Veloce Gears

skyblueamateur

I am having a few issues setting up my veloce gears. Shifting is fine on the cassette but when on the small-chainring I get chain rub on the front derailleur from about the fourth smallest cog. I would expect it maybe on the smallest 2 cogs as that would be cross chaining but to have 4 gears not usable is surely too much?

On the older version of Veloce it had a trim on the big chainring, I have found that when on the smallest chainring I can nudge/trim the front derailleur so that the smallest cogs are usable but would then have to downshift again to use the largest cogs.

I had a very low speed ‘off’ a few weeks ago on the drive train side but from what I can see everything seems to be ok.

Any advise would be much appreciated.

keef66

Sounds like your front mech isn't set up optimally; losing 4 rear sprockets to chain rub is a bit extreme. Is the front mech cage still parallel to the chainrings when viewed from above?

It's also possible your rear mech hanger is bent. Look from behind the bike; the rear mech cage should sit completely vertical beneath the selected sprocket. Any slight lean inwards would suggest a bent hanger, which will give problems setting up the gears / indexing.

You can try to straighten it by clamping it in a vice and swinging on it with a large adjustable spanner, or simply buy a replacement.

mustol

I've got Veloce and have the same issue, but it doesn't bother me. I use the big chainring with all but the largest sprocket and the small chainring with the 6 largest sprockets. My hanger certainly isn't bent. I could try adjusting the FD but don't see the point - I don't feel the need to use the small chainring with any smaller sprockets, I would be just duplicating gears I can already use with the big ring. Remember, big-big is more efficient than small-small.

skyblueamateur

Thanks for your response.

The front mech is parallel when I looked at the two extremities, Big ring, small cog and small ring, big cog with about a 2mm gap.

I thought it might be a bent rear mech but when sighted it is vertical beneath selected sprocket. It also changes fine through all the sprockets on the big chainring. It’s only the small cogs on the small ring that are causing me a problem.

I may take photo’s later as not being the most mechanically minded it could well be that there is something amiss with the rear mech.

There appears to be barrel connectors on the down tube similar to these - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ritchey-cable-t ... adjusters/
Apologies for the naivety but I have only ever used the barrel adjuster on the rear derailleur. My lad was messing about with these the other day though. Would this affect the shifting of the front mech?

keef66

If he's fiddled with the one for the front mech cable then yes, it's possible it's now out of adjustment. Best bet would be to unclamp the cable at the mech, screw in the barrel adjuster, and set it up from scratch using Campag's instructions.

skyblueamateur

Thanks, will the front mech cable adjuster be on the left or right when looking from when sat on the bike? Again, apologies for my ignorance.

keef66

It depends; normally it would be the left one, but some manufacturers / bike shops like to cross the cables beneath the downtube to give the outer cables an easier route around the head tube.

Either way it will be the one which takes the cable from the left hand shifter.

skyblueamateur

Thanks, that was quite dense of me I should have been able to work that out. So you reckon tighten the front mech barrel adjuster and start from scratch?

Ben6899

I run Veloce on one of my bikes and I don't suffer from this much mech/chain rub (none at all in big ring and only the smallest (11) cog when in the small ring - thanks to the trim function). So it's not normal.

If your lad was twiddling the downtube barrel adjusters then give the front mech barrel adjuster a quarter turn and see what that does. Nothing? Maybe another couple quarter turns. From what you're saying, it sounds like tension needs taking off - so that's clockwise adjustments (as you look down the thread of the adjuster, imagine screwing it further into the the frame mount).

Failing that, unfasten everything and start from the very beginning with Campagnolo's instructions to hand.

cesco

During my ride today I remembered your post and tried it. I have SOME (minor) chain rub in the inner ring / second smallest cog, for which there's a more efficient big ring alternative. Just FYI I suppose..

skyblueamateur

Thanks for all your responses.

Got the gears shifting perfectly with no chain rub, went out a for a spin and had quite a major off. Not sure what the condition of the bike is, will have to check tonight. I believe this is the law of the sod :x

keef66

Bugger! Hope you're OK. Suppose it's a good sign that you're apparently still able to type!

Did you fall expensive side down? I've never managed to fall off onto the non drive side. Over the bars a couple of times, but never sideways to the left.

skyblueamateur

I’m good thanks. Face was cut up and road rash all down my left hand side but could’ve been a hell of a lot worse.

The back end slid out to the right, I went over the bars and I assume the bike must’ve come over me as the rear derailleur is bent.

I gave it a quick once over and everything else looks ok, couldn’t see any cracks to the frame etc. Is there anything else I should be checking as a matter of course?

Also, how easy is it to replace a Veloce rear derailleur? Would it make any difference upgrading to an Athena derailleur or would it not be compatible?

rolf_f

SkyBlueAmateur wrote:

Also, how easy is it to replace a Veloce rear derailleur? Would it make any difference upgrading to an Athena derailleur or would it not be compatible?

It'll work but there's no practical point paying the extra.

keef66

If your rear mech has taken a whack there's a good chance the mech hanger is bent too.

skyblueamateur

Cool, thanks.

Yes, I think it's actually the mech hangar that's bent. Will this be a campag specific part?

Ben6899

SkyBlueAmateur wrote:

Cool, thanks.

Yes, I think it's actually the mech hangar that's bent. Will this be a campag specific part?

It will be frame-specific.