I got a reply back from Harris again, this time not saying they could specifically make the 13,14,15,17,20,24,28,32..... because of the shop time involved I think. But, he did point me to the Shimano cogs they do sell on their web site http://harriscyclery.net/itemdetails.cfm?ID=800 , and that page also has a link to all the Miche brand cogs that will work for DIY. It seems making a cassette from these choices would be feasible. Shimano is cutting back on it's 8 speed cassettes like they did with 7. Fortunately, the cogs for 8&9 speed are the same, but in a 5 years it may be 9 speeds turn to decline. Aside from making internal hubs, they have nowhere to go with more cogs after 10 or 11, so I suppose they are thinking of ways to re-invent the bicycle gear system !!
These days in particular, with the "green" movement, does not making replaceable cogs and hub bodies that will last forever with only a bearing change(Phil Wood,for example) make sense? Shimano hubs and cassettes are designed to be throwaways, and they need not be. It looks like Sun Tour Freewheels with all the replaceable cogs were "green" well before the concept became trendy. I still use ye old Specialized/Sun Tour cartridge bearing hubs from 1983 that came with the Stumpjumper. They don't have to cost a ton(Like a Phil FSC hub) to be functional and lasting. It occurred to me that the freewheel may outlast cassettes. Sun Tour Freewheels had their quirks sometimes in spacing , but they were rugged as heck. Worldwide the lowly freewheel still rules. If I could get a 7 speed cassette and hub that I could customize I'd be there. With 8 it makes less simple... 9 or 10 speeds..... I can't go there LOL!! I may consider using a 13-28 7 speed on my road bike as with the 32 cog I rarely ever use the granny, so with a 28 cog I may actually use the 26t granny now and then. Pondering that. At least 13-28 FW's are available for now. I do like half stepping though.... maybe not really going trough the progression so much as having that half gear available with the touch of the left lever as you only get with closely spaced chainrings. With 7 speeds I can use all 7 cogs in the 44 chainring, 6 in the 48, 5 in the 26. 18 out of 21 usable gears is pretty good. I got the idea of using the 26-44-48 rings years ago from Robert Beckman, the framebuilder in Oregon. He spec'd it in 8 speeds, using the Shimano XTR 12,14,16,18,21,24,28,32 cassette. I wonder if you can use all 8 gears in the middle 44t ring of a hal-step set-up? Time for more research. -Garth --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
