Bicycle Mechanics - Campy FD empty shifts

I just finished installing Campy Centaur on my 'cross bike [pictures to follow]. Everything went well, except that I have a bunch of empty clicks on the front derailleur when I shift into the small ring. In effect, I shift into the small ring, and then I can shift a few more times without shifting the FD. I've been riding Campy for some time, and I do appreciate the ability to trim the chain line at the FD, and I have about six usuable clicks from lowest to highest... but I have about three clicks at the bottom end that just don't do anything. It's not the end of the world, but what can I do about this?

Sounds like you may have a triple compatible front der. shifter.

Originally posted by Hunter
Sounds like you may have a triple compatible front der. shifter.
yah, thats what is sounds like to me. Campy announced
Triple for Centaur for 2003, maybe you got an
early set of triple levers?
If it really bugs you (and we all know how
obsessive we cyclists are), Post question on
Campy only, either Tim or Eric are sure to know.

Marty

All current campy fronts are triple capable,and the derailer would have nothing to do with it.

Did you follow the insrallation and adjustment instructions?? Many people ignore them and then wonder WHY??? Just installed campy on mine and no such problem. It's in how you did it.

ACtually... I was thinking it might be a cable tension thing... I might have the tension too tight... I could play out a little cable and re-set the limiters...

On the other hand, this FD does seem to have more clicks than the Daytona FD on my roadie...

If in fact you do have a 2003 and it is triple compatible it could be that the shifter was set on the outer ring, or middle when you installed it. Therefore it wuould still have the granny gear left after you shifted down. I doubt that the "insrallation and adjustment instructions," have trouble shooting tips.

It sounds to me like you just need to do the "empty" shifts until the cable is as slack as it gets, then loosen the front derailleur's cable-clamp bolt, pull the cable taut, and tighten the cable-clamp bolt again. I haven't worked on the latest generation of Campy, though.

good job Mec.....and hunter,Shimano instructions do have trouble shooting tips.My campy stuff does not seem to. Campys bad.:mad:

Originally posted by pokey
good job Mec.....and hunter,Shimano instructions do have trouble shooting tips.My campy stuff does not seem to. Campys bad.:mad:

UH HUH! Since the thread was on a Campy component not shimaNO, I thought you would get the point.

It is probably that the derailler limit screws are adjusted wrong. Shift all the way down to where the cable has the most slack, then set the bottom limit screw there (tighten the cable also). Then shift up to the top ring and set the limit screw there. The extra range to handle the triple should be on the up shift side (cable gets tighter), not the down shift side. This way the derailler limit cable stops the shifter as well as the derailler.

Just to note, all Campy stuff is triple compatible. Since the front is not a true index shifting like shimano, they can get away with using the same shifter for both double and triple.

Good luck!

To summarize the relevant responses:
- All Campy Ergo front derailleurs have been/are triple campatible (As are Sachs Quarz), but this has nothing to do with the problem.
- Loosen the cable and click the shifter down until there's no more clicks, then re-attach the cable and adjust.

Note - It's a common oversight to not have the shifters, any shifters, in the lowest position before attaching the cable & attempting to adjust.