Transmission - which way to go?

My daily duty bike is progressing, I have rebuilt the front end with a new rockshox XC30 and FSA orbit Headset. The Shimano Vbrakes have new shoes and pads and are working great. So it is time to move on to the transmission.

Currently I have Gripshift MRX 7x3 shifters, an 8 (28 tooth) speed cassette and XT front and rear mechs from the late 90s, the rear having a short (2.5") cage.

Neither me or the bike will ever do any serious off roading, easy trails and tarmac is where this bike will live.

Currently I get slow and ghost shifts, probably due to the inner cable. But as the shifters are only 7 speed it forces me to make a choice.

I can`t decide between:
New 8x3 speed gripshift (may as well buy a pair as the difference from buying RH only is so small). New outer cable and ferrules and the whole job done for under £15.

Seek out some retro 8x3 XT/LX Shifters/brifters and new outers and ferrules. NOS XT are to expensive although I have found some NOS LX brifters for £36, so with cable I am at £40.

Both the above can utilise the NOS HG chain and 8 spped cassette I already have, although these can be retained for my other retro bike.

Abandon Shimano and go for a new SRAM 9 speed (I want to retain my XT Hub so 10 speed is not an option) with SRAM thumbies. Here I am lost on cost/performance and what to buy.

Cost isn`t an issue but my willingness to pay is and will only come with sufficient justification to warrant the investment.

Any thoughts or alternative options appreciated.

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I should add I live in a hilly area and have spent a long time recovering from a knee injury, so accurate shifting is essential to prevent me damaging my knee again. The NOS 8 speed cassette I have is 32 tooth which I believe is the maximum my existing XT mech can run. Can you fit a longer cage to an old XT mech to improve shifting or will I be OK if I go down that route?

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Had a great ride down in to town, gears snicked in like a rifle bolt. On the way home it was a different story, I would have done better with a friction shift. Both front and rear mechs let me down when I needed them, under load up hill.

I don't have this problem with my other XT equiped bike. I am seriously tempted to sack off all the drive train other than the crank set and replace with SRAM 9 speed.

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davidj":3b65b889 said:

Had a great ride down in to town, gears snicked in like a rifle bolt. On the way home it was a different story, I would have done better with a friction shift. Both front and rear mechs let me down when I needed them, under load up hill.

I don't have this problem with my other XT equiped bike. I am seriously tempted to sack off all the drive train other than the crank set and replace with SRAM 9 speed.

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It sounds like you've answered your own questions, BTW 10 speed uses the same free hub body as 7 8 and 9 speed.

If your shifting is all over the place then the first thing to do is give it all a good clean, check chain wear and then fit new cables and outers. In most cases this will fix it. I have XT bits with over 10,000 miles use which still shift fine.

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Of course you are right Hamster, front mech turned out to mis aligned and appears sorted now. Rear mech is almost certainly the cable so I have ordered a Shimano MTB gear set and will fit along with the new chain & cassette I already have.

If all goes well following that I will buy a new set of Gripshift MRX 8 speed. I am enjoying the gripshift in the enviroment I am using this bike, when they work! I am sure they will be robust enough for my needs.

New 8 speed cassette fitted whilst it was all apart I also repacked the bearings in the rear wheel, new (15 year old) Sedis silver chain fitted and a replacement inner cable for the rear mech all fitted.

The new cassette has 30 teeth (previously 2 which is proving to be a good choice for me and going down the gears everything is now great, no need to trim the front mech either. Going up the gears can be tardy around 4/5th gear. I suspect this is due to cable drag, I have a Shimano MTB outer cable set to fit with all new ferrules that I am sure will finally give me the shifting experience I desire. Just need to order a new pair of SRAM MRX 8 speed shifters.

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Sounds like your getting there make sure you have a good look on the Internet there's some great deals to be had on some of the old gearing I like my 9 speed shimano never let me down and a lot cheaper than the newer 10 /11 speed also stick with a triple if you've bad knees you've always got a lower gear if you start suffering I've got also 1/10 on my modern bike which is great for where I ride it but wouldn't use it for long distance xc or very hilly rides you just need a lower gear on some hills

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mass199":2cd2c2tt said:

10 speed uses the same free hub body as 7 8 and 9 speed.

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8/9/10 yes, but not 7

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Are you still using the 7 speed shifter,if so that's why it's not shifting too well on the lower end.

What rear mech is it (Mxxx number)