Which cage length? Campy 10sp (and now- how does one switch cages?)

[eak12]

I'm building up a road bike with Campy 10sp. It will be geared with a 50-34 crank and 13-29 cassette. For the rear derailleur, does the cage length matter? I have short, medium, and long available (hooray for hording!). Any advantage or disadvantage with a particular length? Thanks for the help :)

Follow-up question added: For purely cosmetic reasons, I'd like to switch the short cage from a carbon Centaur to the medium cage from a silver alloy Centaur. Is this difficult? And can you point me towards directions of some sort?

[Mzilliox]

id run the mid cage, so you know you have plenty of pull for that 29 in back... but you'd be fine with short cage as well. i run a shorty with 12-27 and it shifts fine. save the long arm for the real big cassette in back.

[SpokeValley]

id run the mid cage, so you know you have plenty of pull for that 29 in back... but you'd be fine with short cage as well. i run a shorty with 12-27 and it shifts fine. save the long arm for the real big cassette in back.

This...

[warren128]

I'm running the same gearing as what you're planning. I have a mid-cage on mine. Works fine. :)

http://www.fototime.com/D22252E164508DF/large.jpg

[YoKev]

I run the same gearing and use a short cage. It works fine.

[donevwil]

Use the medium, or the long if you ever envision using an IRD Wide Range 11-34. Short, medium or long will work with your setup, but if you plan on cross-chaining (50-29 or 34-13) and have a medium, use the medium and save the life of the short cage. FWIW, I've used a short with a 50/34 - 12/30 while I awaited the delivery of the medium, worked fine but cross-chaining was a no-go.

[carpediemracing]

Cage length, given that the parallelogram is the same, determines how much chain slack the derailleur can take up, i.e. (difference in chainrings) + (difference in cog). There's obviously some difference in the cage shape because I know my short cage derailleur won't clear much more than a 28T.

Shorter cage derailleurs usually allow you to follow the cog profile closer across the cassette. I don't know how Campy ones are for long cage + wide ratio cassette.

The length of the cage doesn't really matter very much otherwise. A longer cage will bounce more (the spring isn't stronger in the derailleur and there's more chain to keep under control). In the big ring it's not a huge deal. In the small ring, in smaller cogs, it can be irritating to hear the chain slapping the chainstay on rougher roads. Thing is that in those situations you want maximum chain tension anyway so you really ought to be running in the big ring and bigger cogs, not small ring and smaller cogs.

I have no idea what the max chain wrap is for the different cages.

[thwart]

You can actually use short, mid or long for the gearing you've chosen.

Isn't Campy 10 spd great... ? :D

I've used short and mid-length cages over the years with similar wide range gearing. Assuming all are equally available to you (short cage RD's are easier to find), mid-length would be my preference without a doubt.

[christian]

Campy short cage has a 32 tooth capacity? I don't think so.

Per Branford Bike re: Campy 10 rear derailleurs
55 mm cages have a chain wrap (capacity) value of 27
72.5mm cages have a chain wrap of 36
89mm long cages have a chain wrap value of 39.

So medium cage or long cage for this fitment. Medium cage may provide marginally faster shifting.

[christian]

For anyone playing along at home and who hasn't been in these discussions on Paceline for 15 years, derailleur capacity (or chain-wrap) is determined by the length of the cage and is calculated as follows:

(Large chainring - small chainring) + (largest cog - smallest cog), so in this case
(50-34) + (29-13)
(16) + (16)
32 is the required capacity

And note that you can usually "push" capacity 2 or 3 teeth by using the longest chain possible and by avoiding cross-chained gears. But I would never recommend that to others.

[thwart]

Campy short cage has a 32 tooth capacity? I don't think so.

Lots of threads here about this over the past several yrs.

Many have used short cage RD's in this situation, even though this is outside of Campy's recs (our esteemed OldSpud among them). Of course, chainstay and RD hanger length vary from frame to frame, so no guarantees...

Nevertheless, I'd agree with you... go with the medium cage.

[CampyorBust]

The problem is not cable length it’s the 10speed Campy stuff, at this point it’s just worn out and useless, plus its just not cool anymore. I mean I get scoffed at for riding 1st gen 11speed stuff, can’t imagine the hazing if I rode 10 speed.:eek: You really have to have 11speed EPS if you want to be a somebody nowadays. Also don’t know if y’all heard yet but there is a resurgent interest in pantographed goodies and Campy 7speed stuff. Its so damn hot right now, so snag it quick if you see any. I say unload the 10speed stuff to some unaware noober schmuck and go 11. Just my 10cents.:D

[donevwil]

For anyone playing along at home and who hasn't been in these discussions on Paceline for 15 years, derailleur capacity (or chain-wrap) is determined by the length of the cage and is calculated as follows:

(Large chainring - small chainring) + (largest cog - smallest cog), so in this case
(50-34) + (29-13)
(16) + (16)
32 is the required capacity

And note that you can usually "push" capacity 2 or 3 teeth by using the longest chain possible and by avoiding cross-chained gears. But I would never recommend that to others.

That's assuming you use big-big and small-small. If not, bonus time.

If one NEVER cross-chains the required derailleur capacity is lower. I'm all for installing the proper derailleur to permit worry-free gear usage, but circumstances exist when a commitment to avoiding those gear combos beyond the capacity limit can be a benefit (running an IRD Wide Range cassette for one event and not having access to a long cage der).

[christian]

That's assuming you use big-big and small-small. If not, bonus time.

If one NEVER cross-chains the required derailleur capacity is lower.

100% agree that this works, but committing to NEVER using a cross-chained gear is not easy.

I've seen a pretty cooked rider on a 80-mile ride get to the top of a hill near the end of the ride and shift directly from the lowest gear to big-big. (Top of Walnut for you NY/NNJ members). And discover what those capacity limits really meant... cracked derailleur cage, phone call for a car service.

He was a smart guy, knew what the limits of his derailleur were, made a cognizant choice to exceed them and not cross-chain, and then proceeded to screw up anyway.

[donevwil]

100% agree that this works, but committing to NEVER using a cross-chained gear is not easy.

I've seen a pretty cooked rider on a 80-mile ride get to the top of a hill near the end of the ride and shift directly from the lowest gear to big-big. (Top of Walnut for you NY/NNJ members). And discover what those capacity limits really meant... cracked derailleur cage, phone call for a car service.

He was a smart guy, knew what the limits of his derailleur were, made a cognizant choice to exceed them and not cross-chain, and then proceeded to screw up anyway.

Absolutely agree. Only on my bike (so I have no one else to blame should your example occur) and only until I source the proper cage length.

With Gen 1 Campy 10 getting ever scarcer and more expensive, a nice med or long cage in Chorus or Record can be hard and pricey to source. I've tried Gen 2 10 der's as so many recommend, but the shifting is just not the same/as good.

[choke]

I'm running a short cage 10s Campy on a 50/34 13-29 setup and can cross chain just fine. Yes, it's stretching the limits but it will shift without any complaint.

[Ralph]

I would run a med cage like Campy recommends. And sure....most of us know how to make a short cage work in that combination.

A Med cage will wrap up more chain difference. And it will wrap it up better and quicker....maybe resulting in less likelihood of a chain drop. It also will give you some "growing" room should you wish to use a bigger cassette from time to time.

I usually run a med cage all the time on my doubles. Never know what cassette I might want to throw on there for a ride. Shifting quality is same as a short cage.

[makoti]

i run the same gearing and use a short cage. It works fine.

+1

[oldpotatoe]

I'm building up a road bike with Campy 10sp. It will be geared with a 50-34 crank and 13-29 cassette. For the rear derailleur, does the cage length matter? I have short, medium, and long available (hooray for hording!). Any advantage or disadvantage with a particular length? Thanks for the help :)

You can use any but use mid cage, less strain on the lower pivot spring.

[OtayBW]

I've run Record 10 sp with 53/39 and 12/29 and a short cage derailleur for years with perfecto shiftment...

[eak12]

Man, this forum is great! Thanks to everyone for all the useful info.

I'll go medium cage.

I have a follow up question: For purely cosmetic reasons, I'd like to switch the short cage from a carbon Centaur to the medium cage from a silver alloy Centaur. Is this difficult? And can you point me towards directions of some sort?

[zennmotion]

I can't help it, but my obnoxious solution...
Shimano. It's just easier for these kinds of applications. Your friends that hate you for it, weren't really your friends. Sorry.

[cadence90]

Man, this forum is great! Thanks to everyone for all the useful info.

I'll go medium cage.

I have a follow up question: For purely cosmetic reasons, I'd like to switch the short cage from a carbon Centaur to the medium cage from a silver alloy Centaur. Is this difficult? And can you point me towards directions of some sort?

As long as you are staying Centaur-Centaur, it is possible. The important detail is that the cage fixing method must be the same on both RDs, either a circlip (I think Centaur use this) or a bolt. Those are not interchangeable.

From Branford Bike:
Campagnolo Record and Chorus rear derailleur cages are interchangeable. So are 2004 to 2008 Centaur and Veloce rear derailleur cages. However, you may not switch a Centaur cage with a Chorus, nor a Veloce with a Record. Record and Chorus cages bolt to the rear derailleur body while all years Centaur and Veloce cages affix via a small "C" clip.

http://branfordbike.com/articles/rear-derailleurs-pg62.htm

Park Tool RD overhaul guide (scroll down to "4" for Campagnolo):
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-overhaul
.
.
Alternatively, I have a NIB all-metal Centaur medium cage RD for sale:

http://i1360.photobucket.com/albums/r654/traghetter/a2a6e644-1a39-43b1-a9e9-c547d6b2b990_zps8j1mlfo4.jpg (http://s1360.photobucket.com/user/traghetter/media/a2a6e644-1a39-43b1-a9e9-c547d6b2b990_zps8j1mlfo4.jpg.html)

http://i1360.photobucket.com/albums/r654/traghetter/f0aab747-d6d6-463e-99ba-a98c3d1537e0_zpsujyfj3io.jpg (http://s1360.photobucket.com/user/traghetter/media/f0aab747-d6d6-463e-99ba-a98c3d1537e0_zpsujyfj3io.jpg.html)