Campy Shifting - Gets Better with Age???

Yes it does get better with a few miles on it.

Kalukis said:

I have a friend who bought a Trek time trial bike, stripped all of the
Shimano components off of it and put Campy stuff on (uncle at Pearl
Harbor). Now he thinks that the Campy stuff does not shift well --
with the brifters on the aero bars--thinks it shifted better with the
Shimano stuff.

I seem to recall hearing that Campy stuff actually has a break-in
period and will work better after a little wear -- any truth to that?

Certainly the Ergo shifter "clicks" get softer, making shifting lighter
and more pleasant, but not necessarily any more accurate. That's about it
as far as shifting goes because I don't think any play from worn (in)
derailleurs helps.

~PB

kal;ukis-<< Now he thinks that the Campy stuff does not shift well -- with the
brifters
on the aero bars--thinks it shifted better with the Shimano stuff. >><BR><BR>

Brifters on the aerobars, with a tight bend of the der housing, will make for
poor shifting.

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

Quoted message said:

I have a friend who bought a Trek time trial bike, stripped all of the
Shimano components off of it and put Campy stuff on (uncle at Pearl

Harbor).

Quoted message said:

Now he thinks that the Campy stuff does not shift well -- with the

brifters

Quoted message said:

on the aero bars--thinks it shifted better with the Shimano stuff.

I seem to recall hearing that Campy stuff actually has a break-in period

and

Quoted message said:

will work better after a little wear -- any truth to that?

Shoulda stuck with the Shimano stuff. Campy is just awful these days. ONLY
KIDDING!!!!!!
Just like to get a rise out of all you Campy fanatics. Sorry.

"Kalukis" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have a friend who bought a Trek time trial bike, stripped all of the
Shimano components off of it and put Campy stuff on (uncle at Pearl Harbor).
Now he thinks that the Campy stuff does not shift well -- with the brifters
on the aero bars--thinks it shifted better with the Shimano stuff.

I seem to recall hearing that Campy stuff actually has a break-in period and
will work better after a little wear -- any truth to that?

Thanks,
Kalukis

Hi Kalukis, Yes, I personally believe there is a break in period with
these, as I've noticed my broken-in Veloce Ergos on my one bike feel a
bit smoother than brand new Record Ergo's on another. (Particularly,
the Brake Levers)
I'm sure my Record Ergo's will smooth out too, as mileage becomes
accumilated, and I properly maintain/lube them.

A Campy Ergo though should shift properly/cleanly right out of the
box. If your friend is experiencing improper shifting, I would examine
all cable routing for proper installation, proper cable housing length
at the rear derailleur. and examine both derailleurs for smooth, bind
free movement. (I'm assuming he used Campy Derailleurs also, correct?)

I also gather from your post that some type of un-orthodox cable
routing arrangement was used? That the Ergos themselves were mounted
on the Aero Bars?
Forgive me if I'm misunderstanding this part you mention.

None the less, they should still work properly I would think, provided
the proper cables/cable housings were used, and good cable routing
practices were implemented.

On my Record Ergo installation, I cut all cable housings to length
with a dremel tool, doubly made sure all ends were clean/perfectly
flat, insured that cables slid smoothly within the housings, and
before insertion of the cable housing into the Ergo Lever, I placed
end caps on the housing, then inserted them into the Ergo Lever. This
gave a very positive, solid seating of the housing into the ergo
without any slop/wobble.

I'm pretty sure the Campy Ergo Manual says to use end caps on the
cable housings, both were they insert into the Ergo, and where they
insert at the Cable adjuster on frame. Can anyone else confirm this as
truth? Peter?
Hope these ideas help. Mark D.

"Kalukis" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have a friend who bought a Trek time trial bike, stripped all of the
Shimano components off of it and put Campy stuff on (uncle at Pearl Harbor).
Now he thinks that the Campy stuff does not shift well -- with the brifters
on the aero bars--thinks it shifted better with the Shimano stuff.

I seem to recall hearing that Campy stuff actually has a break-in period and
will work better after a little wear -- any truth to that?

Thanks,
Kalukis

The bas+@^d won't use Shimano because the japs bombed Hawaii?

Kalukis said:

I seem to recall hearing that Campy stuff actually has a break-in period and
will work better after a little wear -- any truth to that?

I have heard (is this true?) That Shimano grinds away aluminum from
the drivetrain on new brifter bikes so that the Shimano drivetrain is
already "worn" when you buy it. Both freewheel and crankset teeth
have a lower profile, and consequently, a shorter lifespan.

This makes shifting easier and "lighter" on a brand-new Shimano bike,
but it also wears out quickly and needs replacement sooner. This is
not something that Campagnolo would ever do - not even to compete with
Shimano.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

(Evan Evans) said:

"Kalukis" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have a friend who bought a Trek time trial bike, stripped all of the
Shimano components off of it and put Campy stuff on (uncle at Pearl Harbor).
Now he thinks that the Campy stuff does not shift well -- with the brifters
on the aero bars--thinks it shifted better with the Shimano stuff.

I seem to recall hearing that Campy stuff actually has a break-in period and
will work better after a little wear -- any truth to that?

Thanks,
Kalukis

Quoted message said:

The bas+@^d won't use Shimano because the japs bombed Hawaii?

Some people hold a grudge.

If one's going to hold a grudge getting family bombed is a better reason than
most.

Something the Japanese might have considered aforehand.

Ron

Donald Gillies said:

Kalukis said:

I seem to recall hearing that Campy stuff actually has a break-in period and
will work better after a little wear -- any truth to that?

I have heard (is this true?) That Shimano grinds away aluminum from
the drivetrain on new brifter bikes so that the Shimano drivetrain is
already "worn" when you buy it. Both freewheel and crankset teeth
have a lower profile, and consequently, a shorter lifespan.

This makes shifting easier and "lighter" on a brand-new Shimano bike,
but it also wears out quickly and needs replacement sooner. This is
not something that Campagnolo would ever do - not even to compete with
Shimano.

wow don, that's a good one. truth is, both campy & shimano carefully
machine profiling into their gears to facilitate & contol chain movement
down to fractions of a millimeter - it creates a system with smooth
reliable shifting.

think about it: "low profile" teeth are all that's necessary - anything
past the center line of the chain roller carries no load. the material
above that is purely a function of controlling chain movement as it
meshes on & off the cog. trust in the fact that there is no room for
fudge on modern 10-speed systems - everything you see is the result of
careful research.

regarding wear, sure, stuff wears, but it's a function or environment,
not design as such. material quality on both campy & shimano is pretty
much identical on comparable level grouppos. strictly speaking, if we
were worried about wear, we'd all be using hub gears & enclosed chains.
the claim that campy lasts longer than shimano has certainly not been
my experience.

(Donald Gillies) said:

Kalukis said:

I seem to recall hearing that Campy stuff actually has a break-in period and
will work better after a little wear -- any truth to that?

I have heard (is this true?) That Shimano grinds away aluminum from
the drivetrain on new brifter bikes so that the Shimano drivetrain is
already "worn" when you buy it. Both freewheel and crankset teeth
have a lower profile, and consequently, a shorter lifespan.

This makes shifting easier and "lighter" on a brand-new Shimano bike,
but it also wears out quickly and needs replacement sooner. This is
not something that Campagnolo would ever do - not even to compete with
Shimano.

I've noticed a couple other things about them. Not only does their stuff wear
out (like everything else) they are not designed to accept repair, there are no
parts and by then they've got a new system on the market that's not necessarily
compatible with all the other stuff on your bike.

I guess it's good marketing.

Ron

RonSonic <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

(Evan Evans) said:

"Kalukis" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have a friend who bought a Trek time trial bike, stripped all of the
Shimano components off of it and put Campy stuff on (uncle at Pearl Harbor).
Now he thinks that the Campy stuff does not shift well -- with the brifters
on the aero bars--thinks it shifted better with the Shimano stuff.

I seem to recall hearing that Campy stuff actually has a break-in period and
will work better after a little wear -- any truth to that?

Thanks,
Kalukis

Quoted message said:

The bas+@^d won't use Shimano because the japs bombed Hawaii?

Some people hold a grudge.

If one's going to hold a grudge getting family bombed is a better reason than
most.

Something the Japanese might have considered aforehand.

Ron

I the guy wants to be a "RACIST" it's his problem. Its not any
different than hating Jews. Try getting away with that today.

RonSonic said:

I've noticed a couple other things about them. Not only does their stuff wear
out (like everything else) they are not designed to accept repair, there are no
parts and by then they've got a new system on the market that's not necessarily
compatible with all the other stuff on your bike.

I guess it's good marketing.

Ron

*YAWN*

- There are many examples of Shimano bikes that stay good year after year. One of our best racers on the club runs with shimano new 105 0f 1990. I see so many happy Shimano users on bikes older as 4-5 years. Considering I yet have to replace a part on my 1992 Ultegra training bike that I take the "Shimano wears out fast" with a few bags of salt.
-Shimano parts are MUCH better available as Campy parts(More stores, large service section). Shimano holds spareparts longer as campa.
- The only part hard to get repaired is the STI shifter. They don't wear out easily(Some campa Ergos did wear out), but as it is a part wich is prone to fall damage this bites. That siad, this is for the vast majority of users a non-issue.
-The Shimano obsoletes its own parts is amusing to all those who went to Campa nine-speed. Campa did the same thing *shrug*. As Shimano holds spareparts for a long period this is a nonissue.

At this moment I prefer Campa, make no mistake.

But I have ridden Shimano long enough to be blinded by blatant mis-information. And especially the service/availability of the Shimano parts is second to none. One of the great things about Shimano is that every shop has it and every store can order your part. That's the advantage of the market leader .. volume. With Campa you have less shops to pick from. If you have limited options this might mean you have to travel to find a service point.

RonSonic <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

(Donald Gillies) said:

Kalukis said:

I seem to recall hearing that Campy stuff actually has a break-in period and
will work better after a little wear -- any truth to that?

I have heard (is this true?) That Shimano grinds away aluminum from
the drivetrain on new brifter bikes so that the Shimano drivetrain is
already "worn" when you buy it. Both freewheel and crankset teeth
have a lower profile, and consequently, a shorter lifespan.

This makes shifting easier and "lighter" on a brand-new Shimano bike,
but it also wears out quickly and needs replacement sooner. This is
not something that Campagnolo would ever do - not even to compete with
Shimano.

I've noticed a couple other things about them. Not only does their stuff wear
out (like everything else) they are not designed to accept repair, there are no
parts and by then they've got a new system on the market that's not necessarily
compatible with all the other stuff on your bike.

I guess it's good marketing.

Ron

Some of the old Campy stuff like syncro , syncro 2 & record OR you
could rebuild all day long & it still wouldn't work. Thats how Shimano
got to be on top. Just a bit of history. We are talking history.

(Evan Evans) said:

RonSonic <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

(Evan Evans) said:

"Kalukis" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
> I have a friend who bought a Trek time trial bike, stripped all of the
> Shimano components off of it and put Campy stuff on (uncle at Pearl Harbor).
> Now he thinks that the Campy stuff does not shift well -- with the brifters
> on the aero bars--thinks it shifted better with the Shimano stuff.
>
> I seem to recall hearing that Campy stuff actually has a break-in period and
> will work better after a little wear -- any truth to that?
>
> Thanks,
> Kalukis

Quoted message said:

The bas+@^d won't use Shimano because the japs bombed Hawaii?

Some people hold a grudge.

If one's going to hold a grudge getting family bombed is a better reason than
most.

Something the Japanese might have considered aforehand.

Ron

I the guy wants to be a "RACIST" it's his problem.

Does that apply when someone hates Americans? Just asking.

Quoted message said:

Its not any
different than hating Jews. Try getting away with that today.

Actually, it seems you're still allowed to hate anyone you like. Thought-crime
control doesn't seem to have been fully implemented yet.

Ron