Compatibility issue - Veloce QS shifters & XT front mech

John77
John77 Posts: 43
edited October 2008 in Workshop
Hi,

My Hewitt touring bike is currently set up with Veloce 10-speed shifters (2006, i think) & an XT front mech. I've irreparably damaged the right side lever & need to replace. I can get a good deal on Veloce QS shifters (2007) but was wondering if there might be an issue using these with the XT front mech? Didn't the QS levers require a QS Campag front mech?

Comments

  • salsarider79
    salsarider79 Posts: 828
    I've worked in a bike shop, I've read forum after forum. Not heard anything about front mech issues that you talk of. I'm open to be proved wrong tho.
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  • Mister W
    Mister W Posts: 791
    I had a similar issue where I had QS shifters with a pre-QS Campag mech and I e-mailed Campag to ask. They said that QS levers and non-QS front mechs don't work well together. I think it's something to do with the geometry of the mech.
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    Mister W wrote:
    I had a similar issue where I had QS shifters with a pre-QS Campag mech and I e-mailed Campag to ask. They said that QS levers and non-QS front mechs don't work well together. I think it's something to do with the geometry of the mech.

    Campag would say that.......they want you to buy another mech. QS normally works pretty well with non-QS
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  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    I recently fitted a QS front mech to a bike with non-QS shifters and it was fine.

    It was a double though. A triple might be more sensitive to setup.

    On Shimano bikes the mtb front mechs use more cable pull than their road equivalents, which means you can't mix road and mtb mechs and shifters easily (double you can get away with it, but not on a triple). Don't know if that would be the case with Campag shifters - prolly not as they aren't indexed are they....?
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Most Ergos use a ratchet mechanism which incrementally pulls the cable through and can be used with virtually any front mech - provided you've got enough cable pull to shift the mech that is. STIs use an escape mechanism which pulls a set amount of cable for each shift - if the cable pull isn't right for the mech, it doesn't work - hence the problem between road and MTB mechs. I've mixed and matched Ergos with various front mechs -Campagnolo, Shimano, road and MTB and never encountered any problems. However, I'm not exactly sure that the QS Ergos in question have a ratchet - suggest you give either Mercian Cycles or Paul Hewitt a call and enquire - many touring cyclists mix and match Ergos with Shimano drivetrains so they should know what works.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • PHcp
    PHcp Posts: 2,748
    Veloce QS shifters use the Escape mechanism that is indexed, it'll work with any road mech but not with a MTB one which requires 70% more cable pull across three rings.
    Choices for non Escape Campag Ergos are, pre 2007 if you can find them, Chorus or Record QS, or the 2009 range (I think)

    Before you give up on your present shifter, have you tried Mercian for the parts? One of the advantages of Campag is the availability of spares.
  • John77
    John77 Posts: 43
    thanks for the replies guys, will give Mr. Hewitt a call first to see what he recommends (probably should have thought of that first now that I think of it!).

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