Ergo levers, how far to click?

[Jim]

I have installed my first set of ergo levers on my first road bike after riding a hybrid
for 10 years.

I bought the Chorus Ergo 10 spd levers second hand. Since I am used to Shimano rapidfire shifters I
have a question about how far the downshift lever (not the thumb button) must be pushed over before
it shifts, and whether the action of pushing it over to the left is supposed to feel a little mushy
before it snaps over.

My shifter needs a good deal of range , its just on the limit of distance my finger can push
sideways without rolling my hand over... perhaps the 8 o'clock position and it just doesn¹t feel
ergonomically correct.

The upshift button shifts very snappy, so I have sort of eliminated cable adjustment (they are new)
and when the finger lever moves far enough, it also is nice crisp shift, and of course I get that
very satisfying Campy "shlink" sound to boot. Is this normal? Is this just new bike jitters?

jim

[email protected]

 

[Fred Clydesdale]

> I bought the Chorus Ergo 10 spd levers second hand. Since I am used to Shimano rapidfire shifters
> I have a question about how far the downshift lever (not the thumb button) must be pushed over
> before it shifts, and whether the action of pushing it over to the left is supposed to feel a
> little mushy before it snaps over.

i probably don't get the question, but you just push until it (the lever) clicks. are you saying
that the lever never clicks, and you just push until you hear the chain jump over? then what you got
is a bad set o'levers.

that said, 8:00 doesn't seem too much. my 9-speeders seem to shift somewhere between 7:30 & 8:00
(and that's assuming i get started at 6:00, which doesn't happen most mornings).

fc

 

[Pete Biggs]

jim wrote:
> I have installed my first set of ergo levers on my first road bike after riding a hybrid for
> 10 years.
>
> I bought the Chorus Ergo 10 spd levers second hand. Since I am used to Shimano rapidfire shifters
> I have a question about how far the downshift lever (not the thumb button) must be pushed over
> before it shifts, and whether the action of pushing it over to the left is supposed to feel a
> little mushy before it snaps over.

Shouldn't feel mushy. Cable routing may have some too-tight bends, or more likely, the used Ergos
are due for a service. New springs and a proper re-assembly should crispen them up further and
reduce mushyness. But in the meantime, try turning cable adjuster clockwise a tiny bit (if indexing
can take it).........

> My shifter needs a good deal of range , its just on the limit of distance my finger can push
> sideways without rolling my hand over... perhaps the 8 o'clock position and it just doesn¹t feel
> ergonomically correct.

I don't mind rolling my hand over a bit (I suggest experimenting more before deciding on what's
egonomically best) - but then my Ergos are due for a service, too. When brand new, the finger levers
needed very little movement and pressure to click. In fact, I found they over-shifted far too
easily. Now, I definitely have to push them in more and I also get that mushy feel. .....I suspect
this is at least partly because I didn't get the springs right when I last attempted to DIY.

> The upshift button shifts very snappy, so I have sort of eliminated cable adjustment (they
> are new)

But there's always some leeway. It's definitely worth experimenting more with this, imo.
(*Fine* tune).

> and when the finger lever moves far enough, it also is nice crisp shift, and of course I get that
> very satisfying Campy "shlink" sound to boot. Is this normal? Is this just new bike jitters?

It's not ALL new bike though.

~PB

 

[Paul Kopit]

On Thu, 01 May 2003 23:27:04 GMT, jim <[email protected]> wrote:

>My shifter needs a good deal of range , its just on the limit of distance my finger can push
>sideways without rolling my hand over... perhaps the 8 o'clock position and it just doesn¹t feel
>ergonomically correct.
>
>The upshift button shifts very snappy, so I have sort of eliminated cable adjustment (they are new)
>and when the finger lever moves far enough, it also is nice crisp shift, and of course I get that
>very satisfying Campy "shlink" sound to boot. Is this normal? Is this just new bike jitters?
>
Get the rear derailleur onto the largest cog. Push the mouse ear down. You should have 8 clicks
before you are in the small ring. Getting back to the largest cog should again have 8 clicks. If you
have fewer, than either the derailleur cable tension is too low or the "G" springs in the right
lever are worn.

 

[Jim C]

A little clarification; the lever travels about an inch before it feels like it engages anything,
then depending on the gear it moves a little more but feels mushy, then it shifts clicks/shifts.
Its the free movement before it even feels mushy that seems to take up most of the range of my
finger travel.

jim

"Fred Clydesdale" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>> I bought the Chorus Ergo 10 spd levers second hand. Since I am used to Shimano rapidfire shifters
>> I have a question about how far the downshift lever (not the thumb button) must be pushed over
>> before it shifts, and whether the action of pushing it over to the left is supposed to feel a
>> little mushy before it snaps over.
>
> i probably don't get the question, but you just push until it (the lever) clicks. are you saying
> that the lever never clicks, and you just push until you hear the chain jump over? then what you
> got is a bad set o'levers.
>
> that said, 8:00 doesn't seem too much. my 9-speeders seem to shift somewhere between 7:30 & 8:00
> (and that's assuming i get started at 6:00, which doesn't happen most mornings).
>
> fc

Jim C

[email protected]

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

ex99125b-<< I bought the Chorus Ergo 10 spd levers second hand. >><BR><BR> << and whether the action
of pushing it over to the left is supposed to feel a little mushy before it snaps over

I would recommend a overhaul of the levers with new shift springs. Easy, not expensive and hopefully
a local bike shop can 'qui si parla Campagnolo', if not, send them to me and I will do it. The shift
should be snappy, altho the wind up spring on the back of the levers does make the feel a wee bit
odd w/o attaching it to a der.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[A Muzi]

> "Fred Clydesdale" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> I bought the Chorus Ergo 10 spd levers second hand. Since I am used to Shimano rapidfire
> >> shifters I have a question about how far the
downshift
> >> lever (not the thumb button) must be pushed over before it shifts, and whether the action of
> >> pushing it over to the left is supposed to feel a little mushy before it snaps over.
> >
> > i probably don't get the question, but you just push until it (the
lever)
> > clicks. are you saying that the lever never clicks, and you just push until you hear the chain
> > jump over? then what you got is a bad set
o'levers.
> >
> > that said, 8:00 doesn't seem too much. my 9-speeders seem to shift
somewhere
> > between 7:30 & 8:00 (and that's assuming i get started at 6:00, which
doesn't
> > happen most mornings).

"jim C" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BAD7D1EA.2391%[email protected]...
> A little clarification; the lever travels about an inch before it feels
like
> it engages anything, then depending on the gear it moves a little more but feels mushy, then it
> shifts clicks/shifts. Its the free movement before it even feels mushy that seems to take up most
> of the range of my finger travel.

My advice is to ride to the neighborhood bike shop, feel a properly set up Ergo (or a few of them)
and see if they feel the same as yours.

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971