Campy Ergo shifting question
 

I have question more than a problem but maybe someone can shed some light. I have Campy 9-spd Veloce Ergo levers and 13-28 cassette, a Centaur rear derailleur, and a new cable. With everything adjusted as well as I can get it, I can lightly tap the lever to shift up to the bigger cog through every gear except the last. On the last shift, to the big cog, a light tap will result in the derailleur not lining up exactly right on the last cog and it'll be noisy until I tap it over again. If I give it a nice firm throw it shifts fine. This was also the case when I had a Veloce rear derailleur, 13-26 cassette, and the old cable. The only common component is the Ergo lever. It's a subtle difference but it's there. Do you think there is a problem with the lever? Or is it just normal to have to give it a firm push?

Perhaps you need to back the limit screw a tad.
I don't recall the last shift being any different to any other on mine.

adjust the limit screw and tighten the cable until the shifting is smooth on that last cog. the question is will it shift smoothly on all the other gears then.

Although it does sound like a limiter screw issue, how old is the lever? I know it is 9-spd but I mean old in terms of use? Do you have a ton of miles on it or is it still in fairly new condition? You should replace the G-Springs every few years.

Are all the housings seated well? Did you cut the housing that runs from the chain stay to the der or did you leave it at the original length? Campagnolo ders like that cable to be a good bit longer than Shimano does. Having this cable too short can cause this problem.

Are you using Campagnolo cables and housings? Campagnolo cable housings are much stiffer than Shimano or Jaqwire. Soft housings can also cause this problem.

Have a look at your screw. If adjusting that doesn't do the trick, move on to these low-cost options.

What year brifters and derailleur did you have before the upgrade? Where did you get a 13-28 cassette? That's not a stock Campy item. May have a solution depending on your answer.

Tim

I'll answer all the questions in one post -

* Cables are Campy
* Not positive about the fit of the cables - the LBS set that up but the same issue existed before my little accident that required replacing the old stuff and that was the factory setup
* Cassette is Campy Veloce 13-28. That is a stock configuration. Same problem existed with the 13-26 which was also stock.
* Veloce Ergo levers are 2001-2002 vintage, about 7000 miles give or take
* Everything seems to be well fitted and adjusted as far as I can tell but I'm no bike mechanic.

Unfortunately I don't remember whether it did this when it was new or not or if it is something that developed or time. It really only happens when I'm not paying attention or I'm tired at the end of a long ride and my shifts get a little sloppy.

I'll try the limit screw. I suppose it could be just a bit to tight and cause a problem like that. I'll let you know. I'm going for a ride now.

So far so good. I backed the limit screw out about a half turn and went for 35 mile ride. No problems. It looks a little strange - if you eyeball the derailleur from behind now it appears to be overshifted by a hair but it runs smooth and quiet. I want to take for a few more rides before I say for sure it's fixed but it looks promising. Thanks everyone.

Glad to see you have the problem licked. If the shifting gets sloppy or you find yourself having to overshift a little, try replacing the G-springs. They're about $10 - $15 a set and make a huge difference. Good luck.

Tim

I'm "derailing" this thread: Did you disassemble/reassemble your shifters yourself? Was it difficult?

Yeah, I'd like to know too, 'cause I don't want to end up with a bunch of parts on the kitchen table and a brand new $250 set of Ergo levers.

It's a little fiddly getting the springs positioned when re-assembling, but I don't find it too difficult. You should be able to do it in a couple of hours the first time, assuming you have the G springs on hand when you start. Google for procedures, there's a few variants out there, choose the one that makes sense to you and go at it.

Hey, I can put all the parts in a box and ship 'em to you for assembly when I can't put them back together, right? ;) :D

My rates are very reasonable, but there is this terrible problem with the "shipping" department "losing" repaired items.

Another thing you can check out is to make sure the RD hanger is not bent.