5/6 Speed Cassette and Uniglide Hyperglide Queries

ukgoalie32

Dirt Disciple
Evening all,

I'm currently running a 7 speed cassette on a Shimano freehub and I'm looking to move down to a 6 or preferably, a 5 speed cassette in order to spread the distance between each sprocket and therefore give easier shifting on my non index set up.

Having gone down to the local bike shop today I found that 5 and 6 speed cassettes are generally only available as freewheel rather than as cassette's.

So, my first question is: Does anyone know of a 5 speed cassette available anywhere?

Having had a look on ebay, I've managed to find a 6 speed Shimano cassette, which although not a 5 speed, would likely improve things. It is however a uniglide cassette, which made me have a look on sheldon brown's website for more info. Having had a look at my current set up I can see that my hub is a hyperglide, but I am not able to tell whether it is the early hyperglide stlye, with the outer threads, or the later type which I do not think a uniglide cassette would fit on to.
So, my second question is: Does anyone know how to tell this, without taking the cassette off?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Ben
 
Why do you think you'll get better or easier shifting with a 5 or 6 speed? As far as I know, the sprockets are more or less the same distance apart as with 7 and 8 speed, it's just that there are fewer of them and the overall cassette or freewheel width is narrower. chain size is the same from 5 to 8 speed at 3/32" width.

The easiest way to determine the freehub type is just to take the cassette off and have a look.
 
Foz,

Thanks very much for the quick reply. My main problem lies with the small distance between sprockets. I (possibly wrongly) assumed that the sprocket width would be the same as my 7 speed and therefore the distance between sprockets would be increased with a 5 or 6 speed cassette.

I wanted to take it off, but I don't have a chain whip, so I was hoping to find a way of telling without having to do this....

Ben
 
do you know what model the hub is? that might make it possible to make an estimated guess as to the freehub body type.

I really don't think you'll find any difference with a 6 speed cassette though, and even if you do find one that fits, you'll probably need a spacer.

why are you having problems friction shifting on the 7 speed? does the chain skip over the teeth, jump around, etc.? it could either be a problem with worn parts, or lack of practice! there's not a lot else to go wrong with friction shifting!
 
I agree, going down from 7spd wont help. i went from 6 to 7 and they feel the same distance apart. try tightening the shifters, or if its slipping between gears it might need new chain or shifter cables
 
I am sure that 5 6 and 7 speed sporcket spacing is the samish. 5/6 speed is 5.3mm and 7 speed shimano is 5.0mm. I shift 8 speed (1056 mechs e.t.c) on friction with no issues. I do have to trim a bit but I would hardly call this an issue. I have found though that friction shifting my campag 6 speed set up to more difficult. I think this is more the cable pull on the campag mech/shifters. So you could solve your problem by trying a different mech/shifter combination.

The other thing you could try is alternate cable clamp posistions to increase the angle you have to turn shiufter to get 1mm of lateral movement of the mech. I would try trhis rather than changing the cassette.
 
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