I tend to have a pretty good memory for these sorts of details, but without any actual experience of these later types, it's hard to get it all straight...

I'm interested in acquiring some of the post-2001 (round top) 9spd levers; how many flavours did these come in, and what the hell does it all mean again?

Ultrashift, Quickshift, Escape, WTF?

Ideally, I'd like them to shift the same way 1st-gen Ergos work, if that has a name... but I take it these ones won't, is that right?

What's the deal?

If you want new, you wont be able to find 9 speeds no more. Speed went out of production like 12 years ago.

If you want 10 speed, you can get a set of centaurs new, those came in power shift and escape. With the new ones you might be able to find the one that shift 4 cogs in one click (i believe this is what you want right?) but are really hard to find because campagnolo discontinue them maybe 4 years ago.

The other option is to get a set of used record or chorus ultra shift, those do what apparently you are looking for. I would do this if i was you.

Hope this helps.

Can't afford new; bidding on Ebay.

Missed out on a set of pointy 9spd Records that were a bit beat-up; messed up trying to snipe them. Dude scored em for $91, dammit...

Is there a webpage anywhere that breaks it all down?

Oh well, can't go too far wrong for 40 Euros... scored some Mirage 9spd ones.

Now to get me a Shiftmate.

9s never made it to the newer versions since it was discontinued before they came out. So in round top 1999-2003 styles 9s existed in Mirage, Veloce, and Daytona (later Centaur) which were all virtually identical, except for cosmetics, and in Record and Chorus which wire identical mechanically, and different by virtue of carbon vs. alloy levers and shift paddles.

There are still new sets floating out there if you search. I probably have a few, from 2001-2002 though I'm not sure which models.

These are the ones I scored.



Are those brake levers some kind of less-fancy composite, or painted aluminium? They seem a little scratched and I don't see any metal.

Escape is Campagnolo's loathed escapement mechanism (like Shimano and SRAM) which only shifts one cog smaller, original introduced at the Xenon level but used on all levers Centaur and below for 2007-2008. You don't want it.

Quickshift was a front derailleur ratio change that happened at the same time; although you can get Chorus/Record (still made) QS levers that use the classic mechanism instead of escape.

Ultrashift is Campagnolo's second or third (depending on whether you count pointy and round hoods as separate because) generation ergo lever with the current hood design. It still shifts three cogs larger and five smaller. Instead of having 12 clicks on the left lever of which 7 are used for a triple it has just 6 with all used. It replaces the wear prone G-springs (no longer listed separately in the spares manuals) with coil springs and separate ball bearings to engage detents. Chorus and above current production 11 speed shifters use this mechanism, and 2009-2010 Veloce through Athena levers did. 2009 10 speed units had weak detents which were resolved as a running change. There was also a mid-year move to ball bearings on the main pivots of the less expensive shifters.

You can still buy NOS 2010 Veloce Ultrashift levers for $125 from Total Cycling including a cable set.

Given the discontinuation of small parts (I was replacing G-springs every few years and also replaced thumb lever and front lever return springs which broke due to fatigue) I'd skip the used 9 speed levers that are likely to need maintenance and upgrade to 10 with a pair of NOS 2010 Veloce levers before the supply dried up (I bought myself a set of Centaur Carbon levers before those ran out).

Does this mean the current Ultrashift levers won't shift a triple crank? I have 2006-vintage Record and Chorus brifters on two bikes, both with triple cranks, and they do use 7 clicks to shift to all three rings. I would hate to give that up when the brifters have to be replaced.

Also, I understand that for 2013, Campy is reintroducing triple cranks at the Athena and below level with Athena being 11-speed and Centaur, etc. remaining 10-speed. I wonder if the corresponding brifters will be modified to shift these triples or if the current versions already will.

They do a fine job shifting triple cranks which is an officially supported configuration. I personally have 2010 Centaur Carbon Ultrashift levers running a mid 2000s Record Titanium triple front derailleur.

They just take all six of six clicks instead of seven out of twelve (I'm very close to only needing five, although I couldn't speak to that being by design or due to a subtle difference between actuation ratios of 2006/older and 2009/newer derailleurs). Doubles use 3-4 (I switched back to a triple crank at the same time I installed the new levers and can't personally confirm). Presumably this implies a little more pull per shift (I can't recall how many clicks I was using on my first generation levers)

Picking up a set of NOS 2010 Veloce levers might not be a bad idea before they become unavailable .After that you'll be stuck with Powershift (like escape but with the new hood shape) or a $90 replacement 10 speed right mechanism (small parts are discontinued) added to a set of 11 speed Chorus levers.

If not you definitely want to snap up a few sets of G-springs, a few spring carriers, and at least one thumb lever and front lever return spring. Campagnolo no longer lists the small parts in the spares catalog and it seems likely that they'll disappear just like the first generation parts.

Thanks for all the info, but I'm still not sure how many clicks my front shifter has...



Any idea?

Those are classic ultrashift or whatever they called them in 2001 levers. They use the same basic mechanism in use form 2000-2005. The front is a micro-space ratchet, whereby you trim as needed (never counted the clicks) and will work with just about any front double or triple derailleur, since it isn't indexed.

FYI, because the clicks are finer, the spring flex when shifting is much less, and the springs therefore last much longer (plus most folks don't shift the front as often as the rear). When I was a Campy service tech, I serviced one left for every 20 rights.

Sweet : )