Campag issues

Craigbes
Craigbes Posts: 74
edited May 2010 in Workshop
If only I had known what a pain in the arse campag was i'd have stuck with shimano. The thread on the rear mech cable adjuster has stripped even though its hardly been touched. Trying to find a replacement is like trying to find the holy grail. I've been passed from one supplier to another without success. Then in the space of 4 weeks a link in the the chain has seized up. A new link was fitted the first time. Would have done it myself had the campag tools not been so bloody expensive. And one long term problem is, when the rear mech is plumb in line with the large ring (25T) it makes contact with the spokes when your out of the saddlle or pushing hard. The wheels are rodi airline & a mate of mine has the same problem with a similar set up.
Any help appreciated......
p.s Was told to try Italian Cycle Products but had no joy by either phone or e-mail........

Comments

  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    Sounds like user incompetence is the issue rather than equipment failure
    I like bikes...

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  • nickwill
    nickwill Posts: 2,735
    I'm a long term Campag user, and never had any of those problems!
  • antikythera
    antikythera Posts: 326
    I'm confused?

    Ok, so I'm on the "right" side of the religious war (Campag user for way too many years to remember).

    But I think we need far more information to understand your situation! What groupset? what speed (10 and 11 have very separate requirements)? Is it new or second hand? Is it a Campag chain or not? What tool are you referring to?

    If you can provide more information, you'll get more (constructive) information back.

    PS Your mates not giving any first hand information, so their circumstances are irrelevant to what your asking/saying!
  • Chrissz
    Chrissz Posts: 727
    Threads don't strip unless they've been forced at some time.

    Chain links don't sieze unless they have been miss-treated/left to rot/rust (agreed, the 11 speed chain tool is expensive but you can wait until cheaper versions appear on the market or use a 10 speed Powerlink!)

    Rear mechs don't foul rear spokes unless the mech hanger is bent, the stop screw is incorrectly set or the wheels are made of spaghetti!

    I've never had any of the problems identified - despite years of "learn as you go" ham-fisted DIY mechanic stuff on both Shimano and Campagnolo gears - I've beep playing with bikes of one sort or another for over 35years!


    In short - it sounds very much more likely that it is an operator error than dodgey kit!
  • mrushton
    mrushton Posts: 5,182
    edited May 2010
    If the rear mech is touching the spokes it sounds as if the adjustment is out. I've never stripped a rear adjuster but can eg Chicken cycle not order the part or contact Campag.directly quoting the part number from the pdfs on www.campagnolo.com
    The link sounds as tho' it's stiff and may not have been joined correctly or if 11 speed have the correct tools been used in the correct way.
    As you can tell by the replies it sounds as if much of the problem is the way the bike has been set up.
    M.Rushton
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    +1

    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    You can always use a Shimano cable adjuster - it has the same thread...
    Regardless of what make of components, this sounds like operator failure / poor maintenance. If you don't clean/relube your chain it will go rusty, regardless of make.
    You don't need to use a chain tool, just use a SRAM or KMC link.
    The rear mech hitting the spokes - sounds like a bent frame hanger as suggested.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • proto
    proto Posts: 1,483
    BTW Italian Cycle Products are no longer trading. For spares, try the very helpful people at Mercian Cycles who seem to have most things you'll ever need (although they can't get Campag to send them any circlips, FC-RE008, that go behind the r/h bearing on Ultartorque crank axles. Grrrrrrrrrr!!)
  • antikythera
    antikythera Posts: 326
    Monty Dog wrote:
    You can always use a Shimano cable adjuster - it has the same thread....

    Not always the case, the 11 speed bolt has a different pitch.

    I recently bought a new rear derailleur adjustment bolt RD-AT115. Because after 10 years of constant use in all kinds of weather and on an indoor trainer it gave up.

    The replacement appears to be a light alloy, which could easily fatigue (eventually).
  • Craigbes
    Craigbes Posts: 74
    Campag centaur 10 speed groupset. Fitted 2009. The chain is lubed on a regular basis & at no point have any of the components been used in an incompetent manor. As for the issue of the rear mech coming into contact with the spokes, my mate has campag veloce with the same wheelset and built up by the same bike builder.

    On the chicken cycle front, they gave me a couple of contacts who in turn gave me the italian cycle products. Thats as far as I got on that one.
  • Wheelspinner
    Wheelspinner Posts: 6,725
    Campagnolo bits available here:

    http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=16125&category=268

    That's for the BB parts and circlips.

    http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/index.php?category=71

    That has derailleur parts, most of which are showing as in stock.

    This shop is good - I've had a couple of orders go through with zero fuss at all, quick and accurate. Their shipping costs aren't the world's cheapest to outside the US, but hey, I still saved money on the things I bought compared to buying locally and I didn't even have to get off the damned sofa to do it! :lol:
    Open One+ BMC TE29 Seven 622SL On One Scandal Cervelo RS
  • JesseD
    JesseD Posts: 1,961
    Campag is a commitment, I too ride campag and am having problems sourcing a rear mech barrell adjuster for a 08 Centaur mech, mine has also stripped but it is probably because of operator error. to solve the problem I have put an inline adjuster in the cable outer by the bars and used PTFE tape to secure the barrell adjuster in the rear mech, I now have a perfectly adjusted rear mech again (will still try and order a barrell adjuster from somewhere).

    The rear mech pinging the spokes sounds like a problem with flex in the rear wheel, so when your putting a lot of pressure through the pedals the rear wheel flexes and the spokes ping agaisnt the mech. It happens on mine as well with my training wheels but when my reace wheels are on the bike I do not get any issues like that.

    All said, Campag is great till something goes wrong then it's expensive to fix, Shimano doesn't work as well (IMHO) but is better for the poorer amongst us, as it's cheaper to buy etc
    Obsessed is a word used by the lazy to describe the dedicated!
  • leejdavies
    leejdavies Posts: 217
    Just contact the UK distributor. Jim Walker aka http://www.i-ride.co.uk. Simples.


    I think barrel adjusters can be found here.

    If not find the part number from a Campagnolo manual and contact them. They are helpful and pretty quick on delivery.

    Regarding the spoke hitting derailleur. It may be worth setting it up again insuring you follow the steps they provide. Just fitted a new Centaur RD this way and shifting is divine.
    Up: Wilier Mortirolo
    Down: Orange Patriot
  • Craigbes
    Craigbes Posts: 74
    I'd like to thank the last three posts. Those were the sort of helpful replies I was looking for. Think I may be able to get things moving again.

    Thanks again :lol:
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,950
    proto wrote:
    BTW Italian Cycle Products are no longer trading. For spares, try the very helpful people at Mercian Cycles who seem to have most things you'll ever need (although they can't get Campag to send them any circlips, FC-RE008, that go behind the r/h bearing on Ultartorque crank axles. Grrrrrrrrrr!!)

    condor had some a couple of months ago
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • proto
    proto Posts: 1,483
    Thanks for the Condor heads-up, I'll phone tomorrow.

    The US site linked has them in stock but wants $4.00 for the part and $28.00 carriage :shock:
  • Wheelspinner
    Wheelspinner Posts: 6,725
    proto wrote:
    Thanks for the Condor heads-up, I'll phone tomorrow.

    The US site linked has them in stock but wants $4.00 for the part and $28.00 carriage :shock:

    I did warn you their postage charges were a little steep! :D But if you buy a few things the postage charge doesn't change much, if at all, which brings things down to more reasonable.
    Open One+ BMC TE29 Seven 622SL On One Scandal Cervelo RS
  • proto
    proto Posts: 1,483
    Well, I spoke to Condor this morning, firstly a young fellow in the main shop and then a fellow in their service department, and both of them were incredibly helpful. They have them in stock, 99p each. One should be winging its way to me very soon.

    Condor 10/10
  • JesseD
    JesseD Posts: 1,961
    oooh great, I'll order one tomorrow
    Obsessed is a word used by the lazy to describe the dedicated!
  • satanas
    satanas Posts: 1,303
    Re derailleur hitting spokes under load: this is not necessarily due to operator error, a bent derailleur hanger or wheel builder incompetence. I have had similar issues with Dura-Ace 8 speed, where the mounting bolt for the top jockey wheel protrudes just enough from the inside cage plate to lightly touch the spokes under load. This only happens with smaller cassettes (21 or 23t large cog), and is more of a problem with plain 14g spokes which give less clearance than do butted or aero spokes. This wasn't an issue with 6 or 7 speed Dura-Ace (which used basically the same rear mech) as the wheels had less dish and thus more clearance; Shimano changed 9 and 10 speed mechs slightly so this didn't happen.