Could you use an 8 speed?
The downtube shifters that I switched to are indeed 8-speed. The rear shifter is indexed, the front shifter is friction. The action on the rear shifter is a bit funny. It's a hard stop going one way, but going the other way it is just the derailleur stop that blocks further movement, so the cable in between gives it a bit of springy movement. Probably I could force the indexing mechanism to go the extra notch if I got really stupid at some point.
That Trek 520 is still a nice bike. I never ride it. Should I sell it? The rims are a bit lumpy from hitting potholes. Maybe I should try lacing up new rims & get some new mechanical experience. Like I need another project!
Speaking of projects, here is one of my recent creations:
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=13043974 - something completely different!
