Numpty question about Campagnolo shifters

[DrewSavage]

I was wondering if something like this might work:
http://vintagecampagnoloforum.blogspot. ... e.html?m=1

However if my Campagnolo 9-speed levers and long cage derailleur are from different and incompatible eras, and those Shimano 600 hubs will only take a 7-speed cassette in the first place, then am I better off going back to the drawing board anyway?

 

[pigman]

Re:

I know the service centre quoted you £85 to machine some bits, but have a word with Mercian cycles in derby to see what they say. If you can get the parts, it's not that hard to install a new ratchet yourself, provided you're not cack-handed and a little patient with bike maintenance.
Ideally, see if they will convert to 10 speed, as this opens up your options, even if you don't want to run as many as 10.

Don't get shimano sti's for a touring bike - you may trouble with front shifting, as shimano's MTB (assuming you are having proper low touring gears) won't index with their road levers.

 

[daccordimark]

Hmm, I think you need to decide what your most important requirement is. If you're wedded to the Campag drivetrain elements you've got then realistically you should just get a Campag compatible rear wheel and 9 speed cassette. With a triple up front and the long cage rear mech you can get down to 30T on the inner ring and 29T on the largest rear sprocket. In fact unless you have one of the very latest Campag triple chainsets you can go even smaller on the inner ring if you buy an aftermarket T.A. ring.

That bottom gear would be fine for me with a full touring load but only you'll know if your legs can cope.

On the subject of bending Campag axles I haven't toured on them but I have done fully loaded touring on Shimano 600 hubs and guess what? I broke the rear axle. The thing was, I didn't even know until later in the tour when I took the rear wheel out to fix a puncture!

Mark.

 

[hamster]

Assuming you have a pre-2001 shifter, then the Shimergo pages suggest that you can run a Shimano 8 cassette perfectly. In which case, I would fit a new 8 speed freehub body to your hub, re-space it and then re-dish. Add an 8-speed cassette and job done.

 

[mattsccm]

Have you tried what you have. All sorts works. My 2015 shifters move my early 9 speed mechs and my 70's Super Record. Equally my 8 speed Ergos move a 10 speed mech. More to the point it works. A bit of wear helps as there is more free play. Yes I agree it shouldn't but it does. Got to be worth bunging it together to see. Finally new Ergos at Veloce level can be had at way below RRP. Sub 80 quid. Bet the price of your 9 speeders would fetch nearly as much on Retrobike.

 

[gfk_velo]

Re: Re:

I know the service centre quoted you £85 to machine some bits, but have a word with Mercian cycles in derby to see what they say. If you can get the parts, it's not that hard to install a new ratchet yourself, provided you're not cack-handed and a little patient with bike maintenance.

The problem is that the 10s cable bushing / ratchet that is needed to convert what we believe to be 1st version Campagnolo ErgoPower was never made for commercial use.

Campagnolo made some very special parts for the Telekom team but the old-shape lever 10s internals were never commercialised, not least because part of the object of supporting a team is to be able to follow an R and D process on new kit ... R and D parts like this (rather like the Campy Tech Shop EPS systems that were sold off by a team at the end of 2010) were / are never intended for use outside of the pro peloton and carry no kind of commercial warranty and are not tested for commercial use - they are a stepping stone on the way to a finished item.

Hence, calling Mercian and asking for a part that was never "officially" made would probably not help ... otherwise (as the Service Centre) we'd have suggested them, or Whiskers, or any of the other well-known sources of legacy parts

The problem is that the 10s cable bushing / ratchet that is made to fit v2 levers is a different shape and depth to the 8 & 9s items originally designed for the lever (apart from the 10s ratchet that is obviously different anyway) although the shape / depth issues are reasonably easily coped with, except for the broaching in the middle of the piece that carries the end of the central spindle around which all the parts of the lever revolve.

We *can* machine a conversion on a normal 10s cable bushing / ratchet (one solution) or make a new central pivot bolt (the other solution) ... either way is a long job to get right.

In the 1st case the bore through the middle that the central pivot bolt has to accurately fit through (given that it is not round) has to be accurately opened out on a broaching machine, some other material removed, a new return spring supplied & the whole needs to be fitted to a lever and tested.

In the second case, making a new pivot bolt with a current-size key on it can also be done but a new securing bolt for the internal assembly also has to be made as if the keys on either side of the bolt are machined close enough together to fit a current 10s cable bushing / ratchet, the OD of the original securing bolt's threads is almost the same size - so damn' all material to hold everything together.

We then carry the liability for making a new part in cases of failure etc - so generally we prefer not to do it. We have done it under very particular circumstances for project bikes in the past but prefer not to do it for a bike that is going to be regularly used.

 

[Woz]

Re:

Ok, I'll start with a disclaimer since I haven't fiddled with Campag for XX years.....can you simply not swap the cages on the mechs?

If it was Shimano there is considerable cross compatibilty and its a 20 min job.

 

[hamster]

Sadly not, as the 2001 change also redesigned the whole mech, doing away with the b-tension spring.

 

[mattsccm]

That reminds me. Years ago I extended a Campag mech simply by using 2 bits of alloy plate that moved the jockey centres farther apart. Can't remember details but it worked well enough to make me swap it to a 2nd bike when the original got a proper mech.

 

[DrewSavage]

Assuming you have a pre-2001 shifter, then the Shimergo pages suggest that you can run a Shimano 8 cassette perfectly. In which case, I would fit a new 8 speed freehub body to your hub, re-space it and then re-dish. Add an 8-speed cassette and job done.

Thanks for all the advice, everyone. I think Hamster's suggestion sounds the simplest, given my limited technical capabilities, the gear that I've bought so far, and the fact that I've got the spokes and Exal rims to build the wheels with the Shimano 600 hubs on order and in transit already...

Now, would that be using the Campagnolo Centaur derailleur or the Shimano Deore XTR one? And I'm assuming front derailleurs are all much of a muchness and I can stick with the Campag Racing Triple that I've got.

Worth pointing out that you are talking to someone who is keen to learn, but at the level of being overjoyed to have managed to replace a broken spoke on a wheel for the first time yesterday - I won't be offended if you speak slowly and patiently while using words of two syllables or less...