Anything special about Campy shift cables?

email hidden said:

I'm new to the Campy world, having purchased a set of Veloce
brifters. (I'm attempting to shift a 9-sp triple Shimano drivetrain
with a Campy racing triple fder and Shiftmate equipped Shimano rder).

The LBS told me to be sure to use the 4.5 mm Campy shifter cable
housings. Something about the pre-installed ferrule fits in the
shifter with no slop (something like that). So I have the Campy cable
kit.

For future reference, I was wondering about the shifter cables. They
look the same as Shimano and Aztec cables that I have on the shelf.
Will these work well if substituted?

There are alternative shifter cables that are available. I've used
these and they seem to be fine:

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=535410488099&c=Repair-Parts&sc=Cable-and-Housing&tc=Cables-Campagnolo

However, I agree with your LBS about the Campy cable housing as they
not only have a nice fit, but are very stiff.

Quoted message said:

I'm new to the Campy world, having purchased a set of Veloce
brifters. (I'm attempting to shift a 9-sp triple Shimano drivetrain
with a Campy racing triple fder and Shiftmate equipped Shimano rder).

The LBS told me to be sure to use the 4.5 mm Campy shifter cable
housings. Something about the pre-installed ferrule fits in the
shifter with no slop (something like that). So I have the Campy cable
kit.

For future reference, I was wondering about the shifter cables. They
look the same as Shimano and Aztec cables that I have on the shelf.
Will these work well if substituted?

I don't know about the outers, but a Campag inner gear cable is 1.2mm,
same as a Shimano one, but has a much smaller ferrule. However every
time I need a new cable none of the useless LBSs ever have anything
except Shimano ones so I just file down the ferrule until it fits and
that seems to be OK.

According to one LBS the bigger ferrule is OK in later brifters anyway.
I don't know if that's true or not.

But get Campag ones mail-order if you have time.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'm new to the Campy world, having purchased a set of Veloce
brifters. (I'm attempting to shift a 9-sp triple Shimano drivetrain
with a Campy racing triple fder and Shiftmate equipped Shimano rder).
The LBS told me to be sure to use the 4.5 mm Campy shifter cable
housings. Something about the pre-installed ferrule fits in the
shifter with no slop (something like that). So I have the Campy cable
kit.
For future reference, I was wondering about the shifter cables. They
look the same as Shimano and Aztec cables that I have on the shelf.
Will these work well if substituted?

Ben C said:

I don't know about the outers, but a Campag inner gear cable is 1.2mm,
same as a Shimano one, but has a much smaller ferrule. However every
time I need a new cable none of the useless LBSs ever have anything
except Shimano ones so I just file down the ferrule until it fits and
that seems to be OK.
According to one LBS the bigger ferrule is OK in later brifters anyway.
I don't know if that's true or not.
But get Campag ones mail-order if you have time.

Semantic moment:
Shimano wire heads are larger; Ergo gear wire heads are smaller.

Ferrules cap the end of the casing and/or adapt it to various fittings.
Plastic ferrules are generally trouble, Camagnolo's are metal which may
be why your source suggested them. (OT: 'ferrule' is a Latin cognate,
'little carrier'😉

Crimps slip over the other end and prevent fraying.

Yes, there are several Ergo sized aftermarket gear wires if for some
reason you prefer not an original Campagnolo.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

A Muzi said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'm new to the Campy world, having purchased a set of Veloce
brifters. (I'm attempting to shift a 9-sp triple Shimano drivetrain
with a Campy racing triple fder and Shiftmate equipped Shimano rder).
The LBS told me to be sure to use the 4.5 mm Campy shifter cable
housings. Something about the pre-installed ferrule fits in the
shifter with no slop (something like that). So I have the Campy cable
kit.
For future reference, I was wondering about the shifter cables. They
look the same as Shimano and Aztec cables that I have on the shelf.
Will these work well if substituted?

Ben C said:

I don't know about the outers, but a Campag inner gear cable is 1.2mm,
same as a Shimano one, but has a much smaller ferrule. However every
time I need a new cable none of the useless LBSs ever have anything
except Shimano ones so I just file down the ferrule until it fits and
that seems to be OK.
According to one LBS the bigger ferrule is OK in later brifters anyway.
I don't know if that's true or not.
But get Campag ones mail-order if you have time.

Semantic moment:
Shimano wire heads are larger; Ergo gear wire heads are smaller.

Thanks for the clarification. I was mistakenly referring to the wire
head as the "ferrule".

Quoted message said:

Ferrules cap the end of the casing and/or adapt it to various fittings.
Plastic ferrules are generally trouble, Camagnolo's are metal which may
be why your source suggested them. (OT: 'ferrule' is a Latin cognate,
'little carrier'😉

I thought I should have known that so looked it up in a dictionary. I
don't think it's anything to do with 'ferre' (carry), but they say is
related to a different word 'viriola' (bracelet). Apparently also
"influenced" by the word 'ferrum' meaning iron.

Anyway it was because of my misunderstanding that I thought the OP's
source must be talking about where the wire-head fits into the brifter.
I see now that the ferrule is actually on the outer.

Ben C said:

A Muzi said:

Ben C said:

I don't know about the outers, but a Campag inner gear cable is 1.2mm,
same as a Shimano one, but has a much smaller ferrule. However every
time I need a new cable none of the useless LBSs ever have anything
except Shimano ones so I just file down the ferrule until it fits and
that seems to be OK.
According to one LBS the bigger ferrule is OK in later brifters anyway.
I don't know if that's true or not.
But get Campag ones mail-order if you have time.

Quoted message said:

Semantic moment:
Shimano wire heads are larger; Ergo gear wire heads are smaller.

Thanks for the clarification. I was mistakenly referring to the wire
head as the "ferrule".

Anyway it was because of my misunderstanding that I thought the OP's
source must be talking about where the wire-head fits into the brifter.
I see now that the ferrule is actually on the outer.-

I'm the OP. The LBS was talking about the cable housing ("casing" in
Campy terms) fitting into the brifter.

If I understand you correctly, you were talking about the small
cylinder at the head of the shifter cables (not the housing).

So you're saying that the Shimano's don't fit unless you file the
small cylinder down a bit?

Quoted message said:

So you're saying that the Shimano's don't fit unless you file the
small cylinder down a bit?

In my past experience, they will goin it but they will be really hard to
get back out. I've had to resort to drilling some of them out on a bike I
bought. They seem to be small enough to force in but are too big to remove
easily.
Lyle

Quoted message said:

I'm new to the Campy world, having purchased a set of Veloce
brifters. (I'm attempting to shift a 9-sp triple Shimano drivetrain
with a Campy racing triple fder and Shiftmate equipped Shimano rder).

The LBS told me to be sure to use the 4.5 mm Campy shifter cable
housings. Something about the pre-installed ferrule fits in the
shifter with no slop (something like that). So I have the Campy cable
kit.

For future reference, I was wondering about the shifter cables. They
look the same as Shimano and Aztec cables that I have on the shelf.
Will these work well if substituted?

TIA,
Tom

yes, substitutes work just fine, /but/ there is a difference with campy
cables - one good, one bad.

good: if you examine the strands under a magnifier, they're very smooth
and carefully drawn. this leads to a much superior fatigue life.
they're also made of high quality stainless and won't rust under normal
conditions, unlike cheapo "stainless" cables that do.

bad: [or rather, less good] the cable is not subsequently die drawn
after braiding. this makes it very marginally less smooth in operation.
that doesn't matter much to a lot of people, but if you're riding in
mud and rain, a smoother cable means it'll shift a little while longer
before it starts to stick.

Quoted message said:

On Oct 1, 3:13 pm, Ben C <[email hidden]> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Anyway it was because of my misunderstanding that I thought the OP's
source must be talking about where the wire-head fits into the brifter.
I see now that the ferrule is actually on the outer.-

I'm the OP. The LBS was talking about the cable housing ("casing" in
Campy terms) fitting into the brifter.

If I understand you correctly, you were talking about the small
cylinder at the head of the shifter cables (not the housing).

So you're saying that the Shimano's don't fit unless you file the
small cylinder down a bit?

That was what I have found, yes.

email hidden said:

I'm new to the Campy world, having purchased a set of Veloce
brifters. (I'm attempting to shift a 9-sp triple Shimano drivetrain
with a Campy racing triple fder and Shiftmate equipped Shimano rder).

The LBS told me to be sure to use the 4.5 mm Campy shifter cable
housings. Something about the pre-installed ferrule fits in the
shifter with no slop (something like that). So I have the Campy cable
kit.

Poppycock. Any 5mm ferrules(for shifter ONLY) fits into the shifter
and I get rid of the 4.5mm stuff asap..using lined 5mm instead, with a
good, small end inner wire..we use jagwire for Campagnolo, very nice
and not expensive.

Quoted message said:

For future reference, I was wondering about the shifter cables. They
look the same as Shimano and Aztec cables that I have on the shelf.
Will these work well if substituted?

shimano type have a larger end and should NOT be used. Campaf type
work fine with shimano/Sram, BTW-

Quoted message said:

TIA,
Tom