Bicycle Mechanics - Campy Ergo 11 brifter cable routing?

I must be overlooking something really simple, but....I can't see how to use the derailleur cable housings with the end caps in place. There is nowhere to stick the end caps on the lever. Usually there are holes where you insert the cable housings, then shove the cable into the housings and continue routing towards the derailleurs.

Where are the detailed instructions for this usually simple procedure? The Campy instructions are silly and don't even show the correct configuration in their photos.

Anyone have a photo of their cable routing under the brifter hoods?? :mad:

Campy 11 with their proper housing do not need ferrules to terminate in the shifter.

Campy 11 with their proper housing do not need ferrules to terminate in the shifter.

That makes sense, but the Campy instructions say to use the already-ferruled end of the housings (which are pre lubricated at this end). They don't say remove the ferrules first. Very confusing!

Hmmm. Here is what Competitive Cyclist's review says:

The redesigned body also allows for better cable routing of the shift cable. The cable housing doesn't get threaded vertically into the body, but stops behind the lever. With this, the cable runs from the shift mechanism through the lever body in a straighter line. The straighter line reduces friction.

So the housings don't get shoved into the brake/shift lever housing?

It's amazing that Campy has never bothered to fix the error in their instructions. The cableset doesn't come with enough ferrules to go into the ergo body and they wouldn't fit anyway.

Can't you see the two holes under the brake hood, to allow either front or rear routing of the cable housing? The housing must be inserted into one of these hole in the ergo body. The hole is a tight fit with the cable housing. It's not that much different than previous models, just no ferrules are used. The shift cable is inserted through a hole on the underside of the ergo body - also covered by the brake hood.

If you're havng trouble with something this simple, wait until you try to get the cable over the guide and into the small hole that directs it into the cable housing. The trick is to push it down with something like a 2mm hex wrench. The other method is pull a few inches of cable and just stick the end into the small hole but it will kink the cable when the loop is drawn tight. Be sure the kink is not located inside a cable housing.

Thanks Dave! I already saw those holes, but what confused me was Campy's instructions saying to use the housing WITH the ferrule already on it! They didn't mention you don't use the ferrule, and you just use the housing itself! I also was perplexed by the angle at which you had to thread the cable, and wound up pulling it all the way through one side, then shoving it in the other side, almost tying a knot in the damned cable! I had the though of using a small bladed screw driver to force the tiny end into that guide hole. That's what I'll do for the front derailleur cable. Bad design!!

I'll be tearing the ferrule's off and shoving the housing into the holes when I finish my Blue Moon (sounds like a porn plot).

PS--I also got the Campy instruction booklet that shows the three photos of mounted brifters, only they say yes next to both crooked photos, and no for the straight one in the middle!

If you have cable housing with preinstalled ferrules, you have the wrong cable set (old 10 speed). The cable housings should have ultra low friction printed on them. The older cable housings are larger into diameter and won't really fit in the new ergo body. Without the ultra low friction liner, you may have shifting problems.

The housings dont say anything, but the box says Ultra Low Friction Cableset, and it came from Shinybikes.com along with the group. The housings fit into the ergo body fine, so I guess I'm OK?

You're only OK if the cable housings have ultra low friction printed on them. The diameter of the housing should be 4.1mm. You can jam the old 4.4mm housing into the ultrashift levers, but the friction is the issue.

The new cables do not have preinstalled ferrules on one end - at least none of the several sets I've got.

Hmmm. Yet the Campy instructions that came with my 11 speed Ergo levers mentions the ferruled end of the cables being lubricated by the factory, etc. Maybe I have the earlier version of the ultra low friction cables? I can contact Shinybikes.com and ask them. Or, try out the shifting when I get the Campy chain tool (I thought I could get by with my 10 sp tool and the Park peener - nope).

Measure the housing OD. If it's not 4.1mm, then you have the wrong cables. I have the very earliest cable versions, dating back to November of '08. They are properly marked with no preinstalled ferrules. I'd say that somebody put an old cableset in a new box.

Measure the housing OD. If it's not 4.1mm, then you have the wrong cables. I have the very earliest cable versions, dating back to November of '08. They are properly marked with no preinstalled ferrules. I'd say that somebody put an old cableset in a new box.

I did get them from England. Maybe they are still using the ferruled set over there? Is the brake housing smaller on the newer cables too??

EDIT: I checked the instruction page that came with the cableset. It says 4.5 and 5mm for the shift and brake housings! SOB! I'll email Shinybike and ask them if they can send me another set on their dime.

The brake housings were not changed, just the shift cable.

I got the Campy chain tool today (quite the marvel), but I broke the only chain pin I had using the wrong tool yesterday. So I ordered new pins - the only thing holding me up from trying the shifters! Hope I didn't ruin the magic chain link by deforming it?