Road Cycling - campagnolo to shimano swap on bianchi eros

i just got a good deal on an 03 Bianchi Eros (italian steel frame) but i'm not so crazy about the campagnolo veloce/mirage setup. does anyone know if it'd be easy to swap in a shimano setup? would there be any problems? any help is appreciated..

thanks

I take it you are not interested in upgrading the Campy to something like Centuar?

Just curious...sorry I can't help with the Shimano question.

You'll have to get a new bottom bracket and rear hub. Campy and Shimano use different cassette splines, and Campy swears by a square taper bottom bracket, while Shimano has three different BB designs. Shimano runs the shifter cables out of the side of the brake/shifter levers, while Campy runs both cables under the bar tape.

Yeah, if you don't actually like most of the components on it, it might not have been such a good deal, unless you're one of those folks for whom half the fun of cycling is tracking down deals on components and switching 'em out..

On the other hand, I don't know if you'll necessarily have to switch out everything DieselDan said.. Supposedly the shifting on 9-speed Campy and Shimano stuff is close enough to interchangeable, so if that's the main part you don't like (and I would think it's the main noticeable diff.), you could get away with just switching the controls and the brakes (Campy's brake caliper quick-release is built into the Ergo lever, so if you used STIs w/the Campy brake, you won't be able to QR it to take your wheel off)..

Anyway, it's do-able, if not easy. Check around on the Mechanics forum on this site, on sheldonbrown.com, and in the rec.bicycles.tech newsgroup for more specific info.. Good luck.

- Yoni, who's got nothing personal against Shimano, but wouldn't give up his Campy Ergo stuff for anything..

Besides, there is a three to six week wait on high end Shimano components, long enough to get used to the Campy stuff you have. If your Campy shifters starts to falter, you can rebuild it, not so with Shimano.

thanks for the input guys.. i got the Bianchi Eros for under $500 to start training for my 1st century.. most of the mechanics and sales people i've talked to said the veloce/mirage components would last long for me.. i'm about 250lbs 5'10" and the century isn't until october.. the Bianchi Vigorelli would've been an additional $1k to get into the Ultegra setup.

Do you think it'd be ok to train on the Veloce/Mirage setup for the next month or two and then swap out for Ultegra? Or should I just start riding Ultegra from the get go..

thanks!

I agree with jlvantassel, check out centaur or maybe even chorus depending how much money you are willing to throw at the bike. Either way you may end up having to purchase new wheels so remember to factor that into you budget.

supreemo... what don't you like about the components you have now?

I agree with jlvantassel, check out centaur or maybe even chorus depending how much money you are willing to throw at the bike. Either way you may end up having to purchase new wheels so remember to factor that into you budget.

Dang, I just ordered Centuar derailers and shifters and a wider handlebar for my Eros and I didn't even think about the wheels.
I wonder how the Campy Ventos or maybe the Protons would work on it?
I like the Protons.
Thanks Segrott.