New bike time?
I went through this drill with a 3X6 1983 Specialized Expedition with downtube friction shifters. It is a great 58 cm touring bike but now is too large for me (I'm 76), so last year I bought a used 54 cm 3x8 Trek 520 (circa 2000), which turned out to be unstable for loaded touring due to steering geometry. I monkeyed around with components on both bikes but never got what I wanted. But I did get experience with a cassette rather than a freewheel, and also found I liked the Trek bar end shifters indexed for the rear derailleur. Both had horizontal top tubes and I started looking for that (and stable steering) in another bike, finding nothing of recent vintage. In desperation, because it was available, I bought a new 54 cm Trek 520 Grando, 2X10, both brakeshifters indexed, slanted top tube, and mechanical disc brakes (I remain a cantilever fan). To my surprise, I found the shifting was superb, perfect for touring. Stable performance whether loaded or not - straight-ahead steering. The bike pretty much tends itself and lets me rubberneck the scenery when I want. The brakeshifters allow me to make much greater use of the gears (my son says brakeshifters are like the controls in a video game), and the mechanical disc brakes do the job without inordinate maintenance overhead (so far, although removing and replacing wheels is more of a chore). The slanted top tube offends me as does the stubby frame that's designed for disc brakes, but I can't fault the results.
Bottom line is, I wish I'd had this bike 10 years ago, rather than trying to adjust an older frame to match current needs. Changing out a cassette is far, far easier than replacing a freewheel, changing stems and other components is easier and you'll have more time to tour and more enjoyment when you do.
Last edited by Anicius; 11-10-22 at 08:49 AM.