noyb72

The last time I logged in here was 2013. I took a pretty significant spill, along with an ambulance ride and a trip through a CAT scanning machine and that put me off riding for a bit. In as much an attempt to overcome the effects of that excitement as anything, I have decided to get back in the saddle, literally. There is another benefit, I have moved from the Olympic Peninsula to Philadelphia for work, and driving here is just not something I'm not interested in doing when 11 miles can take an hour; I'd rather be riding.

I have found an early 80s, Japan made, Shogun Prairie Breaker 2 that fits me well and is in very lightly used shape. I have spent a few nights at the local co-op and the BB races look like they just came off the shelf. I attempted to reassemble the rear derailleur after a deep cleaning, and thought I had killed it. A used derailleur from the co-op was 10 bucks and I was back on the road. I am planning on going 1x6 (I do EVERYTHING wrong on a bike, like not shift and change cadence and "mash".) Once I figured out what I did wrong with the RD-AL11 I realized that there is quite the market for this old set and I can easily recoup what I paid for the bike by flipping both derailleurs and shifters.

All that is to ask, what is a good flat bar shifter to work with a Shimano STX IG compatible rear derailleur?
Thanks

jdawginsc 

Indexed or friction? STX is either 7 or 8 speed capable indexed...so you COULD do 7 speeds with the hub you have (I think).

If married to 6 speeds, any of the micro-ratchet shimano thumb shifters would be good.

noyb72

I'm kind of ambivalent to friction or indexed. It seems "proper" to run the matching shifter if I could find it. Can a 7 speed have a smaller cog? Right now I have 14-30 on the factory 46(?) chainring. I would love to add an 11 out back.

Thanks

Bianchigirll 

Sounds like quite an adventure, glad to hear getting back in the saddle.

any well functioning shimano thumb shifter will work, use the friction option. Really any thumbs shifter will work but with the shimano you’re kinda getting a Retrofriction type shifter.

pics?

John E

I use older SunTour thumbies in friction mode on my mountain bike, and SunTour barcons in friction mode on the Peugeot and the Carlton.

noyb72

I'll take better ones in the sunlight tomorrow. The co-op didn't have short crankset bolts, I'm thinking a bash guard will be the easiest remedy.

KCT1986

If the rear wheel is original, it will probably be a freewheel type hub, not the more modern freehub type.

With the freewheel type, you are generally limited to a 12T outer sprocket. The standard construction of freewheels restricts the smallest sprocket possible.

With 6 speed 13T is common, but there are some that were available with 12T. 12T is a little more available with 7 speed freewheels.

Whether you can go to 7 speed will depend on the frame's rear spacing. 126mm between the dropouts would allow a narrow spaced freewheel. During the 80' frames used dropouts at 126mm or 130, and later 135.

noyb72

12 is close enough to 11, so a seven speed free wheel is probably in my near future. The Giant I rode in Hawaii had a free hub and I was able to do 48-11 on a 700c wheel. I could turn about 15 cranks a minute and still get to work. I still haven't decided how much money I will put into this thing, I have no problem putting lipstick on a pig, but the seven speed freewheel and matching shifter seem like good ideas.

There are a bunch of people that go gaga over this bike. I am not familiar with Shogun. When it came on the market I did a little digging, this is a lugged frame made in Japan with Tange seamless Cro-Mo MTB tubes, anytime I go to the co-op someone new points that out to me even though it says so on a sticker.

noyb72

This one looks about right
https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-HG41-...EaAt1yEALw_wcB

KCT1986

That is a cassette. You need to check if your hub has a freewheel or freehub.

Do a quick look at the Sheldon Brown links that are a 'sticky' in the Mechanics sub-forum.

zukahn1 

For a cheap easy fix just take one of the bolts over to your local hardware store and find a half dozen washers the right size should be either 10 or 11mm's. about $2. Hard to believe the bike coop didn't have tone of washers new or used when I worked at coop we brought this size washer in bulk a couple hundred at time.

noyb72

They have a bucket of washers, I ran out of time to go through them and this was the quickest way to be on the road before they ran me out.
Missed that that was a cassette. I definitely have a free wheel.
Thanks