Mixing Campag Ergo levers & shimano chainset - is it possible ?

[Pete A]

Dont know if anyone has had experience of doing this - Im in the
process of upgrading an old Galaxy, and am looking at suitable gearing
options. My first choice was to fit bar end levers, and shimano
throughout. However I like the look of campag ergo levers, but the
campag chainsets are too high ratios (want a 22/32/42 at front) - if I
fit a campag hub, etc at rear (and is this possible on an early 80's
galaxy ??) and shimano chainset will this setup work ? I was thinking
about this because I know the campag ergo levers are not fully indexed
at the front, as they use a type of ratchet mechanism instead. Anyone
done this before, or can give me advice ?? Cheers.

 

[MSeries]

Pete A wrote:
> Dont know if anyone has had experience of doing this - Im in the
> process of upgrading an old Galaxy, and am looking at suitable gearing
> options. My first choice was to fit bar end levers, and shimano
> throughout. However I like the look of campag ergo levers, but the
> campag chainsets are too high ratios (want a 22/32/42 at front) - if I
> fit a campag hub, etc at rear (and is this possible on an early 80's
> galaxy ??) and shimano chainset will this setup work ? I was thinking
> about this because I know the campag ergo levers are not fully indexed
> at the front, as they use a type of ratchet mechanism instead. Anyone
> done this before, or can give me advice ?? Cheers.


With a campag rear end and front mech you are essentially all compag.
Many people use other chainsets with no problems. Friction front mechs
are so so forgiving, I'd give it a go.

 

[Clive George]

"MSeries" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Pete A wrote:
> > Dont know if anyone has had experience of doing this - Im in the
> > process of upgrading an old Galaxy, and am looking at suitable gearing
> > options. My first choice was to fit bar end levers, and shimano
> > throughout. However I like the look of campag ergo levers, but the
> > campag chainsets are too high ratios (want a 22/32/42 at front) - if I
> > fit a campag hub, etc at rear (and is this possible on an early 80's
> > galaxy ??) and shimano chainset will this setup work ? I was thinking
> > about this because I know the campag ergo levers are not fully indexed
> > at the front, as they use a type of ratchet mechanism instead. Anyone
> > done this before, or can give me advice ?? Cheers.
>
>
> With a campag rear end and front mech you are essentially all compag.
> Many people use other chainsets with no problems. Friction front mechs
> are so so forgiving, I'd give it a go.

Further to this, you can use what ever chainset and front mech you like -
I've got shimano at the front and it works fine.

Campag hub will be 130mm OLN, 80's galaxy will probably be 126mm OLN, so you
should be fine with that with a suitable bit of bending. (look up 'cold
set'.)

cheers,
clive

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <[email protected]>, Pete A
('[email protected]') wrote:

> Dont know if anyone has had experience of doing this - Im in the
> process of upgrading an old Galaxy, and am looking at suitable gearing
> options. My first choice was to fit bar end levers, and shimano
> throughout. However I like the look of campag ergo levers, but the
> campag chainsets are too high ratios (want a 22/32/42 at front) - if I
> fit a campag hub, etc at rear (and is this possible on an early 80's
> galaxy ??) and shimano chainset will this setup work ?

You can certainly fit a Specialites TA chainset with a Campag ten speed
setup, and you can get the rings you want for that. Alternatively, if
you look for old 9 speed Campag stuff on eBay, it should (I think) work
with a Shimano chainset.

At least up until ten speed the *internal* width of the chain (which is
what matters at the chainset end) did not change. I'm not sure about
ten speed.

> I was thinking
> about this because I know the campag ergo levers are not fully indexed
> at the front, as they use a type of ratchet mechanism instead.

That's not really true. The right hand shifter (rear mech) is indexed;
the left hand has a similar mechanism to the right but works
effectively as a ratchet. But yes, this does mean you can trim the
front mech.

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

;; All in all you're just another hick in the mall
-- Drink C'lloid

 

[Pete Biggs]

To back up what others are saying: Yes you can use any chainset and any
front mech with Campag Ergos (at least for Mirage upwards), single, double
or triple.

I recommend Mirage or better model for the "proper" Ergo function. Xenon
Ergos are different.

~PB

 

[anderson]

To back up what others are saying: Yes you can use any chainset and any
front mech with Campag Ergos (at least for Mirage upwards), single, double
or triple.

I recommend Mirage or better model for the "proper" Ergo function. Xenon
Ergos are different.

~PB

How would the old 8s Avanti model compare to the Xenon and Mirage?

maander.

 

[Pete Biggs]

anderson wrote:

>> I recommend Mirage or better model for the "proper" Ergo function.
>> Xenon
>> Ergos are different.

> How would the old 8s Avanti model compare to the Xenon and Mirage?

I had a pair of those. Quite different from the current 9sp models (I now
have Mirage and Chorus 9sp Ergos). The old ones have larger bodies with
more pointed hoods--not so comfortable in the opinion of most Campag
users, I think (mine anyway), and shifting is not as slick. I reckon
current Mirage are better despite the plastic levers--good value for money
considering a full set of cables and stops is included, and they can be
rebuilt and upgraded.

I can't comment too much on Xenon Ergos as I've not used them but I know
the innards are completely different and you can't shift up (to smaller
rear sprockets) more than one gear at a time. There's something odd about
the front shifter as well. Ergo design is /basically/ the same from
Mirage to Record.

Note. Avanti was the bottom group but the Ergos were not like Xenon's;
could change up more than one gear at once. Springs are likely to be at
least half worn out in second-hand Ergos (old or new style).

~PB

 

[[email protected]]

Pete Biggs wrote:
> anderson wrote:
>
> >> I recommend Mirage or better model for the "proper" Ergo function.
> >> Xenon
> >> Ergos are different.
>
> > How would the old 8s Avanti model compare to the Xenon and Mirage?
>
> I had a pair of those. Quite different from the current 9sp models
(I now
> have Mirage and Chorus 9sp Ergos). The old ones have larger bodies
with
> more pointed hoods--not so comfortable in the opinion of most Campag
> users, I think (mine anyway), and shifting is not as slick. I reckon
> current Mirage are better despite the plastic levers--good value for
money
> considering a full set of cables and stops is included, and they can
be
> rebuilt and upgraded.
>
> I can't comment too much on Xenon Ergos as I've not used them but I
know
> the innards are completely different and you can't shift up (to
smaller
> rear sprockets) more than one gear at a time. There's something odd
about
> the front shifter as well. Ergo design is /basically/ the same from
> Mirage to Record.
>
> Note. Avanti was the bottom group but the Ergos were not like
Xenon's;
> could change up more than one gear at once. Springs are likely to be
at
> least half worn out in second-hand Ergos (old or new style).
>
>


Another difference (apart from the lever bodies) of the cheaper 8sp
Ergo levers is that some models used a one-piece plastic "wishbone" for
both up & down shifts, rather than the usual lever + button
arrangement. This is certainly true of the Stratos ones I owned (a poor
design, with too much substitution of plastic for metal), and may be
the case with some Avantis too.
By the way, the comment about the Xenon design is correct; on a similar
principle to Shimano, the shift to smaller cogs is strictly
'one-at-a-time'.

David E. Belcher

 

[anderson]

I can't comment too much on Xenon Ergos as I've not used them but I know
the innards are completely different and you can't shift up (to smaller
rear sprockets) more than one gear at a time. There's something odd about
the front shifter as well. Ergo design is /basically/ the same from
Mirage to Record.

Note. Avanti was the bottom group but the Ergos were not like Xenon's;
could change up more than one gear at once. Springs are likely to be at
least half worn out in second-hand Ergos (old or new style).

~PB[/QUOTE]

The reason I mentioned the Avanti 8s ergos was because I bought a second
hand pair (less than 100 miles on them) for £40 as back up for the 8s Record
that I have on one of my bikes. I haven't yet come across any other second
hand (or new old stock) Record or Chorus 8s ergos.

anderson