My Electra 7D Lux is not the best shifting bike and I feel I should have a slightly taller gear. I bought this bike for $250 from a bike shop. It is an older model so it is technically not a 7D Lux but it has an aluminum frame and the fenders are a nice touch. I was told that the bike got lost in the back of a container and a with a pile of used bikes on top of it. That looked like it could be true so I bought it took it home pumped up the tires and took it for a ride.
It rode OK but shifted awful and the chain was rubbing on the tire. Back at my barn I realized that the derailleur tab was bent and on closer inspection the rear dropout was bent. Now I knew why it was in the back of the container. I used some of my press and puller tools to straighten the dropout and put the bike together. Shifting was still iffy.
The original freewheel was a Shimano mega-range with the following sprockets 14-16-18-20-22-24-34. I replaced this with a Shimano 14-16-18-20-22-24-28. It wasn't much different but it shifted better or I was getting better at adjusting the derailleur. I still needed a taller gear and found this online.

This is an Epoch freewheel with 11-13-15-18-21-24-30. I had found that on my rides I was using 4 through 7 with my gearing and 4th is little to low. The Epoch freewheel came in yesterday and while I had the bike on the rack I cleaned and lubed the axle bearings and stole the derailleur from my Specialized road bike.

The reviews on this derailleur aren't the greatest but it is a couple of steps up from what Electra uses stock. This was a huge upgrade for me. second and third are to low but good for hay fields or rougher but flat walking paths. At 67 I am not by any means a mountain biker. Forth, the 18 tooth sprocket is a perfect for starting off and the top 3 gears are all I use on the bike path and roads around here. The 11 tooth sprocket will give me 20 mph at quick but not crazy cadence. 20 mph is what I feel is the top "comfortable" speed for my bike.
Oh and that derailleur switch was brilliant! Shifting is smooth and precise and all thoughts of a Sram dual drive or an IGH are gone, for now. BTW I have a 42 tooth chain ring on the BBSHD.
I hope this wasn't boring but I thought it was important to record what certain tooth counts will give you for relaxed Cruiser rides with a BBSHD. It would have been a good read for me before the build as I could have saved $25 on the second freewheel.
That will be all of the mods for a while because disc brakes will require a new hubs and relacing the rims..........unless I can scrounge up something.........calfee
It rode OK but shifted awful and the chain was rubbing on the tire. Back at my barn I realized that the derailleur tab was bent and on closer inspection the rear dropout was bent. Now I knew why it was in the back of the container. I used some of my press and puller tools to straighten the dropout and put the bike together. Shifting was still iffy.
The original freewheel was a Shimano mega-range with the following sprockets 14-16-18-20-22-24-34. I replaced this with a Shimano 14-16-18-20-22-24-28. It wasn't much different but it shifted better or I was getting better at adjusting the derailleur. I still needed a taller gear and found this online.
This is an Epoch freewheel with 11-13-15-18-21-24-30. I had found that on my rides I was using 4 through 7 with my gearing and 4th is little to low. The Epoch freewheel came in yesterday and while I had the bike on the rack I cleaned and lubed the axle bearings and stole the derailleur from my Specialized road bike.
The reviews on this derailleur aren't the greatest but it is a couple of steps up from what Electra uses stock. This was a huge upgrade for me. second and third are to low but good for hay fields or rougher but flat walking paths. At 67 I am not by any means a mountain biker. Forth, the 18 tooth sprocket is a perfect for starting off and the top 3 gears are all I use on the bike path and roads around here. The 11 tooth sprocket will give me 20 mph at quick but not crazy cadence. 20 mph is what I feel is the top "comfortable" speed for my bike.
Oh and that derailleur switch was brilliant! Shifting is smooth and precise and all thoughts of a Sram dual drive or an IGH are gone, for now. BTW I have a 42 tooth chain ring on the BBSHD.
I hope this wasn't boring but I thought it was important to record what certain tooth counts will give you for relaxed Cruiser rides with a BBSHD. It would have been a good read for me before the build as I could have saved $25 on the second freewheel.
That will be all of the mods for a while because disc brakes will require a new hubs and relacing the rims..........unless I can scrounge up something.........calfee
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