1999 T1000 "silver anniversary restoration"

[willmill]

Hello again. Update: after 11 months and hundreds of miles on the restored T1000 that stated this thread, I conclude that friction shifting is not for me. So, paying homage to the 1992-1998 T1000, today I installed Shimano indexed bar-end shifters (Dura Ace SL-BS77 9-speed). Just a small update for the completeness of this thread.

As an aside, riding the T1000 more this season than I have in the past 15 years combined, I am struck by its handling. So well balanced and stable. The high trail geometry rides remarkably well without panniers — hands free is easy at any speed. The 35mm tires felt fat in 1999 but now they feel skinny and fast compared to my 650b bikes with 42-44mm tires. The T1000 remains the most comfortable bike in my stable and the one I keep going back too. Sometimes aluminum just works, no matter what the critics say!

 

[letsbike]

I also went from friction to the same Dura Ace shifters this past winter (my first Dura Ace component in fifty years of cycling). They are shifting great, but my thin nine speed chain tends to fall between the large and middle chainring sometimes without engaging a gear. I think I will try an eight speed chain when I replace the cassette and see if the problem goes away. This never happened when I used an 8 speed drivetrain in the past.
I was also a bit concerned after the instructions claimed that the Dura Ace shifters would only work on a particular Dura Ace derailleur. Not the case. My old 105 handles it just fine.

 

[willmill]

About the “Dura Ace RD only,” since every Shimano 9-spd cassette has 4.34 mm spacing between cogs, what-da-ya-guess this is leftover from 1997 when Shimano released 9-speed only as Dura Ace and every top-end time trial bike got these shifters? The “Dura Ace only” would have been true until 1998-99 when they rolled out 9-speed to other groupsets (Ultegra, 105, etc.) with the same cable pull per click and 4.34mm spacing between cogs. Maybe?

What crankset are you using? I have precisely the same problem on another bike with a circa 2012 IRD Defiant 46/30 compact double for 8/9/10 speed chains and a 10-speed chain getting in between chain rings and spinning freely. Tends to do it when I bail to the 30t on steep climbs. I joke with friends when I finally catch up that my gearbox also has “neutral.” A wider chain, a derailleur optimized for compact doubles, a better crank with ramps and pins, and a friction (non STI brifter) all seem to be variables worth testing. I’ll be curious about any fix you find.

 

[letsbike]

I had to go and look at the crank since I bought it off a hook at a bicycle consignment store about ten years back because it looked nice and had a 26T inner chainring. It's also a 175 arm length arm, so I assumed it was off a mountain bike. The date code has it at being a October 1989 Suntour XC Pro, so definitely old enough that 7 speed clusters were common when it was new. It's due for new chainrings soon, if I can find a something NOS, otherwise maybe a replacement from Rivendell.
I'll post any fixes that come about.

 

[black lightning 1987]

I also went from friction to the same Dura Ace shifters this past winter (my first Dura Ace component in fifty years of cycling). They are shifting great, but my thin nine speed chain tends to fall between the large and middle chainring sometimes without engaging a gear. I think I will try an eight speed chain when I replace the cassette and see if the problem goes away. This never happened when I used an 8 speed drivetrain in the past.
I was also a bit concerned after the instructions claimed that the Dura Ace shifters would only work on a particular Dura Ace derailleur. Not the case. My old 105 handles it just fine.

I've never measured them but there were Shimano 8 speed chains designated as "narrow". I doubt that the overall width varied much from their 9 speed chains. I'm using 9 speed chains on several 6/7/8 speed bikes and have never had a problem with one falling between the rings. What crank?

 

[letsbike]

I've never measured them but there were Shimano 8 speed chains designated as "narrow". I doubt that the overall width varied much from their 9 speed chains. I'm using 9 speed chains on several 6/7/8 speed bikes and have never had a problem with one falling between the rings. What crank?

1989 Suntour XC Pro. The problem only arises occasionally, but can be a problem when you need to go; like when you are in an intersection.

 

[black lightning 1987]

Changing the angle of the front derailleur might help.