Need new Downtube shifters!

[WiiliamKeen]

Hello! So I have a 92-93 2.8 Aluminum series Cannondale roadbike. I'm replacing the downtube shifters, so I grabbed a vintage set off of Ebay. Shimano sl-z408 friction shifters. The screw that connects the shifter to the braze-ons is a tab bit too small. Aarrrgghh!! Any advice on getting ones that fit? The clamp that came with the shifters also does not work since the downtube is pretty large. Please help!

 

[black lightning 1987]

Do you not have the original Cannondale shifter bosses? You won't find a clamp to fit the Cannondale down tube, and it would be risky to try to clamp the AL tubing anyway. I'd recommend getting a pair of indexed shifters that match your rear derailleur. I have lots of 7 speed Shimano.

If you need the bosses, this replacement kit is the best thing available next to finding a used original. You will need to do a bit of filing to make the concave surface match the Cannondale tubing diameter.

https://www.cycle-frames.com/NOVA-LEVER-BOSS-KIT-FOR-AL-FRAME.html?category_id=999

 

[WiiliamKeen]

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly, and sorry for the late response. I actually ended up finding the campagnolo shifters that came with the bike. It's been awesome to take it out after a 7 year hiatus. Maybe once I get some more miles on her, I will spend the money to upgrade the entire groupset.

 

[black lightning 1987]

What parts are on it now? Except for the Mavic equipped 1992 R1000, all the road bikes in that era came with Shimano 7-8 speed groups. I have a few bikes with 8 speed Campagnolo. It works well and has the advantage over Shimano in that the Ergo shifters are rebuildable (and more reliable) but in general parts are harder to find, especially new cassettes with a large cog bigger than 23 teeth. Campagnolo cassettes are wider spaced than Shimano, so unless you use custom spacers on a S11 freehub, you are stuck using C8 cassettes if you want indexed shifting.

 

[Gnomer]

Do you not have the original Cannondale shifter bosses? You won't find a clamp to fit the Cannondale down tube, and it would be risky to try to clamp the AL tubing anyway. I'd recommend getting a pair of indexed shifters that match your rear derailleur. I have lots of 7 speed Shimano.

If you need the bosses, this replacement kit is the best thing available next to finding a used original. You will need to do a bit of filing to make the concave surface match the Cannondale tubing diameter.

https://www.cycle-frames.com/NOVA-LEVER-BOSS-KIT-FOR-AL-FRAME.html?category_id=999

That link is broken, I'm also looking for replacement bosses for a cannondale r700 2.8 (I don't know bikes so forgive me if that's not the right formatting for the name).

Found it abandoned and decided to fix it up if possible but I'm not having much luck so far...

 

[black lightning 1987]

It looks like they have deleted the item. I have contacted them to see if they plan to restock them. You might do the same, there's a contact email at the bottom of their page.

becca@cycle-frames.com

R700 2.8 is worth the trouble to repair. In many model years the R700 was the time trial frame. Does yours have 650C wheels?

 

[Gnomer]

That sounds familiar... But I'm not sure. I'm not a bike guy, I found this one abandoned by the side of the road, well, a friend did and I picked it up. I'm pretty broke so I thought, maybe I can fix this up for a reasonable price and have a good bike! But after about 6 hours of scouring the internet and having no luck finding this part for a reasonable price, I'm starting to doubt it'll be possible.. I'll email them and inquire though. But I also couldn't find the actual shifter knobs either. Gonna try a local used parts store this weekend and see if I can find a solution for a reasonable price :/

Thanks for the help!

 

[black lightning 1987]

You might find what you need at a local bike co-op. I would certainly let them know what you are looking for in case they get something in. Many co-ops also have tools, work space, and mechanics available to help out.

An option on a budget would be to build it as a single speed. You might get along fine leaving the derailleurs on, with it adjusted to run on the small chain ring in front and a middle cog in the rear. Might take a longer limit screw to get the rear derailleur set to a middle cog, but I wouldn't think it hard to find one.

 

[Gnomer]

You might find what you need at a local bike co-op. I would certainly let them know what you are looking for in case they get something in. Many co-ops also have tools, work space, and mechanics available to help out.

An option on a budget would be to build it as a single speed. You might get along fine leaving the derailleurs on, with it adjusted to run on the small chain ring in front and a middle cog in the rear. Might take a longer limit screw to get the rear derailleur set to a middle cog, but I wouldn't think it hard to find one.

Yes, this is probably how I'll have to run it for the foreseeable future. I would like to make it nice eventually but having a bike at all will be worth it. Now to find new tires and tubes...

 

[black lightning 1987]

I got a reply about the bosses. They are currently out of stock but they expect to have them available again. I was told that it could be 2-3 months before they come in.

 

[Gnomer]

I got a reply about the bosses. They are currently out of stock but they expect to have them available again. I was told that it could be 2-3 months before they come in.

Yeah, I wrote them too. Guess I'll run it on a single gear for now and sort out the shifters later.

I appreciate your assistance greatly btw. When I went to the store nearby to see about repairs they were clearly not very knowledgeable about this particular bike. Same with the mechanic I called, he never heard of bolt on bosses, though I was sure they were never welded by the way the paint looked. It's good to have someone who knows about it and to know I'm not crazy.

Plus, knowing where to get the parts needed, I'm quite relieved.

I look forward to the day this bike is running smoothly!

Thank you!

 

[black lightning 1987]

I have a broken pair of the down tube bosses here. Have been meaning to investigate having them reproduced with some improvements but don't know how practical the idea is.