stiff Campag shifting

campagone

Hi,
On my 'training/foul weather' bike I've got an old Campagnolo Centaur groupset. The problem is that shifting down (from smallest to biggest sprocket) feels really stiff and it takes a heck of a push on the lever, it shifts up fine. I can't tell if it's always been this way and that I just haven't noticed till lately because the bike hasn't had much use the last few years, it's only this year that I've decided to use it as a midweek training bike, but I don't think it was.
My best bike has Chorus and the difference in shifting is like night and day, even my winter bike with old Mirage shifters feels nice and light compared to the Centaur.
I've put a new cable on, lubed inside the shifter and derailleur and it's still the same.
When I disconnect the cable the lever feels fine, no resistance and clicks through fine, and without the chain pushing the derailleur feels fine aswell, less resistance than shifting the lever so I don't think it's a derailleur problem otherwise it wouldn't shift up properly. Im a bit baffled really, and I'm pretty good with mechanics, I do all my servicing and build my bikes up myself, any pointers would be great.

Ben6899

What's the cable routing like? The cables are not contorted or pinched anywhere?

What's the cable run like, under the bb shell?

Also, I have to ask but are you sure the rear mech and lever on this bike feel as smooth as on the other bikes (when you've disconnected everything and tried them by hand)? Rear mech - in particular - should be as smooth as butter.

campagone

It's external cable routing and its not contorted or pinched anywhere, like I said I think if it was the cable it wouldn't shift up very well either but it does that just fine. And the rear much does feel smooth, I have an old Centaur derailleur which I've raided for parts and if anything the spring on that feels stronger. I just can't see what the cause is

gethinceri

Frayed cable in shifter?

6wheels

Is there a possibility that the top jockey wheel is adjusted too close to the cassette? The jockey wheel will foul the bigger sprockets as you shift - I've been guilty of this.

john_wr

I have a winter bike with a Chorus 9 speed setup from 1998. Compared to the later Campag shifters I have on other bikes these old Chorus shifters do feel heavier and need a solid push on the lever to move across the cassette onto a larger sprocket. IMO as a later development QS shifters do have a lighter feel.

John.

campagone

Maybe you're right John and I'll just have to put up with it, I'm loathe to change it because its essentially a good groupset and I like that it has multiple upshift unlike the newer QS groupsets, even the new Potenza only shifts one gear at a time which is a bit naff really.

campagone

6wheels wrote:

Is there a possibility that the top jockey wheel is adjusted too close to the cassette? The jockey wheel will foul the bigger sprockets as you shift - I've been guilty of this.

Doubtful, its stiff across the cassette

campagone

Gethinceri wrote:

Frayed cable in shifter?

No I've just put a new cable on it, although I didn't replace the outers. But the new cable is thinner slightly than the one it replaced so it shouldn't need new outers

jermas

I'd definitely change the outer cables too. When the plastic inner core wears it can cause a lot of drag and shifting problems. At worst give the old outer cables a blast with penetrating fluid to remove any crud that might be lurking inside them .This usually only provides a stop-gap fix until new cables are fitted.