NeedsLotsOfHelp said:
Recently moved to a triple chainring set and determined that I need to get FD designed for the triple chainrings. Everything is 8 speed (the triple might be 9 speed, but I am not sure -- it's a Veloce triple). The current Record 8sp double FD must be swaped out, but all that is available are Campy 10sp FD's. Can I use the 10sp FD's with an 8 speed drivetrain? I know that the 10sp chain is thinner -- does the thicker 8sp chain cause a problem with the 10sp FD's? I saw somewthing about an insert that can be popped out to accomodate the 8sp chain -- is that right? Are there problems created by not using the insert?
Do I have to change any other components to make this all work? (Hopefully not).
Alternatively, does anyone know where I can get a Campy 8 or 9 speed triple FD?
Thanks for the help.
You WILL encounter
minor problems if you choose to use a 10-speed Campagnolo front derailleur with your 8-speed drivetrain unless you opt to remove the insert (which made the 9-speed front derailleur a 10-speed front derailleur) ... and, even then, you may have minor problems UNLESS (and, this would be a good option for you to consider, regardless) you opt to switch to a narrower chain.
For a week, when I used a thicker, 8-speed chain with a 9-speed SHIMANO front derailleur, I found that I needed to trim the front derailleur more often ...that is, the shifters WERE/ARE Campagnolo; but, I resorted to using the only "spare" chain I had at the moment ... or perhaps, I should say it was the only "spare" front derailleur I had since I the cassette was an 8-speed!
The additional cog-and-chainwheel combinations that I encountered where eliminated when I matched the chain to the front derailleur.
If you are
not a
CAMPY ONLY type (not that there is anything wrong with that!), then consider getting almost any
Shimano front derailleur (except the Shimano 10-speed type) which is suitable for your frame BECAUSE Shimano front derailleurs of almost every ilk (new/used, 8-/9-speed, double/triple, bottom/top pull) are available to suit your needs AND MAINLY because
the Campagnolo front shifter is indifferent to the derailleur it is indexed to (many Campy
cognoscenti now use Shimano front derailleurs instead of Campy front derailleurs because they supposedly shift better -- I happen to use Shimano front derailleurs because they are what I have AND they work).
A 9-speed (Shimano-type/-width ... the SRAM 89R was a common 9-speed
replacement chain used with Camapgnolo 10-speed drivetrains, so that would also be a good choice) chain is a good option for 8-and-9-speed Campy drivetrains, IMO; so, a 9-speed front derailleur would be okay; but, the wider cage of an 8-speed in tandem with a 9-speed chain MIGHT mean that there will be ring/cog combinations where you won't need to
trim the front derailleur that you would have needed to in the past AND/OR you could continue to use your current chain!
If you insist on an 8-speed Campagnolo front derailleur that is triple capable (I think there was ONLY ONE), then check eBay on a regular basis.