At 7:10 PM -0500 11/26/06, philip bailey wrote:
>If the 6 speed was 30mm (Ultra 6 height), I could put a Shimano rear
>derailer and friction shifters integtrated with Kelly Take Offs (for
>example),
>and leave my frame unmolested at 120mm. The Shimano 7 sp (same exact
>gear/space mm's as Ultra 6) sti would index, but I would just like down tube
>or end tube shifter levers for simplicity and better chances of survival.
>There will always will be downtube friction shifters in the future.
For the current issue of Bicycle Quarterly, we tested an IRD 6-speed 13-24 freewheel. We replaced a Shimano Dura-Ace 6-speed 13-22 (standard spacing) freewheel on the test wheelset, and the new cogs did not require any adjusting of the derailleurs on the two bikes where those wheels are used.
The shifting is fine both with the Huret Jubilee rear derailleur on one bike and the Simplex SLJ on the other bike. I expect that any derailleur would work with these freewheels in friction mode, although modern early-shifting derailleurs in general appear to be less than happy with friction shifting. However, there are ample supplies of older-style derailleurs that should last for decades, if not centuries.
Considering the cog spacing being identical with Shimano's 6-speed, I suspect that Shimano 6-speed components will index with this freewheel. However, I have not tried this.
For BQ subscribers, the current issue was mailed last week. Expect our copy within 2-3 weeks. The web site has been updated, including the table of contents, the image archive with color photos of the bikes presented, as well as the "Bike tests" page with a list of the products and bikes tested. Check it out at
http://www.bikequarterly.com
--
Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
140 Lakeside Ave #C
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.bikequarterly.com