Campy 11 speed, need lower gears, mass confusion

[jtakeda]

Originally Posted by caneye

I've got the same Chorus pre-2015 groupset as the OP. It has a short cage Chorus RD. Currently limited to running 28T cassette.

Am I right to think if I want to do this incrementally, instead of buying a new crankset ..

1. Install a Roadlink + chain length .. which should increase ability to handle up to 32T cassette

2. Install a Roadlink + modify to Medium cage + chain length .. which should increase it to support 36T ?

no roadlink needed for the mid cage

[Look585]

Originally Posted by ridethecliche

Is there a bikingreen chainring setup for your cranks? Easiest way to do things. Otherwise a cheaper subcompact set of cranks may be a good option as well as others mentioned.

The Bikingreen rings are a great solution here. Silver 110bcd touring cranks from the 80s aren't that hard to find, even in 165mm. I run the 48/31 on my travel bike and it shifts great with Shimano 11s.

Here's an example: Sugino RT 165, 110bcd double (no granny studs/threads), Bikingreen 46/30 rings. Put a 1-2mm spacer under the right BB cup (or get a longer BB) to account for the inboard chainring offset.

(This one is for sale if you aren't fussed about the not-campy branding.)

[robertbb]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

2015+ 11s Campagnolo rear derailleur will work just fine with pre 2015 Chorus 11s shifters.

An Athena 11s rear der, even 2011 when the shifters went to Powershift works fine with any Chorus 11s shifter set..You are correct about Potenza tho.

A properly sized chain using a long cage rear der will work fine on a 23t biggest cog cassette.

For the OP...Use a 11-32 Shimano 11s cassette, size the chain properly so you have just enough chain for big-big combo...go ride.

Sorry OP, I don't often challenge ya on Campy, but I played a lot with 11sp gen stuff across all three iterations. I'm totally confident on what I said page 1.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by robertbb

Sorry OP, I don't often challenge ya on Campy, but I played a lot with 11sp gen stuff across all three iterations. I'm totally confident on what I said page 1.

Discussion group, no problem but I have installed a 2015+ rear der with pre 2015 shifters and it worked really well. Also a 11s rear der on an other wise 10s system and same..worked really well. Right on about Potenza but 11s Athena rear ders work great with Chorus and above 11s shifters...

For anybody that has a crumped 2014 and older 11s rear der..I'd say get a 2015+ rear der and try it...

[slowpoke]

Not as fun solution: you can get a complete Centaur 11 speed group brand new for under $500 USD. That would shift better than trying to kludge together a solution. Or just piece together a partial drivetrain without cranks for under $400.

Keep in mind the 2015+ HO stuff and Centaur all have that 44.5mm chainline when finding a subcompact crank.

[Flinch]

Swapped in a 50/34 crankset, 165mm cranks from 175 originals (aaahhh, at last pedalling feels normal!), installed a 20mm setback seatpost, and put my 11 speed Ultegra hub 11-36t wheel on. Used limit screw to lock out 36t, making it an 11-32 for testing.

Rode the same 'test' hill, 2 miles from 4-8%, most 5-7. Went up it at my normal effort in 34/32 gear. Shifted flawlessly. However, the Chorus 11 speed derailleur was tortured in ways not legal in polite society. I spanked that byatch in ways not seen since highwheelers roamed...

Plan 9 FOS: Try Ultegra 10 speed rear D plus/minus filing down cinch bolt trick, and see if it shifts OK. I've got the D.

Plan 9 B, subheading Big D: Meanwhile, search for a Campy rear D long cage, for Itaiian style and comfort points.

Many thanks to all experts who've chimed in on tips n tricks. I am keeping this post as a resource in case plans A through F fall apart.

[robertbb]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Discussion group, no problem but I have installed a 2015+ rear der with pre 2015 shifters and it worked really well. Also a 11s rear der on an other wise 10s system and same..worked really well. Right on about Potenza but 11s Athena rear ders work great with Chorus and above 11s shifters...

For anybody that has a crumped 2014 and older 11s rear der..I'd say get a 2015+ rear der and try it...

Is that one of those Ultra Shift Athena derailleurs? If so, I can see that possibly working. From memory Athena was Power Shift, then went to Ultra Shift for like one generation, then went Power Shift again before being discontinued.

My emails with gfk_velo some years back confirmed that the return spring in the Power Shift series rear derailleurs was different to the return spring of the Ultra Shift series rear derailleurs.

My understanding from those chats too is that the shifter pull ratio in the Rev2015+ groups is different to the pull ratio in the shifters of gen 1 and gen 2 11 speed groups.

[Flinch]

OK, so being antsy/bored and all, I swapped in the Ultegra 10 speed derailleur, and it would not, of course, shift at the same increment as the cassette spacing with the 11 speed Campy shifters. So instead of hacking the clamp bolt, I tried installing the cable different ways. Finally by pinching the cable under to top clamp tab I got it to shift OK.

Have not taken it on a ride yet, but as of now I have a 50/34 with an 11-36 cassette. The chain behaved OK, but not perfect. The Big-Big has the D cage at about a 30 degree angle to horizontal. The small/small tilts the cage back a bit, but not alarming. Either situation should not be encountered normally, but if it does, good to know all will not explode. Shifting is not perfect, especially in the mid cogs, but no biggies on the stand.

I've still got an 11 speed med/long cage rear D in the wings...Ooooo, gotta go see if that works!

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by robertbb

Is that one of those Ultra Shift Athena derailleurs? If so, I can see that possibly working. From memory Athena was Power Shift, then went to Ultra Shift for like one generation, then went Power Shift again before being discontinued.

My emails with gfk_velo some years back confirmed that the return spring in the Power Shift series rear derailleurs was different to the return spring of the Ultra Shift series rear derailleurs.

My understanding from those chats too is that the shifter pull ratio in the Rev2015+ groups is different to the pull ratio in the shifters of gen 1 and gen 2 11 speed groups.

Athena was re-introduced in 2010 as Ultrashift(no Athena in 2009 when all Campag went to 'Gumby shaped levers), just like Centaur and Veloce BUT went to PowerShift in 2011 whereas SR/Record and Chorus remained Ultrashift....

2007 was the last year all levers were 'UltraShift-multiple higher gears at a time via the thumb button. 2008/9 Below Chorus became 'Escape' type levers, like older Xenon levers where one higher gear at a time via thumb button. Then all became Gumby and Ultrashift in 2009/10..then the lower groups became "PowerShift"..shifting guts like Xenon and 2007/8 'Escape.

2015 "PowerShift" got a droopy thumb button, still PowerShift but got more reliable.



Potenza for sure but not Athena or 2011+ Centaur.

It 'may' be 'different', just like 11s vs 2008 and older Record and Chorus 10s but....it works...

[ridethecliche]

Posted in error

[Flinch]

Just to document this:
Last I posted I mounted an Ultegra 10 speed rear D, Simano 11-36 cassette, Campy pre 2015 levers. To get the pulley to match cog spacing, I clamped the cable under the top clamp tab, as shown in pic.

Test ride today, and it shifted OK for recreational riding. Occasional bobbled shift in the middle of the cassette, nothing major. Ditto in lowest three gears (largest cogs) when in the 34t chainring. I'll try tuning from the center of the cassette out and ride again.

[Tommasini53]

Campy Chorus 12 spd crankset w/ 32-48 chainrings and 32t cogset. I'm using Campy 11 spd with the 12 spd crankset just fine. The 1x1 ratio is great.