Veloce question

[lookout2015]

Ok, first time I've used Veloce. Put on new Veloce shifters, and the rear is working fine. On the front one, shifting with the lever to larger chain rings is ok, but is incredibly stiff when using the thumb release to shift to smaller chain rings. It almost feels like I'm forcing something to get it to shift

Any thoughts on things to check? I used new cables and new housing and they seem clean. The FD seems properly trimmed

Did I get a bad lever or is there something else I should be adjusting? Is there an indexing function in the shifter I'm missing or anything like that?

In some googling I hit a couple of references to needing to ream out something with an awl on new Veloce for smooth thumb operation. I couldn't tell from the description where they were saying to ream. Does that sound familiar to anyone?

Only thing I know that's mechanically wrong with the bike is the chain rings are a bit worn. I have new ones on order -- but in the mean time that will cause slipping and rough shifts, but not extreme force just to get the thumb lever to move, right?

[oldpotatoe]

Ok, first time I've used Veloce. Put on new Veloce shifters, and the rear is working fine. On the front one, shifting with the lever to larger chain rings is ok, but is incredibly stiff when using the thumb release to shift to smaller chain rings. It almost feels like I'm forcing something to get it to shift

Any thoughts on things to check? I used new cables and new housing and they seem clean. The FD seems properly trimmed

Did I get a bad lever or is there something else I should be adjusting? Is there an indexing function in the shifter I'm missing or anything like that?

In some googling I hit a couple of references to needing to ream out something with an awl on new Veloce for smooth thumb operation. I couldn't tell from the description where they were saying to ream. Does that sound familiar to anyone?

Only thing I know that's mechanically wrong with the bike is the chain rings are a bit worn. I have new ones on order -- but in the mean time that will cause slipping and rough shifts, but not extreme force just to get the thumb lever to move, right?

Make sure the housing is cut cleanly and the housing is long enough, seated in the lever. Newest shape, I assume..there is a wee brass washer in the lever that the housing buts against. If that gets turned sideways when you push the cable thru the first time.it may be that. MUST use 4mm housing and NO ferrule in the lever. Again for the latest version of ERGO, 'Gumby' shaped levers.

The reaming gig was first gen UT shifters( I assume these are Powershift-one higher gear at a time with the thumb button)...cuz the take up spool was dragging on the lever body. A running change for a new, black, smaller one, fixed that.

[carpediemracing]

If you're coming off of nicer Campy shifters the new shifters like the Veloce will require more force. I noticed this when I started using, on one of my bikes, Centaur shifters (I was looking for the new shape and the one shift max for the right thumb shifter). I'm comparing this to a variety of the older shape 10s shifters - in our household we have Centaur, Athena?, Chorus, and Record.

Part of that super tight bit is cable tension. If you have to really overcome cable tension to shift into the big ring then that cable tension will make it harder to push the thumb button down. It may be that you need to reduce tension just a touch.

On my bike I can only use two gears in the back before I trim to the "outside" (on the big ring, and I'm not counting the big-big). The derailleur seems a bit more to the inside. To be fair I'm using an older Campy 10s front derailleur (Chorus, if it makes a difference).

The other thing is that the new levers were designed to be used with narrower cable housing. If you don't use narrower housing then the end of the housing can move around a bit, especially under pressure/tension. I am using Nokons so I used a drill bit to ream out the housing stop area, making them wider. Campy covered this specifically when they ran their clinics at the introduction of their new shape shifters.

I don't work on stuff much any more, just my own and maybe a couple friends' stuff, but this has been my experience. I hope this helps.

[Ralph]

I have Centaur Power Shift 10 speed on one of my bikes. With Centaur 10 front and rear derailleurs. For me.....to make it work well, I needed the FD cable to be on the snug side.....no slack. It makes the upshift from 39 to 52 about the same as the Ultra Shift on my other bike. But down shift it just slams the shift. Push the button....and slam it down shifts. If button seems not to want to push down....like it's stuck or something, maybe you have it too tight, caught on the indent of the upshift, so maybe it needs just a tad more cable travel.....but don't give it too much cable travel, or it won't slam the down shift. You have to make the cable travel so where you want the FD to stop is at or barely beyond the click. Otherwise when you upshift, the FD goes to the end of it's travel, then settles back on the last click. Then, when you set the stops for FD travel, you will find yourself constantly trimming FD. In line cable adjusters are your friend here.

And BTW.....I never have to trim the FD....Can run the whole cassette on either front ring without moving FD. Gotta get the FD and cable adjusted right. It's a little different than older Campy 10's where FD shifter was sorta like a friction shifter. It's not.

[#campyuserftw]

NO ferrule in the lever.

+1

Many people make this mistake: place a ferrule onto the cable housing and stick it into the lever.

[mtechnica]

The campy veloce shifters are pretty stiff feeling before they break in. Also I use a dura ace FD with mine and I don't have to trim at all, it also shifts flawlessly. The veloce FD is suspect IMO.

[JAGI410]

My veloce shifter/fd work great. I suspect too much cable tension/improper housing prep.

[lookout2015]

All, thanks for the suggestions. I looked more at the tension and barrel adjuster, and after replacing the barrel adjuster down shifts are working much better

[oldpotatoe]

+1

Many people make this mistake: place a ferrule onto the cable housing and stick it into the lever.

Well, you DO use a ferrule in the previous models, made before 2009...I've seen more than one with a ferrule on the housing, butted against the lever body, on the new shape. Wonder where these guys get their training.

[R2D2]

Well, you DO use a ferrule in the previous models, made before 2009...I've seen more than one with a ferrule on the housing, butted against the lever body, on the new shape. Wonder where these guys get their training.


I'm with you.
You don't even need much training.
It's all online and just requires some reading.
http://www.campagnolo.com/jsp/en/doc/doccatid_4.jsp
Old Shape:
• Front and rear derailleurs’ casings
have been pre-lubricated with a spe
-
cial grease, which has been inserted
in the half of the casing where there
are no “Campagnolo” logos and on
which an end-cap has been pre-
mounted.
This is the end of the casing that must
be inserted into the appropriate slot
in the Ergopower body; if the casing
needs to be shortened, the other
end (with the double “Campagnolo”
logo and without the end-cap) must
be cut.

New Shape:
•
Insert the end of the sheath into the
provided housing in the body of the
control (Fig. 12) Ensure that the sheath
rests perfectly on the bushing fixed on
the body.

[AngryScientist]

i have a bike with new generation centaur shifters, and i will say this: like a good pair of leather shoes, they required some break in, and are getting better with some miles on them. they were a little stiff at first, but the shifting has just gotten better over the miles.