Campy 10S Sprockets

[quote="nbfman"]My current ride has Campy Record (2006), and I want to change the sprockets to 12-25 for a lower gear. The stores around here are out of 10S Record and Chorus and do not expect to get more because these models are going to 11S in 2009. Veloce and Centaur are still available in 10S in 2009. My questions are:

1. I am assuming Veloce or Centaur 10S will work with 2006 Record shifter/rear derailleur. Is this correct?

Yes, w/o problem. Veloce is probably the best value on this consumable.

2. An earlier post claimed Veloce sprockets produced more noise than Chorus. The reason was thought to be the lower machining tolerances of Veloce, though some disputed this. Any further thoughts on this point? Is it worth my time to hunt for a 10S Record/Chorus?

Poppycock

3. Comparing Veloce and Centaur in 2009, Veloce is 15 g heavier and the finish is galvanized, as opposed to Nickel-Chromed. Not that I really care about 15 g, but does anyone know why there is this difference in weight? Also, in your experience, how do galvanized vs Ni-Cr finishes compare in areas like corrosion, wear, or others?

Biggest cogs are on a carrier for Centaur, all loose for Veloce..hence the 15g difference. Get Veloce-best value.

Thanks for the advice. I went with Veloce, and it is working fine. I'll see in time if issues come up, but I'm fully satisfied for now by the cost performance (1/4 price of Record).

A few observations to throw into the opinion data base:

1. For Veloce, compared to Record, the finish is not as pretty, and the machining looks uneven / less "crisp" in parts.

2. The spacers are plastic, as opposed to polished/machined metal for Record. The thickness and flatness tolerances of the plastic are surely not as good, so shifting quality may be affected. It has not been a problem for me, but it is just a possibility that came to mind. I'm wondering about whether the plastic might crack or deform over time. I don't expect it to be a problem over the life of the part for a recreational rider like myself (150 lbs, 100-200 km/week).

3. The overall shifting quality and noise are not quite the same as my Record. This could just be the difference between 11-23 (Record) and 12-25 (Veloce), though. I did not change the chain length.

My main reason to change was to get the 25. The 34/25 (compact front) has greatly reduced my suffering on some hills, compared to when I only had a 34/23. So far, the added 15g has not been a big problem .....

I Always use Veloce when buying genuine campag, best value and seems to last very well. Don't be afraid to try aftermarket if the price is right. Im using a Yaban Chain with a removable/reusable link, looks like another popular brand gold chain but cheaper and so far after a couple of thousand km's seems fine.

Dean Thomas said:

I Always use Veloce when buying genuine campag, best value and seems to last very well. Don't be afraid to try aftermarket if the price is right. Im using a Yaban Chain with a removable/reusable link, looks like another popular brand gold chain but cheaper and so far after a couple of thousand km's seems fine.

Hear Hear!!! I only buy Veloce cassettes as I simply cannot justify paying almost double for chorus and much more for centaur. I run Record 2000 and Record 2008 QS levers. Veloce have a nice blue spacer which looks cool!!

nurul said:

Hear Hear!!! I only buy Veloce cassettes as I simply cannot justify paying almost double for chorus and much more for centaur. I run Record 2000 and Record 2008 QS levers. Veloce have a nice blue spacer which looks cool!!

My Veloce had black plastic spacers, except for one, which was a translucent brownish-yellow. I wonder if the blue one you saw is the metal spacer of a previous year Centaur. I read somewhere that Campy does this i.e. a higher grade of one year shifts down to a lower grade the next year with just a change in name. Not sure how true it is, though.