Shutter

Just finished =)

I wanted to turn this Cannondale into a Single speed but the vertical drops were a limiting feature... I was going to use the rear mech as a chain tensioner then one thing led to another... and here we are...

Love it or Hate it? All comments (positive and negative) are welcome =)

Watch this video to see the method behind the madness...(Campagnolo's First Shifter) https://youtu.be/Z6UYOlN4FTU

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Thanks!

seau grateau

It makes no sense but it's pretty cool.

thirdgenbird

It's like a cable version of the Paris Roubaix. I kinda like it...

I think it would look much better with road drops and trp rrl brake levers.

MNTC

Is that a Croce d'Aune mech?

I really like the idea of three-speed derailleur gears but I don't know how I'd feel about reaching down to the stay to shift, escpecially since you have a road bike with all of the relevant cable stops

seau grateau

You gotta kick shift it like a true bamf.

Shutter

Yea! Check the you tube link in the original post =)

thirdgenbird

I missed that, but I have seen it before.

Are you using an 8spd index gear in the shifter? Oh, and bonus points for the rolamajig wheel. But I would have used one of the earlier metal ones.

Shutter

yup! We tried a C-record but it just would not work... The Croce D'Aune mech is the only one that will work for those setup... Almost as though campagnolo invisioned my crazy idea when they invented it hahaha

For anyone who doesn't know about that rear derailleur it has a very unique design, like no other rear derailleur... It's the only one that will work... See the closeup...

If you watch the you tube video linked in the OP you will see a video of one of campagnolo's first shifter systems... Notice the similarity...

Shutter

Thanks! yup! Indexed to 8 speed =)

its a 3 speed but we got the spacing to work nicely so it's actually indexed shifting =)

its a bit dangerous because the blades spokes can slice your fingers off but since its indexed shifting is easy =)

Shutter

Thanks! =)

MNTC

Would the shifter mount not work just above the brake bridge? It seems to me like that would be a safer means to the same end.

FKMTB07

I think I'd be inclined to move the shifter at least above the brake bridge and switch the bars out to a proper set of road bars/levers, but I like it!

Space Pope

That's a beautiful bike. I had a similar idea once but in my concept there would be a high, mid and low gear. Any way you could move the shifter closer to the handle bars? Is shifting awkward?

Shutter

Good point =)

But if you Watch this video you will see why I put it there...(Campagnolo's First Shifter) https://youtu.be/Z6UYOlN4FTU

I could have always put it in a easier to reach spot but then what's the fun in that? =)

Shutter

Thanks!... Well, if the gears are not close enough then the shifter won't be able to push the chain across... I think the three there are 15, 17, 19... something like that with two tooth intervals... the small one is the perfect gear I have on my other single speed bikes so I can leave it there 95% of the time... If I come up to a hill I can just bump it across two gears to the larger one

Shutter

oops, double post

europa

Shutter, you're nuts, delightfully and deliciously nuts

What a great bike! Hope you have many happy miles together. Any chance of a lever change like Campy's original?

Reeses

I like it haha. That blue looks soooo nice.

carleton

Soooo...this is a 18-speed Road to 1-speed Track to 3-speed Road conversion?

It's cool that you got it to work and that it's a very clean job, but...

Spoonrobot 

Someone's got a Kilo WT with a S3X and has the shifter installed on the right rear rack boss, similar location to where yours is but a little higher. I thought that was pretty cool, and I think this is pretty cool too.

Shutter

Thanks! I used that one because it's indexed to 8 speeds... so this makes it actually an indexed shifter on the three speeds... makes the shifting much easier...

Also that's the only downtube shifter with a built in cable adjuster... i you see the setup you will see that there is no other barrel adjuster on the setup... so that's the perfect shifter because it's the only way that I will be able to fine tune the indexed shifting =)

Shutter

hahahaha "but...." Extactly! hahaha I figured that If I'm going to do this I better go all out and do it right =) ... although I know that there is no "right" way to do what I did hahaha

lots of custom work on the lathe and milling machine (thanks to my Mechanic) =)

Shutter

Cool! I'd love to see how theirs turned out too!

rex615

I was just looking at your video. Nice bit of memorabilia. I had seen pics of that system before, but never a video of it in action.

It is amazing how that lever not only a pushes the chain over, but is an extension for the rear wheel QR. It opens the QR and allows the rear axle to move in the dropouts to tighten the chain since there is no tensioner. A bit scary actually.

Shutter

Yea!! Those old dropouts were super long and had knotches in them to allow the wheel to easily sit in a different knotch for each gear chosen...

I'm curious myself how it works with the rear brake because it must get thrown out of alignment as the wheel moves through the drop...