Compact mechs and medium cages

heavymental
heavymental Posts: 2,091
edited January 2008 in Workshop
I'm going to run my campag system with an 11-28 and a 50/34 compact up front. I know Campag would say I'd need a medium cage and a compact front mech but am I right in saying that they aren't necessary and will work fine with short cage and standard front mech? I'm sure I read that somewhere biut can't find the thread now.

Comments

  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    2008 Campag front mechs are combined now, you don't need different mechs for standard and compact chainsets
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  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    Forgot to add:

    You getting a cassette built? Campag don't make one that size do they?
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  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,091
    I've decided to get a Marchisio cassette. Going to get a Junior one built and should work out fairly cheap. the Aviotek version is lighter apparently and the MTK version is more suited to 10 speed but I've read no bad reports about the shifting with 10 speed so think I'll go for the cheaper version which works out as 67euros not including lockring and delivery. From Clemenzo as suggested here....

    http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... o&start=15
  • neeb
    neeb Posts: 4,473
    If you have a campag compact chainset you either need the 2008 front mech, which does both standard and compact as reddragon says, or else a 2007 or earlier front mech specifically for compact. If you use a 2007 standard front mech with a compact chainset, it will work flawlessly 95% of the time, but every now and again the chain won't engage and will end up spinning between the two chainrings... I know, I've tried it! It always seems to happen while changing down at the front on a hill and is extremely annoying.
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,091
    Ok. They're no more expensive anyway are they so might as well go for it.
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,091
    What about the lenght of cage at the back. Is short ok for that range? (12/28 - 50/34)
  • shfcook
    shfcook Posts: 347
    Ive run a 34-50 compact briefly with a 13-26 cassette and a short cage rear mech with no problem; I swapped over a rear wheel with a 13-29 10 spd Campag cassette and again no problem in the short time it was on...don't try the large sprocket large chainring though...
  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    I ran a compact and shortcage with a 28t rear for a while and there were no problems. Neither was there with the standard mech which works just as well as the later combined one.

    No other manufacturer specifies a special mech for compact chainsets and they are all the same size and shape.
  • neeb
    neeb Posts: 4,473
    The cage on the 2007 compact (CT) front mech is certainly a different shape from the one on the 2007 standard mech, the inner plate is much bigger and extends lower down. I haven't seen the new 2008 combined one in the flesh (only in pictures) but it looks like it is in between the two 2007 ones, with the inner plate of the cage extending slightly lower down and with a slightly different profile. I have no idea about how this is supposed to work in practice or if it is really necessary, but as I say, I did have some occasional problems running the standard 2007 mech with a compact chainset which seem to have been resolved by fitting a 2007 CT mech. Maybe these problems only occur for some people and in certain situations, and certainly it worked fine most of the time, but unless you already have the old standard mech (in which case you may as well give it a go) I'd recommend getting one that is supposed to be compatible with CT.

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