Campag drivetrain with Shimano hub...?

timbob67

I’m after a little advice if possible... I’m looking to change the drivetrain on my commuting bike. Currently I have a Ribble steel winter/audax frame built up generally with a 2012 8 speed Sora based drivetrain, and a stronglight square taper compact chain set. The shifting is terrible and sloppy and I don’t like the shifters. It’s finally time for an upgrade.

My best bike is a Genesis equilibrium with Campag Athena. I much prefer the crisp shifting and the thumb button mechanism on the Campag shifters, without the pivoting brake lever - so the plan is to swap my commuter bike to a Campag drivetrain, trying to be cost effective with 2nd hand parts. I’m amassing all the relevant bits based around a 10 speed, mainly Veloce setup and have purchased shifters, front and rear derailleurs, chain, etc etc.

The sticking point is my rear wheel. My bike currently has a Shimano R501 wheelset on it and a cheap HG50 8 speed Shimano cassette. Cheap and cheerful and has done me well for the last few years. Nothing wrong with them, be a shame to bin them. As far as I can work out, my options are:

1. Just use a Shimano 10 speed cassette on my current wheels and put up with not quite perfect indexing;

2. Find an Ambrosio Campag spacing/Shimano splines cassette - reviews as to quality vary;

3. Find a Campag compatible freehub body that fits and swaps onto the R501 wheelset and use a proper Veloce cassette - is there a freehub body that fits, as I can’t seem to find one?!

4. Buy a new Campag compatible complete rear hub and relevant length spokes and rebuild my rear wheel;

5. Buy a complete new cheap but solid wheelset. What are the best options here - everything Campag compatible seems expensive?!

I think my preferred option for the least money is option 3, assuming there is a freehub body available to do the job, but at the moment I can’t seem to locate one, leaving me a bit stuck!

Any help/pointers/advice or better options I’ve not considered gratefully received!!

gethinceri

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/campagnolo-cal ... igodigital

alanyu

Campy's 10s is not compatible with shimano's, as the distance between each gear (campy) is not equal.
Shimano wheels do not offer the Campy freehub.
Pick up Campy Calima or Fulcrum R6, maybe a second-hand one.

Lucky Luke

My wife's commuter is Shimano 8 speed operated with Campag 10 speed levers. Apparently the amount of cable pull is the same so it operates perfectly. You will have two surplus clicks that's all.

svetty

So you are swapping a matched groupset - albeit perhaps somewhat worn and in need of servicing and adjustment (new cables?) for a hotch-potch of second hand components of unknown provenance that are incompatible with your rear wheel. Okaaayy.......

timbob67

Svetty wrote:

So you are swapping a matched groupset - albeit perhaps somewhat worn and in need of servicing and adjustment (new cables?) for a hotch-potch of second hand components of unknown provenance that are incompatible with your rear wheel. Okaaayy.......

Indeed.

Or alternatively, I’m swapping an old bottom of the range groupset with the annoying old Sora thumb buttons that you can’t reach from the drops and dorky pink gear indicator hoods for a pair of shifters and derailleurs taken from a well cared for bike whose owner is upgrading himself. It’s all about perspective

I’m using my commuter bike daily now I’ve started a new job only 5 miles from home last month, whereas before it was pretty much a wet day bike and was rarely used, so I’d like to change it over to a Campag drivetrain because I get on the brake lever and shifter arrangement much better, so it’s worth doing. Overcoming the rear hub issue is hardly the end of the world!

Thanks for the contributions so far folks

jpj84

The Ambrosio conversion cassettes work fine - I used one for years, for similar reasons. It's the only 'working' solution here, though the shifting with a Shimano cassette installed wouldn't be as bad as some might make out - for a commuter hack, you might find it acceptable.

erksimsek

Why not upgrade to a nicer 10 speed Shimano (maybe a 105 5700 or Tiagra 4700) or a SRAM 10 speed if you don't like the pivoting brake lever? Every Campag gruppo has a corresponding SRAM/Shimano equivalent in terms of performance.

Matthewfalle

because he wants Campag because he likes it.

go the Ambrosio cassette route: quickest, cheapest, easiest.

erksimsek

Matthewfalle wrote:

because he wants Campag because he likes it.

go the Ambrosio cassette route: quickest, cheapest, easiest.

Well it's all about utility functions, right? Liking a solution would not make it the most feasible solution, obviously.

Matthewfalle

eh? what you on about Willis?

#confused

pinno

jpj84 wrote:

The Ambrosio conversion cassettes work fine - I used one for years, for similar reasons. It's the only 'working' solution here, though the shifting with a Shimano cassette installed wouldn't be as bad as some might make out - for a commuter hack, you might find it acceptable.

Yep, works fine.
I have one on my on Colnago. Campag record 10 with DA wheels.

super_davo

To all those giving the recommendation of the Ambrosio cassette... Any idea of where you can still get them?

Great solution and worked a treat for me for years but availability is a problem these days.

Think I'm going to bite the bullet and get Calima's and a Veloce cassette when mine needs changing (which will be soon).

de_sisti

Campag 10s ergo levers will work flawlessly with a Shimano 9s rear wheel/cassette.
That's the combination I have on my three bikes. They all have Campag front / rear
derailleurs. The derailleurs can be either 9s or 10s.