campag chorus shifters on SRAM cassette?



D

davek

Guest
Simple compatibility question - will Campag Chorus 8-speed Ergo Shifters
work with an SRAM 8-speed cassette? I'm fairly confident the answer is
yes, but... it doesn't hurt to ask.

And will I need a new rear mech?

d.
 
On 28-Jul-2004, davek <[email protected]> wrote:

> will Campag Chorus 8-speed Ergo Shifters
> work with an SRAM 8-speed cassette?


Yes


> And will I need a new rear mech?


Depends what you've got at the moment. Shifters from one manufacturer are
/generally/ not compatible with derailleurs from another so you will
probably need a Campag derailleur.


Ian
 
wheelsgoround wrote:
> Depends what you've got at the moment. Shifters from one manufacturer are
> /generally/ not compatible with derailleurs from another so you will
> probably need a Campag derailleur.


Cheers. I've got a bottom-end (ie sub-Sora) Shimano rear mech that I was
thinking of replacing anyway, so if I get the Ergos I'll use that as an
excuse to get the new mech.

d.
 
davek wrote:
> Simple compatibility question - will Campag Chorus 8-speed Ergo
> Shifters work with an SRAM 8-speed cassette? I'm fairly confident the
> answer is yes, but... it doesn't hurt to ask.


Yes, both are 5.0mm centre to centre:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html#spacing

> And will I need a new rear mech?


Might as well try the non Campag one first, perhaps with an alternative
cable routing -- see www.hubbub.com/ergoleverswshim9.htm

If buying a new Campag mech, you'll need either an 8-speed or a pre 2001
9-speed mech. Geometry of 2001+ mechs isn't quite right for older Ergos.

~PB
 
I wrote:
> davek wrote:
>> Simple compatibility question - will Campag Chorus 8-speed Ergo
>> Shifters work with an SRAM 8-speed cassette? I'm fairly confident the
>> answer is yes, but... it doesn't hurt to ask.

>
> Yes, both are 5.0mm centre to centre:
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html#spacing


Whoops, sorry, SRAM 8sp cassettes are 4.8mm (only SRAM freewheels are
5.0).

Probably close enough to work though, and maybe you could try thicker
spacers if you can get any (Marchsio?).

~PB
 
On 28-Jul-2004, "Pete Biggs" <pblackcherry{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote:

> Whoops, sorry, SRAM 8sp cassettes are 4.8mm (only SRAM freewheels are
> 5.0).


Well spotted, Pete. I hadn't realised the freewheels and the cassetes were
differently spaced. Why do you reckon SRAM would have done that? Maybe
their freehub body isn't long enough to accommodate 5.0mm. (Or, looking at
it the other way round, if they think 4.8 is the standard, why not make the
freewheel 4.8) I suspect they inherited the two systems from two different
places.

> Probably close enough to work though,


The 1.4mm difference across the sprockets will have a minor affect on the
performance of the shifting but I'm not sure it will be noticable. You
could try re-spacing as Pete suggests but (ref my comment above) I don't
know if the freehub body would be long enough to allow the lockring to
engage.

Ian
 
Pete Biggs wrote:
>>Yes, both are 5.0mm centre to centre:
>>http://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html#spacing

>
> Whoops, sorry, SRAM 8sp cassettes are 4.8mm (only SRAM freewheels are
> 5.0).


Ta for the info. I didn't think to check Sheldon, silly me.

> Probably close enough to work though, and maybe you could try thicker
> spacers if you can get any (Marchsio?).


Hmmm, this is a wee bit more complicated than I imagined it would be...
<thinks> ... according to my maths I'd need 3.3mm spacers... <googles>
Aha! Despite the Marchisio website being in Italian, I think I've
managed to find what I need - 3.3mm spacers for Shimano hub. Perfect. Ta
for the suggestion.

Now I just need to place a winning bid for those Chorus shifters... it's
not going to happen, is it?

d.
 
wheelsgoround wrote:
> Why do you reckon SRAM would have done that?


I presume it's because their stuff is designed to be Shimano compatible
- the SRAM spacings match the Shimano spacings percisely.

> I don't
> know if the freehub body would be long enough to allow the lockring to
> engage.


Woah! Excellent point. I hadn't thought of that. Well spotted.

d.
 
wheelsgoround wrote:
> Well spotted, Pete. I hadn't realised the freewheels and the
> cassetes were differently spaced. Why do you reckon SRAM would have
> done that?


I guess the 4.8 is to be compatible with Shimano 8sp cassettes, and the
older 5.0 of the freewheels was because SRAM 7sp and other freewheels were
5.0, so they just carried on with the standard.

/snip
> I don't know if the freehub body would be long enough
> to allow the lockring to engage.


I've not tried it with SRAMs but I know Campag 8 & 9sp freehubs can take
quite a bit more than they're designed for: lockring seems to hold it all
well even when top sprocket barely engages with the splines. It's more of
a problem for the frame: might not be enough clearance.

~PB
 
davek wrote:
> Hmmm, this is a wee bit more complicated than I imagined it would
> be... <thinks> ... according to my maths I'd need 3.3mm spacers...


3.2, isn't it?

> Now I just need to place a winning bid for those Chorus shifters...
> it's not going to happen, is it?


Personally, I'd rather have new 9sp Mirage than old 8sp Chorus Ergos:
shape is more comfortable.

~PB
 
in message <[email protected]>, davek ('[email protected]')
wrote:

> Now I just need to place a winning bid for those Chorus shifters...
> it's not going to happen, is it?


Possibly will. I got a last year's Record front mech off eBay this week
for an (ahem) _very_ advantageous price. It works very well with my
ancient friction downtube shifters. I also now feel less of a fraud in
my Campag jersey.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; All in all you're just another hick in the mall
-- Drink C'lloid
 
Definitely be worth a posting on rec.bicycles.tech
You'll undoubtedly get a reply from "Qui si parla Campagnolo"

From what I've seen this guy seems to know all there is to know about what
works with what when anything 'Camapagnolo' is involved.

Allan.
~~~
http://www.bikeit.eclipse.co.uk/index.htm
Italian Cycle tour reports and the home of...
Cycling Before Lycra


davek wrote:
> Simple compatibility question - will Campag Chorus 8-speed Ergo
> Shifters work with an SRAM 8-speed cassette? I'm fairly confident the
> answer is yes, but... it doesn't hurt to ask.
>
> And will I need a new rear mech?
>
> d.
 
Pete Biggs wrote:
> 3.2, isn't it?


Um... yes.

> Personally, I'd rather have new 9sp Mirage than old 8sp Chorus Ergos:
> shape is more comfortable.


Maybe, but then I'd have to buy another new cassette. There seem to be
quite a few 9-speed versions of various models, both Shimano and Campag,
on ebay - maybe I should wait until I need to buy a new cassette, get a
9-speed and look at shifters then. *sigh*

Still, this discussion has been most educational for me, even if it
doesn't lead to a purchase.

d.
 
rhnb wrote:
> Definitely be worth a posting on rec.bicycles.tech


Ta. I might do that.

d.
 
rhnb wrote:
> Definitely be worth a posting on rec.bicycles.tech
> You'll undoubtedly get a reply from "Qui si parla Campagnolo"
>
> From what I've seen this guy seems to know all there is to know about
> what works with what when anything 'Camapagnolo' is involved.


That's the guy who isn't too fussy about cassette spacing, eg. reckons
Shimano 9sp spacing "works fine" with Campag 9sp.

~PB
 
davek wrote:
>> Personally, I'd rather have new 9sp Mirage than old 8sp Chorus Ergos:
>> shape is more comfortable.

>
> Maybe, but then I'd have to buy another new cassette.


Wouldn't have to. The cassette could be respaced for Campag 9sp (or near
enough), and the first position can be locked out by the derailleur so a
ninth sprocket wouldn't be needed.

~PB