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Fixing Type - if you have small mounts on either side of the frame’s down tube you need braze-on shifters, if there are no mounts you’ll need clamp-on (sometimes referred to as band-on). Some 'aero' frames have mounts fixed to the top of the down tube, for these frames you require top mount shifters for the correct boss type (see below). There are also 'Clamp-Over' shifters that allow front & rear shifters to be used on a frame that only has a single braze-on.

Shift Type - friction shifters don't click into gear when you change, when they do click it's referred to as indexed shifting. For this to work correctly you must use the same system as your rear derailleur, if you're using friction levers you can mix and match. You don't need to worry about the front derailleur as left downtube shifters aren't indexed.

Speed - the number of cogs at the back the right shifter is designed to be used with. This is important with indexed shifting but with friction shifters you can in theory run any shifters with any speed setup, although the right lever will need to be pulled back further to shift into the larger cogs.

Shifter Boss Type - the shape of the mount (for braze-on fixings only). Campagnolo / ISO is standard and easily identified by the flat sections on either side, usually combined with a square base for the backing stop plates to fit. There are also Shimano ones with a keyhole shaped base and much less common French ones that are round with no flat sections.

Boss Thread Size - M5 (5 mm) is standard for Campagnolo / ISO bosses, but Shimano bosses will often have M4.5 (4.5 mm) threads and the French bosses would likely have 5 x 1 mm threads.

Fixing Type - if you have small mounts on either side of the frame’s down tube you need braze-on shifters, if there are no mounts you’ll need clamp-on (sometimes referred to as band-on). Some 'aero' frames have mounts fixed to the top of the down tube, for these frames you require top mount shifters for the correct boss type (see below). There are also 'Clamp-Over' shifters that allow front & rear shifters to be used on a frame that only has a single braze-on.

Shift Type - friction shifters don't click into gear when you change, when they do click it's referred to as indexed shifting. For this to work correctly you must use the same system as your rear derailleur, if you're using friction levers you can mix and match. You don't need to worry about the front derailleur as left downtube shifters aren't indexed.

Speed - the number of cogs at the back the right shifter is designed to be used with. This is important with indexed shifting but with friction shifters you can in theory run any shifters with any speed setup, although the right lever will need to be pulled back further to shift into the larger cogs.

Shifter Boss Type - the shape of the mount (for braze-on fixings only). Campagnolo / ISO is standard and easily identified by the flat sections on either side, usually combined with a square base for the backing stop plates to fit. There are also Shimano ones with a keyhole shaped base and much less common French ones that are round with no flat sections.

Boss Thread Size - M5 (5 mm) is standard for Campagnolo / ISO bosses, but Shimano bosses will often have M4.5 (4.5 mm) threads and the French bosses would likely have 5 x 1 mm threads.

Optimal Speed - the ideal number of rear cogs, based on the outer width of the chain and the cog width it was designed for. For 6 Speed Shimano Uniglide a 5/6 spd chain will perform best.

Shifting System(s) - indexed shifters 'click' when you change gear. For 9 speed upwards (or Suntour Accushift), to guarantee the best performance we recommend using the dedicated chain. Otherwise, for 8 speed and below, or any speed when using friction shifting (non-index), you just need the correct outer width.

Outer width - measured across the rivets at the widest point, these are the approximate widths for different speed setups (up to 4 speed is also dependent on cog width):

Cog Width - the gap between the inner plates allows for different rear cog/sprocket widths. 3/32" is the standard for 5 to 8 speed, above that it’s 11/128”. For 4 speed or less, 3/32” and 1/8” were both used, for the latter you will need a 1/8” chain. A wider 3/16" moped chain can be used as a heavy duty opton for single cog setups if required).

Chain pitch - the distance between the rivets/pins. All chains will be 1/2" with two exceptions; 3/16" (“inch pitch”) for very early track bikes, or Shimano's short lived 10 mm pitch system from the 70s/80s.

Number of links - if you're unsure how many you need, measure your old chain (each link has two rivets) or one with a similar setup to yours.

Optimal Speed - the ideal number of rear cogs, based on the outer width of the chain and the cog width it was designed for. For 6 Speed Shimano Uniglide a 5/6 spd chain will perform best.

Shifting System(s) - indexed shifters 'click' when you change gear. For 9 speed upwards (or Suntour Accushift), to guarantee the best performance we recommend using the dedicated chain. Otherwise, for 8 speed and below, or any speed when using friction shifting (non-index), you just need the correct outer width.

Outer width - measured across the rivets at the widest point, these are the approximate widths for different speed setups (up to 4 speed is also dependent on cog width):

Cog Width - the gap between the inner plates allows for different rear cog/sprocket widths. 3/32" is the standard for 5 to 8 speed, above that it’s 11/128”. For 4 speed or less, 3/32” and 1/8” were both used, for the latter you will need a 1/8” chain. A wider 3/16" moped chain can be used as a heavy duty opton for single cog setups if required).

Chain pitch - the distance between the rivets/pins. All chains will be 1/2" with two exceptions; 3/16" (“inch pitch”) for very early track bikes, or Shimano's short lived 10 mm pitch system from the 70s/80s.

Number of links - if you're unsure how many you need, measure your old chain (each link has two rivets) or one with a similar setup to yours.