7 speed rear wheels/wheelsets

[xcalibur]

I'm not sure about the 6 speed cassette, but I was given an old racer / commuting bike with a 5 gear cassette. It was hardly used and the owner gave me a replacement cassette with the bike. It has lasted a very long time and wears much better than the usualy 7-8-9 speed cassettes we get these days. It isn't rustfree, us heavier, with much thicker sprockets, probably harder steel too. My point is there might even be an advantage to the 6 speed cassette, even if it isn't as light weight or has as many gears as the new ones. It a while to become used to the gear shifter with out indexed gearing though ;-)

[nfmisso]

(08-31-2013, 12:51 AM)hawaiibike Wrote:  Just a real quick update, I found a pair of wheels on ebay, vintage araya rims newly laced to some suntour sprint hubs that also came with a 6 speed suntour freeweel (all NOS items). This wheelset was half the price of my previous boutique wheel option. Yay for being patient and waiting!

Nice

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(08-31-2013, 05:34 AM)xcalibur Wrote:  I'm not sure about the 6 speed cassette, but I was given an old racer / commuting bike with a 5 gear cassette. It was hardly used and the owner gave me a replacement cassette with the bike. It has lasted a very long time and wears much better than the usualy 7-8-9 speed cassettes we get these days. It isn't rustfree, us heavier, with much thicker sprockets, probably harder steel too. My point is there might even be an advantage to the 6 speed cassette, even if it isn't as light weight or has as many gears as the new ones. It a while to become used to the gear shifter with out indexed gearing though ;-)

5 speed is a freewheel, not a cassette. 6 speed is most likely a freewheel. 7 speeds go either way.

[hawaiibike]

(08-31-2013, 05:34 AM)xcalibur Wrote:  I'm not sure about the 6 speed cassette, but I was given an old racer / commuting bike with a 5 gear cassette. It was hardly used and the owner gave me a replacement cassette with the bike. It has lasted a very long time and wears much better than the usualy 7-8-9 speed cassettes we get these days. It isn't rustfree, us heavier, with much thicker sprockets, probably harder steel too. My point is there might even be an advantage to the 6 speed cassette, even if it isn't as light weight or has as many gears as the new ones. It a while to become used to the gear shifter with out indexed gearing though ;-)

I absolutely LOVE the downtube shifting, when riding with a group of friends, most think its absolutely insane the way I reach down and "feel" the shift. Then again...most of the guys are riding track bikes....
Indexed shifting was never my thing, its a great improvement to being efficient, but I don't plan on racing anytime soon. Let the downtube shifters live on!