Camapag questions

jjsh
jjsh Posts: 142
edited November 2015 in Workshop
I've brought a 2nd hand bike as a project bike, and it appears to have a Campag Xenon 9 speed groupset. Can anyone confirm;

a) Can any 9 speed Shimano cassettes be used with this (I'm pretty sure the answer is no, but I thought I'd double check!)

b) If I need to swap the freewheel over to a Campag compatible one ~ are they wheel specific, or can I just use any?

c) Is there the same compatibility issue at the front derailleur?

Thanks!

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19730838#p19730838]JJSH[/url] wrote:
    I've brought a 2nd hand bike as a project bike, and it appears to have a Campag Xenon 9 speed groupset. Can anyone confirm;

    a) Can any 9 speed Shimano cassettes be used with this (I'm pretty sure the answer is no, but I thought I'd double check!)

    b) If I need to swap the freewheel over to a Campag compatible one ~ are they wheel specific, or can I just use any?

    c) Is there the same compatibility issue at the front derailleur?

    Thanks!

    a) Officially NO but some people have successfully managed to make them work.

    b) Some are easier than others. Campag wheels are actually quite easy to swap to a Shimano freehub

    c) The front derailleur is not so big an issue since it only has to really push the chain left or right once (on a double) so indexing is not an issue.

    Alternatively get a Miche or Ambrosio cassette which allows cross compatability
  • de_sisti
    de_sisti Posts: 1,283
    You can't fit a Shimano cassette onto a Campag freehub (if that's what you're thinking).
  • jjsh
    jjsh Posts: 142
    Thanks for the replies ~ just to clarify, the bike doesn't have any wheels, but I have a spare set. Unfortunately, the rear is on a Shimano freewheel, so I either need to make it work somehow, or replace the freehub and get a Campag compatible cassette. I don't want to throw a ton of cash at it, as its really for permanent mounting on my turbo. I think I may cgance my arm with a cheapo shimano 9 speed cassette! :D

    Good news about the front, as the chainset and BB look a bit ropey, although I may be able to service them (I haven't stripped / cleaned them up yet), but I do have a FSA Gossamer 10 speed double + megaexo BB in the spares box, so I'll give that a go (unless I find that the fame is Italian threaded, in which case I'm back to square one!).

    But, hey, it wouldn't be any fun if it were easy!

    Thinking about it ~ do I actually *need* gears on a turbo, couldn't I achieve the same thing by varying the resistance?
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19730939#p19730939]JJSH[/url] wrote:
    Thanks for the replies ~ just to clarify, the bike doesn't have any wheels, but I have a spare set. Unfortunately, the rear is on a Shimano freewheel, so I either need to make it work somehow, or replace the freehub and get a Campag compatible cassette. I don't want to throw a ton of cash at it, as its really for permanent mounting on my turbo. I think I may cgance my arm with a cheapo shimano 9 speed cassette! :D

    Good news about the front, as the chainset and BB look a bit ropey, although I may be able to service them (I haven't stripped / cleaned them up yet), but I do have a FSA Gossamer 10 speed double + megaexo BB in the spares box, so I'll give that a go (unless I find that the fame is Italian threaded, in which case I'm back to square one!).

    But, hey, it wouldn't be any fun if it were easy!

    Thinking about it ~ do I actually *need* gears on a turbo, couldn't I achieve the same thing by varying the resistance?

    If the spare wheel has a 9 speed shimano cassette already fitted give it a try. It may take some indexing to get it perfect but I know of others that have successfully used Shimano cassettes with Campag derailleurs. If you need to buy a cassette then get an Ambrosio cassette which can have Campag gears on shimano freehub splines.

    I would still want gears on a turbo as I like to simulate climbing on it with a low gear high resistance.
  • keezx
    keezx Posts: 1,322
    I use 1 wheelset with cheap Shimano 9 speed cassettes in a Campa 9 system without issues.
    Adjust the rear mech in the middle and enjoy 14 quid cassettes.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19731075#p19731075]Keezx[/url] wrote:
    I use 1 wheelset with cheap Shimano 9 speed cassettes in a Campa 9 system without issues.
    Adjust the rear mech in the middle and enjoy 14 quid cassettes.

    Am I right in thinking that Shimano works OK on a Campag groupset but not the other way? I can't recall hearing anyone having success with a campag wheel on a Shimano groupset
  • keezx
    keezx Posts: 1,322
    I did but overshifting (the Campa "pitch"is slightly bigger) works better than undershifting.
  • mattsccm
    mattsccm Posts: 409
    Cheap way is a converter cassette as mentions. Campag spacings on to Shimano splines is the common one.
    As you have no cassette but do have a wheel that's the way to go. If you had a Shimano spaced cassette it would be worth a go as they do work reasonably well. I am currently using both 8 and 10 speed set ups. Both are Shimano cassettes and Campag gears.
    Front is no issue. Older campag was brilliant an works with anything .
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    Campagnolo and shimano 9 speed sprocket spacing are quite different. While the above poster says there are no issues I am sure the drive train is not running as smooth as it could be. A jtek shift mate is the simple solution if you are wanting to put shimano wheel and cassette in the bike. Miche do not make conversion cassettes.

    You can use a shimano 11 speed cassette I think with campagnolo 9 speed.

    It does depend on whether you willing to ride a bodge or you your bike to work as well as it can.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • keezx
    keezx Posts: 1,322
    The pitch difference is 0,2 mm which adds up to 1 mm at both sides of the cassette.
    Theoretically not perfect, in practice without issues and aboluteley smooth.
    9 Speed is not that sensitive.
    You have to keep the rear mech well adjusted, though.
    Allthough I have no problems with riding a bodge under circumstances, it'just not the case.
  • de_sisti
    de_sisti Posts: 1,283
    Campag 10s ergo levers
    Campag 9 or 10s front mech
    Campag 9 or 10s rear mecch
    Shimano 9 s cassette

    This is combination I have on my 3 bikes and they all have flawless shifting.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    For good shifting over the all 9 sprockets you need a shiftmate... check exactly which one you need on the J-Tek website
    left the forum March 2023
  • DubaiNeil
    DubaiNeil Posts: 246
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19730939#p19730939]JJSH[/url] wrote:
    Thinking about it ~ do I actually *need* gears on a turbo, couldn't I achieve the same thing by varying the resistance?

    Depends on your turbo, my Tacx Satori Blue seems to be relatively "aggressive" with resistance changes, so makes a change more like three gears than one - this is from personal experience as I used my singlespeed on it!

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