Bicycle Mechanics - Compatibility between Ergo shifters and Shimano derailleur?

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TurboWaffle
05-09-06, 05:40 PM
I bought a used Campy 8 speed drivetrain with the Athena shifters, and somehow overlooked the 32mm seat tube on my bike (the front derailleur I have fits a 28.6mm). So I'm trying to find a cheap temporary replacement for the derailleur, but I'm not sure if the shifters will work with a Shimano front derailleur. How compatible are shifters with non-Campy derailleurs?

TallRider
05-09-06, 06:08 PM
For front deraillers, Campy should work fine with whatever. That's because ergo is not indexed per se, but has lots of little stops (13, I think) so you can fine-tune the trim of the front derailler, and the amount of cable-pull doesn't need to be exact. This is much nicer than with Shimano STI, where you have to buy a front derailler from a "road" group in order to get proper indexing on the chainrings. And even then, it can be one of the screwier things to set up, judging by the posts on this board.
TurboWaffle
05-09-06, 06:11 PM
Sweet, that's just what I needed to know. Thanks!