Sheldon Browns Fahrrad mit 63 Gängen: Unterschied zwischen den Versionen

After a few modifications, this became my main bike. I installed Sun Tour VGT derailers, Mafac centerpulls (state-of-the art at the time!), a Brooks Swallow saddle, wheels with Campagnolo Record hubs (high-flange rear, low-flange front) Weinmann wood-filled rims, Clément Criterium Seta tubulars, and converted it to a 10-speed, with a TA 51/26 crankset, and a 14/16/18/21/24 freewheel. This gave me a good cruising range on the 51, with the 26 used as a granny. Until I built my own frame, this was my pride and joy.

An unusual feature of this bike was my home-made handlebar end shifters, made by mounting a down-tube shift lever just inside the end of the handlebar, so that it hung down inside the bar. These shifted in the opposite direction of normal barcons, and I rather preferred it that way. I've never been much of a racer, but the one time I raced this bike, in a citizens' race that involved a substantial off-road stretch on a hiking trail with lots of exposed tree roots, I got to pass a lot of people, thanks to the fact that I could shift while they couldn't. It also helped that I was a pretty experienced off-road cyclist, because I was in the habit of riding this bike around local hiking trails, singletrack, etc. The low gear really helped in those conditions, though the silk tubulars were not the ideal tires.