Chorus Problem

[navclbiker]

Hey Forumites. Heres a wrenchie question for ya. I have a new CDA with Campy Chorus ergo shifters with less than 900 miles on them. They shift just dandy most all of the time, but intermittently (maybe once every 15-20 miles) when upshifting on the rear, the thumb button will jam/refuse to budge. I can get around the problem by down-shifting then upshifting again, thus completely messing up my cadence/momentum/attack opportunity :confused: . This has been happening from the beginning. I just figured with all of the "Campy break in" talk I've heard, that I would hold off crying to my LBS for a while. But now I think this problem is not going away. I just know that when they take it for a test ride that they will not recreate the problem since it is so intermittent. Any experince on this issue from the group? Thanks in advance.
-Dave

[Kervin]

Take a close look at the hoods and the tape under them. Sometimes the hood or tape will keep the lever from working correctly.

[maunahaole]

The little thumb button is on a pivot. Make sure that it is pivoting, because if it doesn't pivot, it won't catch the ratchet ring in the shifter. I periodically have problems with these, as they get stiff with corrosion/crud after some time. Peel the hood back and check to make sure it is engaging cleanly.

[roman meal]

Make sure the hood covers have that little rubber wedge on the bottom seated into the lever body indent. That way the hoods don't roam and slide into things (ratchets)when you are gripping and shifting.

[capybaras]

Get a dog.

[navclbiker]

Ok...I checked the hoods, bartape and pivot thingy. There is nothing in the way and the pivot thingy is clean and pivoting. :rolleyes: What next guys?

[capybaras]

Ok...I checked the hoods, bartape and pivot thingy. There is nothing in the way and the pivot thingy is clean and pivoting. :rolleyes: What next guys?

cat?

[roman meal]

Ok...I checked the hoods, bartape and pivot thingy. There is nothing in the way and the pivot thingy is clean and pivoting. :rolleyes: What next guys?


Buy Shimano Dura Ace

[Grant McLean]

This has been happening from the beginning. I just figured with all of the "Campy break in" talk I've heard, that I would hold off crying to my LBS for a while.
-Dave


There is no "break in" period with campy, that's a long, long, long standing myth.
If it's not working correctly, see your mechanic, preferably with a 6 pack,
it's the holidays, yo.

:)

-g

[navclbiker]

Smart :butt: 's

[roman meal]

.

[navclbiker]

Ahhhhh...The truth revealed! ;)

[Kervin]

Take a new #2 reed, set it on fire, and ask the ghost of Tulio Campagnolo for guidance. It sounds like the big lever is not returning all the way. It could be that something is caught in there. Get a really bright light and look at how it works when you go through the gears. If you can't see a problem, just take it to the shop.

[roman meal]

Ahhhhh...The truth revealed! ;)


Just yankin' yer chain. Seriously, my centaur shifter does this on occasion, and it is when I shift one lever when the other hasn't retracted all the way. In my case it was because the hood got stuck on the thumbshifter cog, but there could be other causes of this, like K above says. If you're in for a road trip, take it to Tim Beachley at Wheelbase in Frederick, Maryland. He'll tear it apart and make it new. He can also tie and solder your spokes very nicely, too, but you have to give him beer for that.

Best-

Roman.

[navclbiker]

Thanks all. I'll take it in and let the pros at Spokes in Vienna deal with it. I just wanted to be as helpful to them as possible when I drop the bike off. I'm certainly not up to the task of repairing a shifter. Maybe in the future.

[72gmc]

No joke about the beer. Once upon a time it made a big difference to me and my friends in the ski shop. Consider it a down payment for all of the questions you'll ask them in the future.

[Dave]

Thanks all. I'll take it in and let the pros at Spokes in Vienna deal with it. I just wanted to be as helpful to them as possible when I drop the bike off. I'm certainly not up to the task of repairing a shifter. Maybe in the future.

Someone mentioned that the finger lever may not be returning all the way and that is one possibiblity. Also be sure that you're not gently pushing on the finger lever while trying to push the thumb button. That will prevent the thumb button from operating.

[dutri42590]

Buy Shimano Dura Ace
:no: :no:
are you nuts
JPR

[roman meal]

:no: :no:
are you nuts
JPR


I didn't mean that. I was making a funny. Ask dad. He knows.

[DfCas]

I would replace the cable/housing to make sure theres no drag anywhere.Even new ones can have some problem.

[Tom]

Also be sure that you're not gently pushing on the finger lever while trying to push the thumb button. That will prevent the thumb button from operating.

If I'm wearing big mitts I have to make sure I'm not doing exactly this. Sometimes when I'm not wearing big mitts it happens just because of how I'm hanging on to things at the moment.

[jsfoster]

in addition to a block or kinkin the cable housing, is to make sure the cable is tight in the 'loose' position, so that when you want to shift 'up' there is actually cable there with which to shift. that keeps the ratchet in proper sequence.

-Jon

[Dave]

in addition to a block or kinkin the cable housing, is to make sure the cable is tight in the 'loose' position, so that when you want to shift 'up' there is actually cable there with which to shift. that keeps the ratchet in proper sequence.

-Jon

Actually, there is no way for the cable to be loose with the thumb button all the way down and still shift properly. If the cable is loose, the first click or two would do nothing but take up cable slack and the largest two cogs would not be useable, since there are no extra clicks in the right shifter. The left shifter, has a bunch of extra clicks (12 total).

[navclbiker]

If there was any cable tension/slack problem I'm sure my symptoms would not be so intermittent. I would notice every time I shifted ... wouldn't I? Anyhow, I'm off to the LBS with a bike and a six pack so their wild goose chase will be less painful. If they find something and I'm not crazy, I'll give a report.
-Dave

[navclbiker]

and here's what the repairman said...(paraphrasing)

1. This is not an uncommon "issue" with Campy shifters.

2. It is caused most often by the shifting of the rubber hood against the thumb lever or the cog underneath.

3. Can't really be "fixed," but when it happens I just have to know to massage that part of the hood back into place, grin and keep riding....or I could re-do the bar tape and that may or may not allow the hood more traction to stay in place :crap: ......Wow.

4. Anybody out there have more (useful) advice or do I just have to grin and bear it and enjoy the other 99% of the time that my shifters work correctly?
-Dave :confused:

[jsfoster]

Actually, there is no way for the cable to be loose with the thumb button all the way down and still shift properly. If the cable is loose, the first click or two would do nothing but take up cable slack and the largest two cogs would not be useable, since there are no extra clicks in the right shifter. The left shifter, has a bunch of extra clicks (12 total).

that is correct, thanks for clarifying,
Jon

[Dave]

and here's what the repairman said...(paraphrasing)

1. This is not an uncommon "issue" with Campy shifters.

2. It is caused most often by the shifting of the rubber hood against the thumb lever or the cog underneath.

3. Can't really be "fixed," but when it happens I just have to know to massage that part of the hood back into place, grin and keep riding....or I could re-do the bar tape and that may or may not allow the hood more traction to stay in place :crap: ......Wow.

4. Anybody out there have more (useful) advice or do I just have to grin and bear it and enjoy the other 99% of the time that my shifters work correctly?
-Dave :confused:

I've never had this problem in 13 years of using ergo levers. Sounds like baloney to me.

There are notches in the ergo lever body, above and below the exposed "gear" actuated by the thumb button. If the bars are taped properly, the tape actually goes up under the ergo body, slightly, at the very bottom. The small tab at the very bottom of the brake hood may need to be pushed into the lowest notch with a small screwdriver. All that said, that should not cause the problem you have, since it has no effect on the finger lever.

If you look at the underside of the finger lever, there is a small chrome plated steel bracket that swings with the finger lever and could rub on the brake hood. This point of contact could be eliminated by trimming the brake hood slightly or lubricated to fix the problem. There is a notch in the ergo lever body and a matching protrusion in the brake hood in this area to keep the brake hood from moving.

Be sure that there is no grease or oil inside the brake hood. That will make the hood move around, even with all the protrusions that help keep it in place. I'd remove the brake hood and wash it in hot soapy water. Also wipe the ergo lever body with some isopropyl alcohol to remove any lube. When removing or installing a brake hood, alcohol also makes the hood slippery, so it will slide on easily, but you have to work fast, before it evaporates.

[Grant McLean]

I've never had this problem in 13 years of using ergo levers. Sounds like baloney to me.

There are notches in the ergo lever body, above and below the exposed "gear" actuated by the thumb button. If the bars are taped properly, the tape actually goes up under the ergo body, slightly, at the very bottom.


+1

g

[Kervin]

+2 and I have some on my dirt road/cross bike

[stevep]

I didn't mean that. I was making a funny. Ask dad. He knows.

roman meal,
no car for you this weekend.

and let me know when you finish shoveling the driveway..
ill make you some hot chocolate.

your kids are big enough to help...
they've been free loading long enough.

[roman meal]

roman meal,
no car for you this weekend.

and let me know when you finish shoveling the driveway..
ill make you some hot chocolate.

your kids are big enough to help...
they've been free loading long enough.


I'll be over after the pats game to plow yer driveway, er, entrance road. I can't find my kids, they dove into the snow off of the back porch and disappeared.

[roman meal]

4. Anybody out there have more (useful) advice or do I just have to grin and bear it and enjoy the other 99% of the time that my shifters work correctly?
-Dave :confused:

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=440998&postcount=14

[Kervin]

Did you get the shifters working better?

[fmbp]

I've never had this problem in 13 years of using ergo levers. Sounds like baloney to me.



I've had what sounds to be this exact problem on my 2004 Veloce rear shifter, though never on older Daytona, or my 2005 Chorus shifters. I just chalked it up to the fact that it is a Veloce and not some higher end component. It sounds as though the issue is more wide-spread.

FWIW, I just upshift, and then downshift, and ride on my merry way.

[swissguy]

Navclbiker
I haven't read this entire thread, but I'll tell you what happened when I encountered the same jamming problem (it was a Record shifter on my winter bike). I took the bike into my local LBS, thinking it was an internal problem in the shifter. The owner lifted the bike up, looked under the bottom bracket and could see all kinds of crud covering the cable routing. A quick clean with a brush and some hot water solved the problem. I wouldn't have thought to look there.

[swoop]

me thinks its a cable deal. either too sharp a bend from the bars to the lever or something is gunked up. there's an issue there somewhere.. it isn't in the hoods.

fix the issue and life will be good.

your mechanic isn't that good. everybody needs one good mechanic... it really is a skill and some folks don't have it. they can build stuff and fix stuff but i wouldn't honor them by calling them mechanics. mechanics = skill.

[Grant McLean]

me thinks its a cable deal. either too sharp a bend from the bars to the lever or something is gunked up. there's an issue there somewhere.. it isn't in the hoods.


My C'dale likes to collect gatorade in the front derailleur cable guide.
I thought the lever was sticking, but it was the friction of the cable
all gunked up getting stuck in the guide. A little KY warming gel did
the trick... it usually does.

-g

[Dave]

A cable that's hung up at the BB guide or a cable stop won't keep the thumb button from operating. All that occurs is cable slack between the ergo lever and the pinch point. The RD might not shift to a smaller cog, though.

[Grant McLean]

A cable that's hung up at the BB guide or a cable stop won't keep the thumb button from operating. All that occurs is cable slack between the ergo lever and the pinch point. The RD might not shift to a smaller cog, though.

The sticky cable issue messes both upshift and downshift. ( the thumb will click,
the derailleur may or may not move...)

but with over a thousand views on this thread... it's worth mentioning all the other
issues with shifter malfunction. Not everyone reading this thread are going to
have the same problem as the original poster. It's a group healing session.... ;)

g

[navclbiker]

Hey Guys! I love all of the info you have been sharing with me and I appreciate you for it. But, a couple more questions....
This intermittent problem has been with me since I first rode the bike in October, so how can I possibly think that something is gunking up a brand new cable? If there is crud in the cable, then why am I not feeling something wrong every time I shift? And if there is friction in the cable, how can it completely stop my thumb lever from moving? My inexperienced mind keeps going back to either a hood problem (as the wrench in the LBS stated) or an internal gear problem on one tooth on the shifter. My son has not given me much time th think about or act on this annoying problem lately, but I will trim the hood away from the thumb mechanism a bit and see if that helps. Then maybe I will have them replace the Cinelli Bar tape with The FiZik that was supposed to be on there originally. Maybe that could help. Keep posting, Y'all. I love the banter!
-Dave

[navclbiker]

OK. Here's the dealeeoo. I finally went underneath the shifter and trimmed a small corner off the hood closest to the thumb shifter. For the past several weeks I've been riding while waiting for that next shift failure... :rolleyes: ...Does not seem to have happened. I know that this is unscientific and limited, but it seems that there was actually a "hang up" with the rubber getting between the ratchet and cog. I may not have said that correctly. At least for now, it seems that the wrench at the LBS was right. All I needed was a dainty pair of scissors. If my shifter jams up again then I will know that I still don't know the answer, but until then my shifter seems fixed. Now if I could just keep my compact crank from chain sucking......................but that is another thread. ;)

[AgilisMerlin]

and here's what the repairman said...(paraphrasing)

1. This is not an uncommon "issue" with Campy shifters.

2. It is caused most often by the shifting of the rubber hood against the thumb lever or the cog underneath.

3. Can't really be "fixed," but when it happens I just have to know to massage that part of the hood back into place, grin and keep riding....or I could re-do the bar tape and that may or may not allow the hood more traction to stay in place :crap: ......Wow.

4. Anybody out there have more (useful) advice or do I just have to grin and bear it and enjoy the other 99% of the time that my shifters work correctly?
-Dave :confused:



good god, you didn't wast a rack of beer for that advice...........

that hurts
that hurts way down deep..... :crap:

[AgilisMerlin]

Just yankin' yer chain. Seriously, my centaur shifter does this on occasion, and it is when I shift one lever when the other hasn't retracted all the way. In my case it was because the hood got stuck on the thumbshifter cog, but there could be other causes of this, like K above says. If you're in for a road trip, take it to Tim Beachley at Wheelbase in Frederick, Maryland. He'll tear it apart and make it new. He can also tie and solder your spokes very nicely, too, but you have to give him beer for that.

Best-

Roman.

Roman, i thought your shifter problems were due to you trying to open your miller high life's on the ergo........while pedaling..........no?