mixing campy and shimano

#1 12-19-2003, 11:24 AM

Hi folks -

I've got a bike built with shimano DA9 and would like to use my campy wheels and crank/bb. What other shimano components, if any, will I have to swap out to make the bike work reliably?

Thanks,
Jay

dbrk · #2 12-19-2003, 11:57 AM

So long as you match shifters to rear derailleur everything works fine in nine. Some will say there is a loss of efficiency but that's not my experience. I have only one "dedicated' bike on which all the parts come from a single group and it does not shift one bit better than any other. I mix 9spd wheels, cranks, you name it. Oh, there is much hub-bub too about not using pre-2001 9spd Campy Ergo with post-2001. I've found this to be nonsense too despite their claims. Nine was the best of all worlds because it broke down the difference btwn Campag and Shimano except for the shifters/rear derailleur issue. For front derailleur, btw, you can use nearly anything. No kidding.

Most bike shops tell you not to do this because most bike shops don't have experience doing it and don't try----they sell OEM and dedicated groups for the most part.

dbrk
who on principle avoids all dedicated groups...

bcm119 · #3 12-19-2003, 01:14 PM

dbrk,
Would you mind clarifying one thing for me? With Shimano shifters and RD (9-speed), could I run a 9-speed Campag wheel/cassette? Is the spacing the same on all 9 speed cassettes?

Thnanks-

vaxn8r · #4 12-19-2003, 03:09 PM

You can run Shimano cassete with Campy componets and vice versa. Again, the official word is NO! You can't do that. The unoffical word is that it works just fine. No problemo.

dbrk · #5 12-19-2003, 04:51 PM

Just to be clear, the cog spacing between Shimano and Campagnolo 9 is not identical but the shifting is just fine. It's a difference of millimeters. But if you want the BEST of this mix, put ONE Shimano spacer in the middle of the Campag cassette somewhere in the middle. Don't ask how I know this. I have way too much time spent goofing around with this stuff. I suffer no lapse in performance even with just an even swap of wheel/cassette to shifter/der. Plus, it's all sorts of fun to defy the official point of view.

dbrk

#6 12-19-2003, 05:03 PM

Thanks for the info,
Jay

#7 12-19-2003, 05:08 PM

I assume that I have to use a campy 9 sp cassette in order for the DA9 indexed shifting to work. Is there any problem installing a 9sp cassette on a current campy wheel?

Thanks,
Jay

bcm119 · #8 12-19-2003, 06:04 PM

It IS fun to defy the norm. I have a Campy triple crank and front derailleur on an otherwise Ultegra bike and its gets all sorts of funny looks- and its just the front. I like the heel clearance of Campy cranks and the availability of Shimano stuff for the rest. And it works great- even with a sram chain. Thanks for the tips dbrk.

dbrk · #9 12-19-2003, 10:19 PM

Jay,
You must match the cassette to the hub, sorry about that. In other words, only C cassettes fit on C hubs, S on S. There are after market cassettes that work with either: the splines are different, hence the need to match. However, it matters not which shifter/der combo you use: C Ergo/C der shifts fine on S cassette/hub and vice versa. I hope that is more clear.

dbrk

#10 12-20-2003, 12:15 AM

Hi dbrk -

I knew that a shimano cassette wouldn't work on a campy hub. What I was asking is whether there is a difference in the hubs between campy 9 and campy 10.

Thanks,
Jay

vaxn8r · #11 12-20-2003, 01:27 AM

No. You can use 9 or 10 speed cassette on either campy hub.

garyg · #12 12-02-2005, 07:42 AM

Can someone please explain why the rear derailler must be the same brand as the shifter? Thanks.

jerk · #13 12-02-2005, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garyg

Can someone please explain why the rear derailler must be the same brand as the shifter? Thanks.

actuation ratio.

jerk

sspielman · #14 12-02-2005, 09:35 AM

With all of this talk of 9-speed brand interchangeability, I would like to point something out. Even though many people seem to get a Shimano 9 speed cassette to work with a Campagnolo derailleur setup, it has to be considered a "class b" fit. The problem resides not only with the spacing between each cog, but also with the total spacing. A Shimano 9 speed cassette is narrower than its Campagnolo counterpart. To make it work across the entire range, the setup is typically adjusted to work best on the middle cogs. What this means is that at each end of the range, the campagnolo derailleur is overshifting. This could be potentially disastrous if the chain is overshifted completely. The risk is magnified by the conditions under which this shift is often actuated....standing on the pedals up a steep grade as the shift lever is mashed hard to push against the chain tension. So, the word of caution is to make sure that the limit screws on the rear derailleur are VERY carefully set.

sg8357 · #15 12-02-2005, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerk

actuation ratio.

jerk

And you can get around that problem with a JTEK Shiftmate, there
are couple versions. One version lets you mix derailers and shifters.
The JTEK is a ratio changing pulley, goes on the rear derailer.
So you can do fun things like make a Campy touring
bike, Campy brifters and a XT long cage derailer and cassettes.

I'm using the mix wheels version, Campy shifters/derailers with
Shimano wheels/cassettes, works perfectly. Cheaper than a
conversion cassette. The usual suspects carry them Harris Cyclery,
Peter White.

Scott G.