old Suntour 6sp stem shifters...

I have a girlfriend who rides an old raleigh road bike with a triple
on the front and a Shimano 6sp freewheel on the rear, operated by stem
shifters in friction mode..She'd very much like index shifting but
does not have the spare funds to upgrade to a newer bike [and she's
quite happy with this bike], so I suggested she might be able to
'index' what she already has.

Am I right in saying that these Suntour 6sp stem shifters

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tegory=36 140

may not be compatible with a standard Shimano rear derailleur? [I've
forgotten actually what kind of Shimano rear mech it is, but it's
definitely Shimano].

Am I also right in saying that these Suntour shifters pull slightly
less cable than similar Shimano stem ****ers and this is what might
cause a problem were she to fit these shifters to her existing system?

Am I also right in saying that these shifters might even work with a
shimano 7sp freewheel, as the spacings between the cogs is less than a
normal 6sp freewheel?

I've advised her, now I have to make it work :-)

Thanks
GarryB

Garry Broad wrote:

I have a girlfriend who rides an old raleigh road bike with a triple
on the front and a Shimano 6sp freewheel on the rear, operated by stem
shifters in friction mode..She'd very much like index shifting but
does not have the spare funds to upgrade to a newer bike [and she's
quite happy with this bike], so I suggested she might be able to
'index' what she already has.

Am I right in saying that these Suntour 6sp stem shifters

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tegory=36 140

may not be compatible with a standard Shimano rear derailleur?

That is correct, for 6 speed use.

Am I also right in saying that these Suntour shifters pull slightly
less cable than similar Shimano stem ****ers and this is what might
cause a problem were she to fit these shifters to her existing system?

Bingo.

Am I also right in saying that these shifters might even work with a
shimano 7sp freewheel, as the spacings between the cogs is less than a
normal 6sp freewheel?

That's right, it should work with a 7-speed. I've done this with
SunTour thumb shifters and also with down tubers.

However, I highly advise against stem-mounted shfiters, I don't consider
the safe...it's like having a dull knife aimed at your groin, and can be
very nasty in the case of a crash. Bar end shifters would be a much
better option.

Sheldon "Suntour 6=Shimano 7" Brown
+-----------------------------------------------+
| A government that robs Peter to pay Paul |
| can always depend upon the support of Paul. |
| --George Bernard Shaw |
+-----------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

I've advised her, now I have to make it work :-)

Might be eiseer to put some indexed DT levers on her stem mount but without one
in my hand I couldn't tell you if the DT and stem mounts are the same. My
feeling is that they are.
Phil Brown

I have a girlfriend who rides an old raleigh road bike with a triple
on the front and a Shimano 6sp freewheel on the rear, operated by stem
shifters in friction mode..She'd very much like index shifting but
does not have the spare funds to upgrade to a newer bike [and she's
quite happy with this bike], so I suggested she might be able to
'index' what she already has.

Am I right in saying that these Suntour 6sp stem shifters

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tegory=36 140

may not be compatible with a standard Shimano rear derailleur?

That is correct, for 6 speed use.

Am I also right in saying that these Suntour shifters pull slightly
less cable than similar Shimano stem ****ers and this is what might
cause a problem were she to fit these shifters to her existing system?

Bingo.

Am I also right in saying that these shifters might even work with a
shimano 7sp freewheel, as the spacings between the cogs is less than a
normal 6sp freewheel?

That's right, it should work with a 7-speed. I've done this with
SunTour thumb shifters and also with down tubers.

ok, thanks, confirmation of what I'd already kind of known, but wasn't
quite

However, I highly advise against stem-mounted shfiters, I don't consider
the safe...it's like having a dull knife aimed at your groin, and can be
very nasty in the case of a crash. Bar end shifters would be a much
better option.

Not that I'm a fan of stem shifters, but operating at the 'low end of
things' I've used these quite a bit, and never, ever considered the
potential danger you allude into here. Thankfully [touching wood],
I've never come close to an accident you describe, but I get the
message!!!

GarryB

Sheldon Brown-do the suntour downtube shifters work with 8-speed
clusters?
I have two: 1)an '87? operates smoothly withut indents, ad
2) a larger shiftr with indents from a 'woman's' double top tube
frame.
if i get an 8 speed cluster(the 2x8-14/32)will the mech finagle an 8
speed fix for it???
or do the shimano downtube shifters work with 8 speed clusters??

Sheldon Brown-do the suntour downtube shifters work with 8-speed
clusters?
I have two: 1)an '87? operates smoothly withut indents, ad
2) a larger shiftr with indents from a 'woman's' double top tube
frame.
if i get an 8 speed cluster(the 2x8-14/32)will the mech finagle an 8
speed fix for it???
or do the shimano downtube shifters work with 8 speed clusters??

g.daniels wrote more lucidly than usual:

Sheldon Brown-do the suntour downtube shifters work with 8-speed
clusters?

Friction, yes; indexed, no.

I have two: 1)an '87? operates smoothly withut indents, ad
2) a larger shiftr with indents from a 'woman's' double top tube
frame.
if i get an 8 speed cluster(the 2x8-14/32)will the mech finagle an 8
speed fix for it???
or do the shimano downtube shifters work with 8 speed clusters??

8-speed Shimano downtube shifters do, also some 7-speeds.

Sheldon "One Or Nine" Brown
+----------------------------------------------------------+
| Persecution is not an original feature in any religion; |
| but it is always the strongly marked feature of all |
| religions established by law. |
| Take away the law-establishment, and every religion |
| re-assumes its original benignity. |
| Thomas Paine -- The Rights of Man, 1791 |
+----------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com