Replace Shimano Alivio shifters with Altus EF60 or Acera EF50?
~Von
I am working on a friend's set of kids mtn bikes that came with 7 spd
Shimano Alivio shifters that are integrated with the brake levers. The
shifters are broken on both bikes and I am contemplating replacing
them with the 7 spd versions of either the Shimano Altus EF60 or Acera
EF50. The front and rear Alivio deraileurs are fine on both bikes. My
question is, would there be any issues replacing the Alivio shifters
with either of these models?
Also, can anyone tell me if the EF60 or EF50 have the screw that
reduces the reach on the brake leaver? The hands that will be using
these brakes are on the small side and the Alivio brakes do have this
feature. I can't seem to find specs on the EF50/60 as these don't
appear to be in production any longer.
THx
AMuzi
EF50 does not have reach adjust
--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
landotter
The EF50 8spd ones I got in front of me have reach adjust. It's just
not really obvious. Screw's to the left of the thumb paddle.
Antitroll
"landotter" <land...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:45c926e3-0435-4865...@e20g2000vbc.googlegroups.com...
Yep, EF50 does definitely have reach adjust in both 7sp and 8sp.
See http://tinyurl.com/5db95y for exploded diagram, component number 8 on left
hand drawing.
EF60 got the screw too in a similar position.
Jenson USA have both Alivio 7sp and EF50 in stock,so you could stick with Alivio
unless you'dlike a change. I have bikes with both shifters and they're very
similar in quality and functioning which is to say perfectly okay though not
necessarily kid proof. Only kid proof bike is a cast iron singlespeed. I kinda
like the looks of EF50 a little more though.
PH
Hank Wirtz
The big question: do these bikes have V-brakes or cantilevers? My
brother's Scott with Alivio 7-speed had cantis, but it's possible Vees
may have been around contemporaneously.
Those new models are only for Vees, so you may need to install new
brakes at the same time.
jobst....@stanfordalumni.org
>> I am working on a friend's set of kids Mtn bikes that came with 7
>> SPD Shimano Alivio shifters that are integrated with the brake
>> levers. The shifters are broken on both bikes and I am
>> contemplating replacing them with the 7 SPD versions of either the
>> Shimano Altus EF60 or Acera EF50. The front and rear Alivio
>> derailleurs are fine on both bikes. My question is, would there be
>> any issues replacing the Alivio shifters with either of these
>> models?
>> Also, can anyone tell me if the EF60 or EF50 have the screw that
>> reduces the reach on the brake leaver? The hands that will be
>> using these brakes are on the small side and the Alivio brakes do
>> have this feature. I can't seem to find specs on the EF50/60 as
>> these don't appear to be in production any longer.
> The big question: do these bikes have V-brakes or cantilevers? My
> brother's Scott with Alivio 7-speed had cantis, but it's possible
> Vees may have been around contemporaneously.
> Those new models are only for Vees, so you may need to install new
> brakes at the same time.
A bigger question is, how much brake pad clearance is there with
shorter hand lever travel between application to full release? Pad
clearance became a problem with dual pivot brakes, having a higher
mechanical advantage than prior brakes. On rear wheels with closely
spaced flanges on their hubs, brake drag (lateral wheel flex) became a
problem, and Campagnolo returned to single pivot, 1:1 calipers, for
rear brakes.
Jobst Brandt
AMuzi
I didn't see them in the usual position, thanks
landotter
Easy to miss. I saw them when I was cleaning up the citi bike one day
and wondered what they were. I even screwed one down to see if it
reduced the lever clearance as the placement was so odd.
At any rate, those shifters are craptastically functional low-end
Shimano. Shifting you would have died for on a high end bike in '85.
Except for the lack of front end trim of course.
Chalo
>
> I am working on a friend's set of kids mtn bikes that came with 7 spd
> Shimano Alivio shifters that are integrated with the brake levers. The
> shifters are broken on both bikes and I am contemplating replacing
> them with the 7 spd versions of either the Shimano Altus EF60 or Acera
> EF50. The front and rear Alivio deraileurs are fine on both bikes.
Derailleurs and shifters, especially cheap derailleurs and shifters,
are best reserved for those who maintain their own bikes (or pay their
own money for others to do so).
Faced with the situation you describe and kids of less than high
school age, I'd strongly consider a single freewheel of whatever size
yields a roughly 55" gear. Detach shifter pods, remove shift cables
and derailleurs, adjust brakes, breathe sigh of relief.
Most kids don't shift appropriately for conditions even when they have
working equipment (which isn't often).
Chalo
Hank Wirtz
Um, yeah. I don't know how that figures into a discussion of cantis
vs, Vees on kids' mountain bikes. If you were using Vees with canti-
compatible levers, and kept the pads close enough, that might work.
But going the opposite way provides insufficient stopping power, and
kids' bikes rarely have true enough wheels to get away with that
anyway.
Road sidepulls, single or dual pivot, don't really apply to the OP's
situation.
Tom_Sherman
could figure out the "1 to 10" shift pattern.
Fortunately, I had a spreadsheet by the time I got a bicycle with a
triple-crank and a Sachs 3x7 hub.
--
Tom Sherman - 42.435731,-83.985007
LOCAL CACTUS EATS CYCLIST - datakoll
Chalo
>
> Chalo Colina wrote:
> >
> > Most kids don't shift appropriately for conditions even when they have
> > working equipment (which isn't often).
>
> When I got my first ten-speed, I calculated the the gear ratios so I
> could figure out the "1 to 10" shift pattern.
>
> Fortunately, I had a spreadsheet by the time I got a bicycle with a
> triple-crank and a Sachs 3x7 hub.
And by the time you were a young adult, you had forsaken ten-speed
bicycles for something far more perverse.
Not everyone needs or even benefits from multiple gear ratios. On
several occasions when I was a bike shop mechanic, I had a customer
request "just put it in a good gear for me." Those folks would have
been happier and better off with just one well-chosen gear. I suspect
that many of them had developed an aversion to shifting from their
experiences with cheap and crappy derailleur systems fitted to bikes
that were better off without them.
Chalo
Tom_Sherman
On the other hand, a recumbent needs both higher and lower gears than an
upright - particularly a heavy one with a full fairing.
Chalo
>
> Chalo Colina wrote:
> >
> > Not everyone needs or even benefits from multiple gear ratios. On
> > several occasions when I was a bike shop mechanic, I had a customer
> > request "just put it in a good gear for me." Those folks would have
> > been happier and better off with just one well-chosen gear. I suspect
> > that many of them had developed an aversion to shifting from their
> > experiences with cheap and crappy derailleur systems fitted to bikes
> > that were better off without them.
>
> upright - particularly a heavy one with a full fairing.
You know-- I think recumbent layout, full fairings, fixed gearing, and
locking track pedals exist for the purpose of being combined in the
same machine.
Chalo
~Von
> On May 17, 12:02 pm, "~Von" <reidrik....@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> The big question: do these bikes have V-brakes or cantilevers? My
> may have been around contemporaneously.
>
> Those new models are only for Vees, so you may need to install new
> brakes at the same time.
Hello,
The brakes on on the bike are V-brakes and the front an rear
derailleurs are the type that are spring loaded such that the spring
pulls the derailleur to the smallest cassette cog/chainring when the
cables are not attached. Will the 7-speed EF50 or 60 work with the the
v-brakes and 7-speed Alivio bottom pull derailleurs?
THx
Hank Wirtz
Yes. Be sure that the levers say "V-Brakes" on the lever body, like
the ones pictured here:
http://images.jensonusa.com/large/sl/sl307b13_____8.jpg
They make multiple versions of the EF50, for both Vees and cantis. The
Canti-compatible ones don't say anything and have longer brake levers,
like so:
http://images.jensonusa.com/large/sl/sl308b13blk__7.jpg
If you're looking to order online, here's what you want:
http://tinyurl.com/ef50V7
Good luck!
~Von
Thank you for this Hank. Another question, are there twist shifters
that support bottom pull derailleurs? After a discussion with Niagara
Cycles I was told that Shimano SL-RS41 SIS 7 spd twist shifters would
work with my Alivio bottom pull derailleurs and they don't as these
need derailleurs that pull from the opposite direction as mine. Does
the SRAM twist shifter support bottom pull front an rear derailleurs?
Jensen has this product:
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/SL308A00-Sram+Mrx+Comp+Shifter.aspx
However the specs don't mention whether top or bottom pull derailleurs
are needed. I'd love to go with a twist shift product if I can use the
existing derailleurs. I already have a set of standalone tekra levers
from my Niagara order.
THx again!
~Von
Hank Wirtz
> On Jun 20, 9:54 am, Hank Wirtz <h...@wirtznet.net> wrote:
>
> > On Jun 20, 12:09 am, "~Von" <reidrik....@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Yes. Be sure that the levers say "V-Brakes" on the lever body, like
> > the ones pictured here:http://images.jensonusa.com/large/sl/sl307b13_____8.jpg
>
> > They make multiple versions of the EF50, for both Vees and cantis. The
> > Canti-compatible ones don't say anything and have longer brake levers,
> > like so:http://images.jensonusa.com/large/sl/sl308b13blk__7.jpg
>
> > If you're looking to order online, here's what you want:http://tinyurl.com/ef50V7
>
> > Good luck!
>
> Thank you for this Hank. Another question, are there twist shifters
> that support bottom pull derailleurs? After a discussion with Niagara
> Cycles I was told that Shimano SL-RS41 SIS 7 spd twist shifters would
> work with my Alivio bottom pull derailleurs and they don't as these
> need derailleurs that pull from the opposite direction as mine. Does
> the SRAM twist shifter support bottom pull front an rear derailleurs?
> However the specs don't mention whether top or bottom pull derailleurs
> are needed. I'd love to go with a twist shift product if I can use the
> existing derailleurs. I already have a set of standalone tekra levers
> from my Niagara order.
>
> THx again!
>
> ~Von
Let's clear up some terminology..."bottom pull" usually refers to
front derailleurs that have the cable routed below the bottom
bracket.
I think when you use that term, you may be referring to a "top normal"
rear derailleur, which is the modern standard. Recently, Shimano
experimented with "Rapid-Rise" or "low normal" RDs that sprung out to
the big cogs, and cable pulled them back to the small. They paired it
with their "Dual Control" levers that combined brake and shifter onto
a single lever blade. Dual Control was mostly a failed experiment, and
when they discontinued the levers, they dropped Rapid-Rise as well,
even the two were not dependent on each other. They have kept Rapid-
Rise for some of their RDs for department store bikes, which often
have twist shifters.
But the shifters are agnostic as to that direction of cable pull. The
only difference is the direction you use the shifter in. If the twist
grip is labeled low or high, just reverse that in your head. If you
want to use the twisters, go for it. If they're Shimano & 7-speed,
you're fine.