A friend has asked me to convert this Tommasini from its current setup with an Athena 8Sp ergo triple crankset to a double. (Why, I am not sure. I suspect she feels a double would be more period correct and authentic.)

Question though. Does anyone know if besides the crankset and maybe the bottom bracket (or BB spindle which I believe is longer on a triple than it is on a double) are there other modifications required?

I would love to NOT have have swap off the LH Brifter (though I have spare LH Athena brifters). (though I would also not want to lose a triple LH Brifter onto this double and wind up with incompatible triple crankset + double LH brifter)

If I had to swap it, how would I even identify a double in my pile of spares. (Shimano at least marked things as "Triple" or "Double") is the throw less on a double than a triple, so fewer clicks?

And what about the FD? was that specific to a triple groupset?

Many thanks

Peter

Only the FD, BB and crankset are triple-specific. (looks like a short or mid cage RD). The triple FD will of course work a double just fine, barring clearance problems on some frames perhaps.

Ergos can all shift triples, because they rock.

Nice bike. You should tell your friend the triple is period-correct, and the only reasons she should want to ditch it are aesthetics or she desperately wants a narrower Q.

On the aesthetics (and awesomeness) axis, the flipside is no reason not to run a corncob, and you could fit a black granny ring...

All I would change is the front brake for an early Campy dual-pivot.

+1 All of the older Ergo front brifters had multiple "clicks" rather than two or three fixed positions so they were compatible with both double and triple cranks. It's quite possible the triple front derailleur can be retained.

If the reason for changing to a double is aesthetics, the triple FD will have to go... double FDs look heaps sleeker.

But the triple allows for a sweet corncob, so I vote keep it, unless it lives somewhere flat.

what about the BB or spindle? should I research swapping that out? I think the triple crankset took a longer spindle than the double.

Yep, triple uses a longer BB.

I defy you to tell which is which without reading the model number! Cute comment.

Adjusting the seat and bar angles, and making that bike about 4 sizes bigger and I'd say it's perfect as is.

I couldn't get my 8 speed Racing Triple front derailleur to reliably shift a C9 chain on a FSA Carbon Pro Compact crank without sometimes overshooting the big ring and dumping the chain on the crank arm. I gave up and switched to a double (CT) derailleur before figuring out whether it was a chain-line issue or what.

Campagnolo discontinued the 11-18 and 12-19 in 1999 along with my favorite the 13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21 which worked perfectly paired to a 50-40-30 crankset - low like 42x28 for the mountains west of Boulder, 13-19 straight block for the plains east, no need to swap cassettes 5 days a week.

One could transplant late freehubs and run 8 of 9 cogs with wider spacers (Campagnolo part KIT-03) from a 9 speed Veloce 13-23 cassette (sadly galvanized not polished nickel-chrome).

I agree. 1993-1994 Record dual pivot brakes would be ideal. The Record hidden hardware aesthetics are quite nice and no ink identifying the group name is more elegant and period correct.

The inner plate on Campagnolo Triple and CT (compact) derailleurs is a lot taller than on Campagnolo standard double derailleurs.

CT front derailleurs post date the move to 10 cogs and like other Campagnolo double front derailleurs of the era have a plastic insert at the front of the outer cage plate. Triples from the same era do not.

A chunky inner plate and no insert means it is a triple derailleur.

Front left to right: 1996 Racing-T triple 8 speed, 2005 or 2006 Chorus CT compact 10 speed, 2008 Chorus QS conventional and compact double. All 32mm clamp-on.



2002-2006 Record Titanium triple, 32mm clamp-on.



If you're going to follow the religion you need to know your iconography

fascinating!
By this description, the current FD is a triple (deep inside plate) and so I should swap it out
the things I learn....