Campag Powershift gear and brake cables

hondicusp
hondicusp Posts: 168
edited February 2011 in Workshop
Just about to put on a new set of Centaur Powershift levers (10 speed). How essential is it to use the official Campag powershift gear and brake cables or would a different brand work just as well? (I'm tempted to give Goodridge cables a try). Is it just campag pushing an 'integrated' system ie. buy campag cables, or is there a genuine reason these will work better with the powershift levers? Different cable diameter that fits better in the lever hoods or something similar?

Comments

  • Wappygixer
    Wappygixer Posts: 1,396
    Not sure about the PS levers but I use Gore with my US centaur shifters.Was much smoother than the campag cables.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,243
    The new levers will come with a new set of cables, so the problem does not exist...

    Have a look at the other thread I opened last week
    left the forum March 2023
  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    A cable is a cable, you pull the lever and it closes the caliper whatever brand it is. Manufacturers like to convince you that you need their complete system, but apart from a few essential drive train componants you don't.
  • Down the Road
    Down the Road Posts: 949
    Campag use a smaller diameter than Shimano for the cable nd. Most aftermarket cables have the shimano end and may become hamed in a Campag lever.

    I's not a lot of fun to remove a stuck one
    Racing is life - everything else is just waiting
  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    Down the Road wrote:
    Campag use a smaller diameter than Shimano for the cable nd. Most aftermarket cables have the shimano end and may become hamed in a Campag lever.

    I's not a lot of fun to remove a stuck one
    Less than a minute with a bit of emery paper is all it takes to reduce the diameter of the nipple so it will fit a Campag shifter.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,243
    Smokin Joe wrote:
    Down the Road wrote:
    Campag use a smaller diameter than Shimano for the cable nd. Most aftermarket cables have the shimano end and may become hamed in a Campag lever.

    I's not a lot of fun to remove a stuck one
    Less than a minute with a bit of emery paper is all it takes to reduce the diameter of the nipple so it will fit a Campag shifter.

    In principle I agree with your views, but I also think it's pointless to invest in expensive components and then try to run them on the cheap, as they will end up performing like cheap components... then why not going for a Sora groupset, which does the job without much fuss?
    If you spend 500 pounds on a groupset, you want it to run like a swiss watch...

    The new Ultrashift cable outers have a slightly smaller diameter than the previous, brake cables are the same
    left the forum March 2023
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Yup, the new levers need a smaller diameter gear outer - the older Campagnolo ones simply don't fit - however a Shimano gear outer will fit if you take off the ferrule. One of the main reasons for poor gear shift performance is poor cable fit / routing so it's worth getting it right.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,243
    ... and to cut the gear cable outers I recommend an axe.... they're that tough... :shock:
    left the forum March 2023

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