Campy 9 Speed Shifter Question

[rrudoff]

I have an older ~2003 Pinarello SL with Veloce 9 speed, it is in Italy where my wife is living right now, so I do not have most of my tools and have to have a shop work on it. I recently broke a chain (pulled out two links and continued the ride in about 10 minutes being careful to avoid big-big much impressing my wife) and since I was having some mid range skipping problem with the cassette along with a new chain I replaced the old 13-26 cassette with a new Veloce Ultradrive 13-28. I have had the bike about 3 years and ride it when I am in Italy, which is every month or so for a week. It is in good shape, but no idea of the provenance of all the hardware.

When the shop in Firenze replaced the cassette and chain, the mechanic Enzo (of course), who is super experienced, had a hard time tuning the rear derailleur. After some work, including a new cable, he felt the right shifter was somewhat damaged. It still shifts, but does not index very accurately, which I would tend to agree with. It may have been one of the issues all along with the skipping. The drivetrain is noisy and I would really like to improve this.

In any case, he did not have a new or used shifter available due to its age and suggested I look for one on Ebay. I have been looking at various options, but I am not sure if Campagnolo made any changes in indexing over the year that could trick me up. I have seen 9 speed Record, Chorus, Athena, and Daytona at various times and of various vintages. I have also seen New 9 speed Xenon shifters, which look kind of plastic, but perhaps they would do the job. I have tried looking online at the history of the Ergopower shifters, but it does not seem to be very clear overall.

Can anyone give me some guidance as to what will work or not work? I do not really want to replace the whole drivetrain, I only spent 600 Eur on the bike and don't want to double my investment, I would just get something else. I have attached a couple pictures, one of the external view of the shifters, and one of the part number label under the hood. I tried looking up the part numbers to no avail.

Thanks in advance to anyone who has a suggestion, or perhaps even has a shifter(s) to sell.

One funny anecdote, Enzo, who is probably about 70 and a retired racer, gave the Ultegra Di2 on my wife's bike a big thumbs up. He said he much preferred Shimano Di2 to Campy EPS. I was really surprised by this, but he said he found it much easier to deal with.

[buldogge]

Umm…Where did you get 9-speed out of that? Those are 2009 Veloce 10s Ergos!

Are you running them with a 9s RD, cassette, and chain?

You need a 10s cassette and chain…and you will be good to go.

Oh yeah…drop Enzo and find a new mechanic!!

-Mark in St. Louis

[oliver1850]

What Mark said. Those are 10 speed shifters.

[Louis]

Now we know why Enzo prefers Shimano.

Edit: BTW, if you Google "ep9vluxc" you will indeed find that those are 10-spd

[fogrider]

I put those shifters on my daughters bike, 10 speed and it works perfectly!

[oldpotatoe]

I have an older ~2003 Pinarello SL with Veloce 9 speed, it is in Italy where my wife is living right now, so I do not have most of my tools and have to have a shop work on it. I recently broke a chain (pulled out two links and continued the ride in about 10 minutes being careful to avoid big-big much impressing my wife) and since I was having some mid range skipping problem with the cassette along with a new chain I replaced the old 13-26 cassette with a new Veloce Ultradrive 13-28. I have had the bike about 3 years and ride it when I am in Italy, which is every month or so for a week. It is in good shape, but no idea of the provenance of all the hardware.

When the shop in Firenze replaced the cassette and chain, the mechanic Enzo (of course), who is super experienced, had a hard time tuning the rear derailleur. After some work, including a new cable, he felt the right shifter was somewhat damaged. It still shifts, but does not index very accurately, which I would tend to agree with. It may have been one of the issues all along with the skipping. The drivetrain is noisy and I would really like to improve this.

In any case, he did not have a new or used shifter available due to its age and suggested I look for one on Ebay. I have been looking at various options, but I am not sure if Campagnolo made any changes in indexing over the year that could trick me up. I have seen 9 speed Record, Chorus, Athena, and Daytona at various times and of various vintages. I have also seen New 9 speed Xenon shifters, which look kind of plastic, but perhaps they would do the job. I have tried looking online at the history of the Ergopower shifters, but it does not seem to be very clear overall.

Can anyone give me some guidance as to what will work or not work? I do not really want to replace the whole drivetrain, I only spent 600 Eur on the bike and don't want to double my investment, I would just get something else. I have attached a couple pictures, one of the external view of the shifters, and one of the part number label under the hood. I tried looking up the part numbers to no avail.

Thanks in advance to anyone who has a suggestion, or perhaps even has a shifter(s) to sell.

One funny anecdote, Enzo, who is probably about 70 and a retired racer, gave the Ultegra Di2 on my wife's bike a big thumbs up. He said he much preferred Shimano Di2 to Campy EPS. I was really surprised by this, but he said he found it much easier to deal with.

If 'Enzo', gave you this advice along with Di2/EPS, I'd find another wrench,,those shifters are 10s..that shape(starting in 2009) were never 9s and if he's trying to get them to work on 9s(13-28, ONLY 9s), he is the problem, not your shifters, or ders or cogset...

[rrudoff]

Thanks everyone, that explains a lot! The bike was purchased from another shop with the old 9 speed cassette, but certainly the mechanic should have caught this. This other shop I knew was iffy, on wrenching, they could not change a stem properly.

Shifting was always off, now I know why! I am used to Shimano over the last 15 years or so, and do not really know indexing Campy hardware very well.

I will get the correct cassette and chain and hopefully all will be well.

And as you suggest, I will go to another shop...

[Ralph]

And while you are at it......some trivia......There is both a Veloce 10 speed 13-26 and a Veloce 9 speed 13-26. There is also a Veloce 10 speed 13-29 you might like. The Veloce 13-28 (and 14-28) was 9 speed. Also believe there is/was a 13-28 8 speed. No 13-28 10 speed. All this stuff on E bay.

[buldogge]

If you need the gears…just buy one of the new production Centaur 12-27 or 12-30s…Veloce or Centaur chain, no matter.

-Mark

And while you are at it......some trivia......There is both a Veloce 10 speed 13-26 and a Veloce 9 speed 13-26. There is also a Veloce 10 speed 13-29 you might like. The Veloce 13-28 (and 14-28) was 9 speed. Also believe there is/was a 13-28 8 speed. No 13-28 10 speed. All this stuff on E bay.

[thirdgenbird]

If you need the gears…just buy one of the new production Centaur 12-27 or 12-30s…Veloce or Centaur chain, no matter.

-Mark

This.

I thought there was a 13-29 10spd too.

[thwart]

Great story.

Enzo may have crashed one too many times back in his racing days… sans helmet.

[Ralph]

This.

I thought there was a 13-29 10spd too.

There is still a loose cog Veloce 13-29.

[oldpotatoe]

Great story.

Enzo may have crashed one too many times back in his racing days… sans helmet.

Too much vino in the waterbottles....

[rrudoff]

Too much vino in the waterbottles....

Yeah there was a great picture of him in his racing days, no helmet, wool etc.

Thanks for the input on the cassettes.

I do need to check if my derailleur is the short or medium cage version. If short cage I should likely stop with the 26, otherwise the 29 should be fine. I will have my wife measure it, as I am not in Italy for a couple weeks. It is very hilly where we live in Pozzolatico near Firenze, so a few more teeth would be nice.

Thanks again everyone, the amount of knowledge on the forum is remarkable.

[Gsinill]

A little OT but you are living my dream...

...when I am in Italy, which is every month or so for a week.

[FlashUNC]

If the RD is the same generation as the shifters, it should take up to a 29 just fine.

[oldpotatoe]

Yeah there was a great picture of him in his racing days, no helmet, wool etc.

Thanks for the input on the cassettes.

I do need to check if my derailleur is the short or medium cage version. If short cage I should likely stop with the 26, otherwise the 29 should be fine. I will have my wife measure it, as I am not in Italy for a couple weeks. It is very hilly where we live in Pozzolatico near Firenze, so a few more teeth would be nice.

Thanks again everyone, the amount of knowledge on the forum is remarkable.

If matched to those shifters, then a 13-29 or 12-30(centaur) 10s cogset will work just fine. There wasn't a mid or long cage rear der till 2012..for the re-introduced triple from Campagnolo.

[rrudoff]

Great, Rear derailleur is certainly at least 3 years old, so I will just go with the chain and cassette.