Classic & Vintage - any tricks for uphill campy NR/SR derailleur use???

Hey guys,
I've been riding up some steep hills in San Diego,
and its been really frustrating as the rear derailleur wants to bump up a gear.
I've been learning how to time the "self-shifting" and ride with one hand to push the shifter down,
but its just difficult to get any power on it.
(its the downtube shifter style)

Any hints at what to do?
The derailleur is adjusted perfect,
and i've cleaned the shifter/bushings too.

Thanks!

TP

You're not actually supposed to ride those; they're simply for show here on C&V.

Is the shifter bolted in tightly enough?

Is the chainline right, or is the chain severely askew in whatever combo it's ghost shifting?

Is the derailleur hanger or rear derailleur bent at all?

How is your shifting technique? Overshift a bit then adjust, to make sure the chain and jockey wheel are lined up.

I experience ghost shifting on a few of my steel bikes with long chainstays (43-44cm) sometimes if I mash hard (standing up). The frames simply flex too much.

I had a feeling you guys were collectors not riders. what junkyard said. you may want to take your shifter off and clean everything too. since the 'friction' is a nylon washer on the alloy shifter I just use a little soap wash it up dry it real good and reinstall with a bit of grease on the bolt

+1 to all the above but the most likely culprit (and simplest fix) is the shifter tension screw being a bit too loose or a bit of lubricant on the shifter friction plates.

I had a feeling you guys were collectors not riders.

I think he was making a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that the Nuovo Record - despite its overwhelming popularity and long-term fame as the #1 RD choice of the day for racers - is a dog that doesn't shift that well.

-Kurt

It's San Diego, it's Summer, you should be down near the beaches, or Coronado taking pictures of any attractive women on bikes, or get down to the docks adjacent to Joe's Crab Shack and watching USA, the BMWOracleRacing 90' tri with the recent 200' mast heading out for a days trials.

Please get your priorities in order.

That and might try an additional washer on the tension ring bolt of the shift lever, use a split lock washer or two, you will porbably not find a suitable sized wave washer, although Smiley does make them... unless you are an engineer requestion samples, they want to sell you 10,000.

It's San Diego, it's Summer, you should be down near the beaches, or Coronado taking pictures of any attractive women on bikes, or get down to the docks adjacent to Joe's Crab Shack and watching USA, the BMWOracleRacing 90' tri with the recent 200' mast heading out for a days trials.


Actually every tuesday evening there are track-bike races at the San Diego Velodrome.
Its kinda a summer thing, and its a good excuse and destination to ride the old hogs the 6x2 miles or so,
lotsa guys ('n gals) ride up too, kinda like a bike show lined up on the fence.

Anyway the problem isn't the derailleur,
its the shifter not holding the "all the way down" position, (full tension)
and slowly, usually 5 pedal-revolutions, it will start to click,
then if I don't get in a quick shifter bump it'll shift up.
Definitely makes me like the sun-tour bar-con's on my anti-campy beater bike!

I'm going to try adding another plastic washer in there,
they are about 30/36 years old by now.

I'll let y'all know if it works or not.

Thanks alot!

TP

Are they the original Record shifters?

If so, is it a variant with steel pressure plates (the original set of Record variants) or nylon (came with the lever styling revision in the late '70s - and present on your Paletti)? From your reference to "plastic washers," I would assume you have the final-gen levers - either that, or an earlier set with a mish-mash of hardware. The Schroder seems to have the earlier levers, if the outer plates are any indication (can't tell too well from the photos in the Paletti/Schroder thread).

That said, have you greased them by any chance? I've found that the NR return springs are strong enough to make stock Record shifters slip if greased enough with typical wheel-bearing grease. A light coating should be all it needs, and if it still gives trouble, perhaps only an oiling; then again, maybe not even that.

On a side note, I have found that the steel Campagnolo Gran Sport RD's have one of the stiffest return springs out there. I have it mated to a NR-era Record shifter set, and no amount of D-ring tightening (with no grease) will prevent them from slipping, though gradually. It slips slow enough that it doesn't bother me much, though I wish a cheap fix existed (i.e., one that wouldn't involve the purchase of period pre-Nuovo shifters).

-Kurt

Do what everyone else who has had the same problem did (or does if current)
upgrade the shifters to Simplex Retrofriction.

End of issue.

Marty