Shimano 7 speed FH options

[alisdairSH]

Hey all,

I just snagged a 1994 Cannondale KillerV that's in solid condition and looking to do a few updates. I had hoped it would have an 8-speed FH body, given the 8 speed rear mech (even though it was paired with 7 speed shifter and cassette - odd combo, yes). Sadly, it's the short 7-speed only FH.

From research, I think my options are (please tell me if I'm wrong or missing something)...
- Find any old Shimano 8/9 speed hub and pilfer the FH and DS cones to use in the 7-speed hub. Use whatever 8/9/10 speed setup I want or 11 speed with mountain cassette (cantilevered big cog).

- "9 of 10" setup - use 9 cogs/spacers from a 10speed cassette, 10 speed shifter, and current 8 speed XT rear mech.

- Punt and find an 8/9/10 speed rear wheel. Use whatever 8/9/10 speed setup I want or 11 speed with mountain cassette (cantilevered big cog). I hate to do this, as the wheels are original and in decent condition. Nothing fancy, as it's a V900 (bottom spec for that year), but still good enough for what's going to be a pub/errand bike mostly.

Other updates will mostly be to contact points (bar, stem, saddle, maybe seat post, pedals). Cranks are fine and have original blue chainrings (might swap the middle and ditch the inner, haven't decided).

 

[bikeworkshop]

Is your hub shot?
If you've got 7 speed shifters and cassette, 8 speed Rd is fine.

Cannondale often used own brand Coda hubs, generally incompatible fhb.

7 speed works well.
The most obvious part to upgrade would be... the frameset

 

[alisdairSH]

Haha! Nah, the hubs/wheels are fine, and I wanted a KillverV so bad when I was in school, 35 years later I finally got it!

The wheels just need a basic bearing service. I was just hoping to update to 8 or 9 speed (XTR 9-speed is peak Shimano, IMO) with a new cassette/chain. Sticking with 7 speed is an option, and I may find some thumbies and go that way just to save hassle.

This is an LX M563 Parallax rear hub, paired with a CODA front hub.

 

[hamster]

Stupid question: what's wrong with 7 speed? The wheels are stronger with less dish, the indexing is rock-solid and far more tolerant of muck. I've gone back to 7 as it's simple and bombproof.

Your point about the freehub body swap is fine, provided it's a Shimano hub, the bits are easily swapped. You will need to redish the wheel and remove some LH spacers as the hub moves leftward by 2.5mm or so. I've done exactly this swap with M563 and 565 (the identical 8 speed one) no trouble.

Rear mechs are interchangeable between 7,8 and 9 so it's not an odd choice by Cannondale at all.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Stupid question: what's wrong with 7 speed? The wheels are stronger with less dish, the indexing is rock-solid and far more tolerant of muck. I've gone back to 7 as it's simple and bombproof.

Your point about the freehub body swap is fine, provided it's a Shimano hub, the bits are easily swapped. You will need to redish the wheel and remove some LH spacers as the hub moves leftward by 2.5mm or so. I've done exactly this swap with M563 and 565 (the identical 8 speed one) no trouble.

Rear mechs are interchangeable between 7,8 and 9 so it's not an odd choice by Cannondale at all.

Perhaps it has gripshift?

Gripshiftlovers look away now...

7 speed gripshift works as badly as all other gripshifts.

7 speed rapidfire pods (and cassettes) are still available new and still fantastic.
So you could keep the original wheels, have a nice Derailleurs, use separate brakes/levers of your choice, a fancy coda cnc chainset, flite saddle, xlite bars and the like if you want to upgrade - or invest as I call it

 

[alisdairSH]

Stupid question: what's wrong with 7 speed? The wheels are stronger with less dish, the indexing is rock-solid and far more tolerant of muck. I've gone back to 7 as it's simple and bombproof.

Your point about the freehub body swap is fine, provided it's a Shimano hub, the bits are easily swapped. You will need to redish the wheel and remove some LH spacers as the hub moves leftward by 2.5mm or so. I've done exactly this swap with M563 and 565 (the identical 8 speed one) no trouble.

Rear mechs are interchangeable between 7,8 and 9 so it's not an odd choice by Cannondale at all.

Not a stupid question. The combo lever/shifters are the style with one lever below the brake and the other above (like the newer Tourney? Probably were replaced at some point, as I don't think any of that's era's mountain groups were like this). I don't like them. So, I'll be swapping shifters/levers regardless. Chain appeared to be original, so that's being replaced as well. So, seemed like a chance to "upgrade" to 8+ gears.

But, I may just get thumbies or XT pods and levers or similar and leave it 7 speed.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Not a stupid question. The combo lever/shifters are the style with one lever below the brake and the other above (like the newer Tourney? Probably were replaced at some point, as I don't think any of that's era's mountain groups were like this). I don't like them. So, I'll be swapping shifters/levers regardless. Chain appeared to be original, so that's being replaced as well. So, seemed like a chance to "upgrade" to 8+ gears.

But, I may just get thumbies or XT pods and levers or similar and leave it 7 speed.

Check the original catalogue for spec, but I'm sure the most basic killer V didn't have EZfire that you describe.
Gripshift was killerV common, including a combined twistshift/plastic brake lever affair, but didn't last well, and the PO probably only found EZfires for 3x7 because they're abundant.

Indestructible.
The cockroaches' choice.
Usually outlast the bike they are fitted to.

Is it v brake or canti?
And does your lever pull match the brakes?
STI swap frequently overlooks this.
Iirc killer V straddled that "95" boundary.

 

[alisdairSH]

Just checked the catalog, bike should have had LX Rapidfire Plus shifters. So the EZFire stuff was added later, I guess the originals must have failed at some point. Looks like the shifters, tires, and saddle are the only non-original parts. Even the Tioga pedals are original (and all metal, so I'll probably keep them).

Cantilever brakes - blue CODA set with the Force40 pivots instead of a normal cross cable.

And yeah, the 94 Killer V definitely straddled a few boundaries - including the 1.25" threadless steerer - 95 models adopted the 1.125" standard.

 

[hamster]

@alisdairSH I've got a spare set of Rapidfire pods you can have for a tenner posted if that's any help.

I'm pretty skeptical of a lot of Shimano marketing department's so-called upgrades, usually because they come at the expense of reliability and durability. I think most stuff after 7-8 speed jumped the shark.

 

[alisdairSH]

What level? And I'm in the US - would that still work?