Adam-from-SLO said:
I have all pre-2001 shifters/derailiers, etc.
If I were to get a 10-speed right lever, would I then gain back that one missed cog ? Would I have to get that lever plus a post 2001 RD ? I've seen some post 2001 RD on ebay fairly cheap (Centuar mainly).
First, I actually don't think that there is a difference in the geometry of the pre-2001 & post-2001 Campagnolo rear derailleurs ...
It was my impression (which could
obviously be wrong) that the pre-2001 9-speed rear derailleur LOOKED like the 8-speed, but the location of the derailleur anchor was closer to the forward "knuckle" of the parallelogram on the 9-speed variant. The subsequently re-designed, post-2001 rear derailleurs are lighter, so a post-2001 Mirage/Veloce/Centaur rear derailleur will probably be lighter than a pre-2001 Chorus rear derailleur which was a boat anchor & may be lighter than a Record rear derailleur.
The
circa 2000, 9-speed Chorus rear derailleur that I had which seemed to index just fine to a 10-speed Campagnolo cassette.
I've sold all of my Campagnolo rear derailleurs and have been using Shimano derailleurs; so, there are some things about the rear derailleur interchangeability that I can no longer test/confirm first hand; and, my memory seems to be poorer than it used to be ...
It SEEMED as though the 8-speed Campagnolo rear derailleur was interchangeable with the 8-speed Shimano rear derailleur ... there are some tests I can do with what I still have (i.e., 8-speed Campagnolo shifter + 8-speed cassette + Shimano rear derailleurs) to see if that was actually true.
Like the Shimano rear derailleurs, 9-speed Campagnolo rear derailleurs were actually capable of allowing the derailleur cable to be anchored up at 9 o'clock to change the geometry to presumably make it compatible with an otherwise 8-speed Campagnolo drivetrain ... using the
hubbub.com/non-authorized, alternate anchoring at 3 o'clock allows a 10-speed Campagnolo shifter to index to a 9-speed Shimano cassette when using a Shimano 8-/9-speed rear derailleur.
Projecting forward & skipping a lot of verbiage (believe-it-or-not), it suggested to me that the 10-speed Shimano rear derailleur could be subsituted for a 9-/10-speed Campagnolo rear derailleur rather than using the hubbub.com alternate rear derailleur anchor position that I had been using. AND, in fact, on one of my bikes, I currently have a 10-speed Shimano rear derailleur + 9-speed Shimano cassette + 10-speed Campagnolo shifters (
see attachement) -- the shifting is perfect.
Regardless, I think the odds are that you won't miss the intermediate cog ... I didn't ... heck, at first, I didn't even know that I wasn't getting all 9 cogs when I was using a 9-speed Campagnolo shifter + 9-speed Shimano cassette + 9-speed Shimano rear derailleur (essentially, an 8-speed Campagnolo rear derailleur) because (as you have observed) the shifting is so smooth with a Shimano cassette.
So, unless your shifter needs a re-build OR you have some other reason, then I wouldn't fret over it, at least, initially.
Having said all of THAT, if you use a 105-or-LX cassette then you can cut shims to correct the cog spacing. Supposedly, an aluminum soda/beer is just the right thickness (0.2mm?).
Cut the top & bottom off a soda can, cut a vertical slit in the tube that you created, flatten, use a SHARPIE to trace the spacers onto the inside of the can, cut out with sharp scissors. Rub the edges of the shims you cut with some emery cloth to reduce the 'cutting' edges & to make the shims easier to handle.
Wheels Manufacturing made spacers (again, this presumes you are using a 105-or-LX cassette). I had a set AND what I observed was that the spacers SEEMED to be exactly the same thickness as an 8-speed SHIMANO cog spacer!?! So, if you have an 8-speed LX-or-105 Shimano cassette that you can cannibalize, then you should be good-to-go.