Friction shift lever recommendations for 8-speed, 32 max cog
04-30-23, 04:57 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 17,159
Mentioned: 481 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3811 Post(s)
Liked 6,713 Times
in
2,613 Posts
Friction shift lever recommendations for 8-speed, 32 max cog
So I’m working on a project for which I’m looking to run friction downtube shifters (not bar ends) in an 8-speed drivetrain with a 32t large rear cog. RD is a SunTour VG-T. Currently, I have some sort of SunTour levers installed, but they don’t quite pull enough cable to get that lowest gear. Oh, the frame has braze-on shifter mounts if that makes a diff. TIA!
04-30-23, 06:00 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 12,906
Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4806 Post(s)
Liked 3,932 Times
in
2,557 Posts
Does that VG-T rd even have enough throw to get to the 32t sifting on the stand and pushing the cage in with your hand? I'm guessing most SunTour couldn't until the mid-80s and 8-speed. (Probably Cyclone Mk2 and later.)
If this RD doesn't reach, get a newer one that does before you do anything with levers. Then try it with what you've got. (Too much lever travel? Measure the diameter of the of the lever base inside the cable groove. A lever with a bigger diameter there will have proportionately less travel to get the same cable pull.)
If this RD doesn't reach, get a newer one that does before you do anything with levers. Then try it with what you've got. (Too much lever travel? Measure the diameter of the of the lever base inside the cable groove. A lever with a bigger diameter there will have proportionately less travel to get the same cable pull.)
04-30-23, 06:13 PM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 17,159
Mentioned: 481 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3811 Post(s)
Liked 6,713 Times
in
2,613 Posts
Good question! I have the b-screw all the way in and the stop screw all the way out, so what I was assuming was a lever problem might be a derailleur travel problem! I do have more contemporary alternatives (e.g., Shimano XT and the like) but was trying for a more vintage-y vibe with this one. Hmm, I also have a set of SunTour XC-Pro front and rear derailleurs that I've been hoarding for ages; might have to try those.
04-30-23, 06:26 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Southern California
Posts: 1,467
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 800 Post(s)
Liked 753 Times
in
410 Posts
nlerner
I know the vx-gt has problems getting beyond 7, I've tried it and it won't comply. Last time I wrote that someone else commented that the markII cyclone GT can do 9speed no problem.
I know the vx-gt has problems getting beyond 7, I've tried it and it won't comply. Last time I wrote that someone else commented that the markII cyclone GT can do 9speed no problem.
Likes For Piff:
04-30-23, 07:28 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Medford MA
Posts: 2,089
Bikes: Ron Cooper touring, 1959 Jack Taylor 650b ladyback touring tandem, Vitus 979, Joe Bell painted Claud Butler Dalesman, Colin Laing curved tube tandem, heavily-Dilberted 1982 Trek 6xx, René Herse tandem
Mentioned: 80 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 964 Post(s)
Liked 1,451 Times
in
723 Posts
nlerner
I know the vx-gt has problems getting beyond 7, I've tried it and it won't comply. Last time I wrote that someone else commented that the markII cyclone GT can do 9speed no problem.
I know the vx-gt has problems getting beyond 7, I've tried it and it won't comply. Last time I wrote that someone else commented that the markII cyclone GT can do 9speed no problem.
__________________
Owner & co-founder, Cycles René Hubris. Unfortunately attaching questionable braze-ons to perfectly good frames since about 2015. With style.
Owner & co-founder, Cycles René Hubris. Unfortunately attaching questionable braze-ons to perfectly good frames since about 2015. With style.
Likes For scarlson:
04-30-23, 07:51 PM
#6
aka: Dr. Cannondale
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 7,735
Mentioned: 234 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2155 Post(s)
Liked 3,406 Times
in
1,206 Posts
Always the correct answer: Shimano 6207. Easily shifts across an 8-9-10 speed cassette all day long, at least when paired with a Deore RD.
__________________
Hard at work in the Secret Underground Laboratory...
Hard at work in the Secret Underground Laboratory...
04-30-23, 08:12 PM
#7
Disraeli Gears
Would the ShelBroCo "8 of 9 on 7" dodge help in this instance? -- i.e., less lateral movement required? (Apologies to the prof for dubious grammar)
Last edited by Charles Wahl; 04-30-23 at 08:18 PM.
Likes For Charles Wahl:
04-30-23, 08:17 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,683
Bikes: '38 Schwinn New World, ’69 Peugeot PX-10, '72 Peugeot PX-10, ‘7? Valgan, '78 Raleigh Comp GS, ’79 Holdsworth Pro, ’80 Peugeot TH-8 tandem, '87 Trek 400T, ‘7? Raleigh Sports, ‘7? Raleigh Superbe, ‘6? Hercules
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 761 Post(s)
Liked 1,563 Times
in
757 Posts
What’s the clearance like at the DO/stays on the small cog? My bikes are all freewheels, so maybe/probably a no go with a freehub, but can you put a spacer behind the big cog to move everything out a little bit?
I’ve got a v-gt luxe handling 7sp with a bit of range to spare..
I’ve got a v-gt luxe handling 7sp with a bit of range to spare..
04-30-23, 08:20 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,683
Bikes: '38 Schwinn New World, ’69 Peugeot PX-10, '72 Peugeot PX-10, ‘7? Valgan, '78 Raleigh Comp GS, ’79 Holdsworth Pro, ’80 Peugeot TH-8 tandem, '87 Trek 400T, ‘7? Raleigh Sports, ‘7? Raleigh Superbe, ‘6? Hercules
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 761 Post(s)
Liked 1,563 Times
in
757 Posts
Or…. A bit of housing liner over the cable up at the shifter to effectively increase the barrel diameter a little, giving it a touch more pull?
Likes For ehcoplex:
05-01-23, 12:16 AM
#10
ambulatory senior
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Peoria Il
Posts: 5,998
Bikes: Austro Daimler modified by Gugie! Raleigh Professional and lots of other bikes.
Mentioned: 76 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1955 Post(s)
Liked 3,661 Times
in
1,679 Posts
That would solve the pull I bet but as much as I love old suntour derailleurs, when I use them with cassettes life is always easier if I stop at 7 speeds.
05-01-23, 12:53 AM
#11
Wheelman
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: Putney, London UK
Posts: 845
Bikes: 1982 Holdsworth Avanti (531), 1961 Holdsworth Cyclone
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 298 Post(s)
Liked 676 Times
in
341 Posts
That was probably me. I've got a Cyclone M2 regular on my Vitus and my friend has a Cyclone M2 GT and we are both on 9 speed. It is a little iffy for my Vitus because of the thick dropout/hanger. I had to file it a little to get it to hit the biggest cog. But it does it.
Had to file down the stop slightly, but it's easy to reach on the Cyclone.
Could probably do it on the VX-GT if you could reach the stop, but I couldn't see how (VX-GT was original on my Avanti).
Edit: Suntour Power Shifter on the down tube.
