Campy Front Derailleur Question

[Gunther]

Does anyone know or have experience using a Campy CT front derailleur to shift a triple? I have a Chorus triple shifting a triple and a CT shifting a non-compact double so I have first-hand view of both derailleurs. My 3 foot view of both shows striking similarities in cage shape, but I've not measured either.

I've tried the compact double and could never get used to big jump between 50 and 34 chainrings (hence the CT front derailleur on the bike). I have a 30x42x52 triple and a Campy medium cage RD somewhere in my box of parts that could be pressed into service if I thought the front CT derailleur would shift the triple acceptably.

TIA

GtB

[thwart]

I have used the CT, standard and triple FD's on Campy compact bikes, as well as the 2009 model.

In my experience the (short-lived) CT series FD's are the worst performers in terms of the need for frequent trimming. Their actual shifting from chainwheel to chainwheel is OK.

The standard model FD seems to have a slight tendency toward dropping the chain, so a dog-fang or similar 'chain-watcher' is useful.

Triple FD's work well overall, about as well in my experience as the latest 'one-FD-fits-all' models.

Hello... just read your question over again... duh. :crap:

No, no experience using a CT FD on a triple. Think I have a spare Centaur or Veloce triple FD around somewhere if you find that you need one.

[Ralph]

It may or may not work. And if it does work, doubt if you will like shift quality. I tried to use a double FD on a triple recently (Racing T with 111 axle), and the double FD didn't have enough travel to work right on big ring....(unless I kicked tail of derailleur out so it almost rubbed crank arm). I was using a 28.6 clamp on a 28.6 downtube. Just maybe....if you are using a FD clamp one size too large with an adaptor, there might be enough travel. But still doubt if it would shift to suit you.

You can use a triple FD on a double OK (usually....depending on tooth jump), but it's a lot more difficult to use a double FD on a triple crank successfully. Just buy a triple FD on E bay. BTW....The older campy triple clamp on FD's will separate from the clamp, so you can use the clamp from a recent model Centaur (they separate from clamp also) or something if necessary. I have a new Centaur Ultra on one of my bikes, and it won't separate from clamp.

[Gunther]

Thanks for the input. You've basically confirmed what I suspected. I have noticed that the CT derailleur requires lost of trimming and have thought about reverting to the regular double.

Any idea when the clamp-style front derailleurs stopped being convertible to braze on?

Also, are there any shift performance issues between the current Comp/Centaur derailleurs and Record or Chorus. The drivetrain is all Chorus at present. Shifting is very nice.
I also have a Campy triple bike using a Chorus FD which performs very well on a campy 30-40-50 crankset.

[Ralph]

These new derailleurs are sure tricky. As thwart noted, I also have a chain drop problem (sometimes....occasionally) with a new Centaur Ultra used with a short cage Chorus rear and a 39-52 front and 13-29 rear....if I down shift it real fast. I just have to remember to take it kinda easy. I adjusted on it about every way possible to atempt to eliminate this issue.

I know what the problem is. I asking the rear derailleir to take up more slack quickly than it's designed to do. Also I need to run the FD a tad higher than the 1-2 MM above the big ring so when in the 39-29 combo, the chain fits into the slot on the side of the Ultra derailleir where it's desinged to go. I can see it would work OK with a compact, and probably better with a 39-53. I may just forget about the 13-29 and put on a 13-26, where I can adjust the edge of the FD a little closer to the chain. I believe the new parts have to be used the way they were designed to be used.

I think the older front derailleurs work better for my parts. I may just put my older 10 speed FD back on.

[Ralph]

I live in Central Florida, where we usually don't need a bunch of low gears. And I also don't much like the jump between a 34 and a 50. I think you just have to set them up where you always use the big ring, saving the small ring for hills. At my strength level, I would probably be better off with a 34-48 than a 34-50.

I do take to trip to the NC mountain area pretty regularly, and usually take a triple. For non racing use, I think a triple is the best of both worlds. It gives you the gears you need, with a good chainline. I've weighed a 30-40-50 Racing triple and a 39-52 Centaur before, and the triple weighed about 40-50 grams more. That's not much, there is more difference in riders shoes that that. I think you give up nothing to use a triple. If you want to use one. Or need one, etc.

I would ride the triple here in Florida, just for the way it lets me use the gears, but my son thinks it looks "dorky", and doesn't like riding with the old man on his triple, so I don't use it much around here. LOL

Question....is the triple FD Campy sells for the 10 speed triples any different from the triple FD Campy sold for the 8/9 speed triple cranks?

[Dave]

The 10 speed model should have a slightly narrower cage. The small problem that I ran into, even using a 10 speed triple FD, was an inability to shift to the little ring with the new 5.9mm width chain. The lever arm rested on the seat tube but wouldn;t quite make the shift. A slight tweak to narrow the cage fixed it. I was using an FSA crank with a 46mm chainline and Campy would expect the use of a Campy triple with a 47.5mm chainline.

[oldpotatoe]

The 10 speed model should have a slightly narrower cage. The small problem that I ran into, even using a 10 speed triple FD, was an inability to shift to the little ring with the new 5.9mm width chain. The lever arm rested on the seat tube but wouldn;t quite make the shift. A slight tweak to narrow the cage fixed it. I was using an FSA crank with a 46mm chainline and Campy would expect the use of a Campy triple with a 47.5mm chainline.

Does the FSA crank have a 39 middle? I seen that as a problem with Campagnolo FDers, the 'bump' used to move the chain off the middel ring is optimized for 52(3)/42..not the 39 or 40, wee bit too high.

[Gunther]

Does the FSA crank have a 39 middle? I seen that as a problem with Campagnolo FDers, the 'bump' used to move the chain off the middel ring is optimized for 52(3)/42..not the 39 or 40, wee bit too high.
Would I be better off to use a Shimano triple front derailleur as they seem to be optimized for 53/39/30 combos?

[RADaines]

Would I be better off to use a Shimano triple front derailleur as they seem to be optimized for 53/39/30 combos?

The 9-speed Ultegra triples were 30/42/52. Maybe one of these would work if you can find one?

[thwart]

If you have a Campy 52/42/30 crank, a Campy triple FD should work as well as (and likely better than) anything else.

Again, I have a couple of spares around... PM me if you'd like to go that way.

[oldpotatoe]

Would I be better off to use a Shimano triple front derailleur as they seem to be optimized for 53/39/30 combos?

Yes...6603, 5603

[Gunther]

If I were to swap the middle chainring on the triple to a 39, then the Campy derailleur might become problemmatic? Is that what I'm hearing here?

I find the 39 to be a better all-around gear compared to a 42, based on my double experience. At some point I can see swapping the middle 42 for a 39 and maybe the 30 for a 28. It seems I should rule out this possible change if I go with a Campy FD.

[Ralph]

My experience is the Campy triple FD is designed for a 10 (or so) difference in the two larger rings. The small ring can be 26-30 or so, depending on how large you go on the big ring.

I've used a ramped and pinned TA 39 in the middle with a 50 and a 28 small ring before, and it worked OK, but not as good as the all Campy 30-40-50. I've also used a 28-40-50 before, and the 28 to 40 was a little slow, but the rest worked good. I'm sure the 30-42-52 and 30-42-53 works great with a Campy triple FD. But if using the triple set up with 39-52 or 53, I would use a Shimano triple FD.

[CaptStash]

I had a Record compact FD that I busted the cage off of. To salvage it I put the cage from an older Record FD on the CT. The thing shifts far better now than it did with the CT carbon cage (just for the H of it I weighed it too - all of 10 grams heavier. I'm soooo slow now). I suspect the problem is the cage shape of the CT. I don't have to trim at all and it seems to have plenty of travel and shift beautifully. If you have the carcass of an older fd laying around, and you're handy, it may be worth a try. I had to use a Dremel to grind off the titanium rivet on the old FD to get the cage off. But the CT has a snap ring that makes the rest of the job super simple.

CaptStash....

[marle]

All I know is that I'm my 3rd Campy Record FD in 5 yrs. Truly bad quality

[Nil Else]

All I know is that I'm my 3rd Campy Record FD in 5 yrs. Truly bad quality

Could you explain? I'm curious.

[oldpotatoe]

If I were to swap the middle chainring on the triple to a 39, then the Campy derailleur might become problemmatic? Is that what I'm hearing here?

I find the 39 to be a better all-around gear compared to a 42, based on my double experience. At some point I can see swapping the middle 42 for a 39 and maybe the 30 for a 28. It seems I should rule out this possible change if I go with a Campy FD.

Yes, I have swapped some Campag triples to a 39 or 40t middle, keeping the 52 or 53 big ring and the 'bump' on the inside cage of the FD is a bit too high to aggressively take the chain off the middle to the small. Using a FD that is optimized for a 52/39/30, like the 6603, works better plus the design of the LH Campag shifter makes using any FD a possibility.