Campy Shifter question

[parco]

I recently converted to a Campy Athena group from Shimano. The right hand shifter controls the rear derailleur. The thumb lever shifts to higher gears and the brake lever switches to to lower gears. To me it would make more sense to have the thumb lever shift to lower gears because my hands would be on the hoods and have the brake lever shift to higher gears because my hands would be in the drop position. Is this possible? Could the function of these two levers be reversed?

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by parco

I recently converted to a Campy Athena group from Shimano. The right hand shifter controls the rear derailleur. The thumb lever shifts to higher gears and the brake lever switches to to lower gears. To me it would make more sense to have the thumb lever shift to lower gears because my hands would be on the hoods and have the brake lever shift to higher gears because my hands would be in the drop position. Is this possible? Could the function of these two levers be reversed?

No sir, not possible...

[Black Dog]

Shifters use the longer lever to overcome the spring tension in the Rear Derailleur . This is the case for SRAM, Shimano, and Campy. There is too much force needed to move the RD up the cassette to allow for a small lever like the thumb lever.

[dddd]

There are ways to make a "low normal" or reverse-action Shimano derailer work with Ergolevers, but these are long-cage derailers in most cases.

Perhaps a mid-cage, low-normal rear derailer can be located on Ebay, they have been out of production for several years afaik.

Good Luck!

[ultraman6970]

Move to electronic and then you will have the buttons any place you want

[FlashUNC]

Campy's shift levers/buttons "push" the chain in direction you're looking to travel for each shifter. The finger lever moves the chain up to the big ring on the LH shifter, the thumb shifter dumps it down. On the RH, the same is true. The finger lever "pushes" the chain up to an easier gear, while the thumb does the same for harder ones.

If you can't shift the thumb button in the drops, it's time to readjust your lever position.

[jtakeda]

If the ergonomics of the lever don't fit your hand maybe try a different position.

If it's just the mental aspect of knowing which directions shifts up and down you'll get used to it quick

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by parco

To me it would make more sense to have the thumb lever shift to lower gears because my hands would be on the hoods and have the brake lever shift to higher gears because my hands would be in the drop position.

This largely depends on your shifter position, handlebar shape, and hand position. For me, my shifters are positioned on my handlebars so that when I'm in the drops, my hands are just below the shifters (index fingers touching the bottoms of the hoods), so both the downshift lever and upshift button are within easy reach of my fingers and thumb, respectively.

As the others have said, the upshift lever is longer, because it needs more leverage to counteract the derailleur return spring, while the upshift button needs less fork because it works in the same direction of the return spring.

The suggestion of using low normal derailleur (plus a cable travel conversion device) theoretically could work to reverse the action of the shifter, but may require more compromises than you might like.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

This largely depends on your shifter position, handlebar shape, and hand position. For me, my shifters are positioned on my handlebars so that when I'm in the drops, my hands are just below the shifters (index fingers touching the bottoms of the hoods), so both the downshift lever and upshift button are within easy reach of my fingers and thumb, respectively.

As the others have said, the upshift lever is longer, because it needs more leverage to counteract the derailleur return spring, while the upshift button needs less fork because it works in the same direction of the return spring.

The suggestion of using low normal derailleur (plus a cable travel conversion device) theoretically could work to reverse the action of the shifter, but may require more compromises than you might like.

Plus being a shimano 'backfire plus', rear der

[Ronsonic]

I do recall I was on the mountain bike for almost year, got on my Campy
Ergo equipped bike and dumped the cassette to the smallest cog as I started up a steep overpass. Eventually my idiot thumb and index finger figured this out.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Campy's shift levers/buttons "push" the chain in direction you're looking to travel for each shifter. The finger lever moves the chain up to the big ring on the LH shifter, the thumb shifter dumps it down. On the RH, the same is true. The finger lever "pushes" the chain up to an easier gear, while the thumb does the same for harder ones.

I've never used the other brands, but from what I gather Campy's setup is the most intuitive for this very reason. You've got up and down separated enough, both in terms of their physical distance from each other and the uniqueness of the mechanical motion required by the fingers and thumb, that you're virtually guaranteed never to go wrong when looking to shift in the heat of the moment.

All of which is a fancy way to say I'm a Campy fanboy!

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by rousseau

I've never used the other brands, but from what I gather Campy's setup is the most intuitive for this very reason. You've got up and down separated enough, both in terms of their physical distance from each other and the uniqueness of the mechanical motion required by the fingers and thumb, that you're virtually guaranteed never to go wrong when looking to shift in the heat of the moment.

All of which is a fancy way to say I'm a Campy fanboy!

Mee too...either side, big lever, bigger cog or chainring, smaller lever(thumb button), smaller ring or cog...easy.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Mee too...either side, big lever, bigger cog or chainring, smaller lever(thumb button), smaller ring or cog...easy.

Campagnolo Ergopower controls literally mimic the corresponding movement of the derailleurs. For the right shifter, Rotating the big lever inward (to the left) rotates the rear derailleur parallelogram inward (to the left). Rotating the button downward/outward rotates the rear derailleur parallogram outward (to the right). The left shifter does the same thing for the front derailleur.

Having learned to shift with downtube shifters, and already understanding how the derailleur operates, the Campagnolo system was immediately intuitive to me.

For those coming from other experiences, maybe the Shimano or SRAM systems are more intuitive. (Although I still can't figure out how pushing both right and left levers simultaneously to toggle the front derailleur is intuitive to anyone. But then, SRAM hasn't really figured out front shifting, and appears to be trying to eliminate it.)

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

For those coming from other experiences, maybe the Shimano or SRAM systems are more intuitive. (Although I still can't figure out how pushing both right and left levers simultaneously to toggle the front derailleur is intuitive to anyone. But then, SRAM hasn't really figured out front shifting, and appears to be trying to eliminate it.)

Eh? What kind of black magic is this?

[bikinchris]

Originally Posted by rousseau

Eh? What kind of black magic is this?

It's what people on the Internet say all the time. It makes no difference that the reality is SRAM shifts both the front and rear perfectly fine.