed groups stuck with the unique shift ratio of 1.7 that's not shared by the MTB groups. To make it more complicated, I'm not a bar-end fan nor a thumbie fan.

I don't mind triggers, and I know I can get them on a North Road if the straight section is long enough. So far, I've run into Microshift's SL-R760-2 - presumably 10-speed Shimano road compatible: https://www.microshift.com/en/produc...60-2sl-r760-3/. They're OK, if a bit loud and bulky.


I'm curious if anyone else has chosen this route (and if so, how does it perform?), or if there's another alternative I've missed.

-Kurt

non-fixie 

I have done several successful flat bar conversions, using Alivio combined brake/shift levers. 7 and 8 speed. Something to watch out for with the brake levers is whether the cable pull can be set for normal brakes, i.e. calipers of cantilevers, as opposed to V-brakes. Also you may need a MTB FD, especially when running a triple, as the cable pull differs between road and mountain. I don't remember having problems with doubles.

cudak888 

You mean, run the Dura-Ace RD with a 7 through 9 speed cassette instead, matching shifter to cassette (as opposed to matching group to RD and 10-speed cassette)? That doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

Running a double, so the triple FD wouldn't be an issue.

-Kurt

squirtdad

Ok per my bolds:

Bravo on english club style

you could consider a vintage frame, cold set the rear and use the sheldon front brake in back with a nut, back brake in front with recessed nut and drilling out the back fork brake hole (drilling out is an over statement it barely enlarges the hole with shaving of metal only)

do you not like friction thumbies or thumbies in general, if the former you could go the pauls thumbie route https://www.paulcomp.com/shop/compon...imanothumbies/ I actually really like how well thumbies work with by aging 1x8 set up with a vision like yours, a simple flick of thumb and ia shift

non-fixie 

That, or - and that might be even better - get the SL-R770's. 10 speed and specifically for road bikes, so no FD cable pull issues.

cudak888 

Not worried about fender mounting - can always mount the fender tabs on the outer edge of the crown/bridge instead of the inner.

Don't like thumbies in general. I do like shifters where you can pull the entire travel of the cable with a single finger, such as long-lever SA 3-or-4 speed shifters. I don't feel that's the case with thumbies. They rotate a lot more than a single thumb or index finger can push or pull, so your hand has to come off the grip eventually. It's like twisting a jar open.

I'd love it if current trigger shifters were designed like the old SunTours - where you could slam up the entire cassette/freewheel if you wanted - with a single push.

Well, that looks like a purpose-made solution. Problem solved, so long as they can fit. The Microshift design looks as if it may clear the front bend of a NR bar a bit better - that's the only thing that may work in its favor.

-Kurt

RiddleOfSteel

From 6-speeds to 10-speeds, all Shimano road groups (aside from 7400 Dura-Ace) had RDs that ran a 1.7:1 pull ratio. All MTB groups through 9-speed did as well. 10-speed "Shadow" type MTB RDs were a different pull ratio. But for 1.7:1 RDs, you have several decades and tons of models to choose from. There are many long cage Shimano road RDs as we know, but yeah, if you want to throw down on a 36T big cog, something like a 9-speed era Deore XT (M772) long cage RD works perfectly (I ran it with 7900 shifters).

Recessed nut side-pull caliper brake frames with fender eyelets are also everywhere, at least in my eyes. Most things "sport touring" had them, especially by the mid-'80s. Schwinn Le Tour? A bunch of race-geo Schwinns of the late '80s like the Premis, Prelude, etc. If you're ok with nice-riding aluminum, '80s' Cannondale STs--not the canti-equipped ones, of course--all sported fender eyelets and recessed nut brake mounting (standard reach). Mid- to upper-level Treks in the '80s all day.

Finding the right style--paint, color, condition, geometry will be something, but the basic requirements are out there. And if brake mounting type fails, then just carefully drill out the rear of the fork, use the rear caliper as the front (with a long recessed nut), and the front caliper as the rear, which will be long enough to use it as an older 'nutted' type--as @squirtdad said. I do it on my '74 P15 Paramount. Works a treat.

I've been considering a similar conversion of my Paramount to an upright setup. Nitto B602s from my research years later. I put them on my brother's bike a couple of years ago and I love the upright ride. Knees and body overall were also big fans.

So I'm also a bit right there with you as to setting up shifting. I don't want to use friction thumb-shifters, like how I set up my brother's bike. Too fidgety. Index only for me, but not a downtube-to-on-bar shifter conversion piece (they are made and out there). So it's either bar-ends (too "long" a handlebar, so, out) or trigger shifters, which I am quite happy to use. No Grip(e) Shifters need apply either.

canklecat

I put Nitto albatross swept bars on my Univega (wider flare than North Road bars) along with and Shimano 8-speed bar-end shifters. Works great. Going on two years with that setup. Only change I might make is to switch from the original 7-speed rear derailleur to 8-speed. The 8-speed shifters can cover the full cassette in friction mode but won't hold the largest 32T cog reliably in index mode.

I have most of a 10-speed Dura Ace setup, including bar-end shifters, if I felt a peculiar urge to convert a carbon fiber road frame to a plastic fantastic path racer with flipped North Road bars. Although I'm leaning more toward bullhorns for the bar end shifters. Dunno, depends on how weird I feel when I finally assemble those pieces.

cudak888 

I had initially forgotten about the backwards compatibility of the RD. Opens up quite a bit more options. Heck, I can even do a 7-speed Uniglide-to-Hyperglide hub conversion to run with this if I so choose. Lots of options.

I'm not a fan of drilling out forks, but if you find a 60-63cm Cannondale ST with the cantis, let me know - a friend is looking for one.

I'm thinking something out of the ordinary, really. This group isn't perfect, nor will my build be, but it's not C&V either. One of Doug Fattic's older frames is on eBay at the moment, and though too overpriced (and a bit small for a North Road build), it fits the bill - cosmetically - for what I'm looking for. Black with English-inspired red frame panels. Perfect for a pair of red Bluemels Club Specials. Unfortunately, no eyelets (and I know they can be adapted, but I'm not keen on it).

Honestly, I may have to reconsider the brakes though. The DA's don't leave much room for fenders, even Bluemels Club Specials. But if I'm going to dump the 7900 brake calipers and brifters, I just might as well trade the whole thing off and go for something more along my usual lines.

Incidentally, my Bottecchia ("Leo") currently has some slightly longer, no-name brand bars similar to the Nitto B602 on it. Saddle is set much higher than it will be fitted in the pictures, so please take no notice of the disregard for French fit.

Leo is an IGH build though, so my shifter woes are limited to finding a Shimano ST-7S60 (there's one on eBay right now for a ridiculous price, unfortunately). Seeing as I'm after some 650B fenders for this, I think I'd rather save my money. Seems to be an impossible mission.



North Road bends are my preference, but I do prefer having a 35-40 degree flare on the bars. Sometimes a bit difficult to get them narrow though - I don't like going over 520mm. Makes it difficult to find bars with enough room for modern junk.

-Kurt

bwilli88 

My Fuji is running 2x10 with the rear shifted with a Shimano SL-R770 trigger shifter and it is the smoothest shifting bike I have. I have 1 set of shifters at my house in the States and 3 sets of brake levers and shifters on the way from the Netherlands. My back, ribs, and neck cannot do drop bars anymore. I will be changing most of my bikes to an upright position and for any with drop bars a high french fit.

squirtdad

1) I like leo

2) I have put fenders/racks on 2 bikes without eyelets using the triangle opening in the dropout
first one was on a miyata 1400, I used a commercial product that was 2 aluminum disk, with a concave machined in (think inside out bb) and a threaded center, just used the bolt to a attach the fender to attach
second one i did on a torpado with washers and rubber cones from the plumbing depart at ace

both are like this bad graphic, don;t know if this will help and does nothing for brake clearance but fun stuff anyway




i did see these
https://mybikeshop.com/products/port...BoCMoQQAvD_BwE