Noisy Campy drive train

If you don't user other chainrings very often, then perhaps its
just that your derailleur isn't wrapping the chain very well. To
confirm this, try the big chainring - should be no noise in any
gears - then try the small chainring - should be noise in more
gears than ever.

OK. More data. Cleaned and lubed the chain, lubed all the derailleur
pivot points. Took another 25 mile ride. This time, it DOES seem like
riding in the large chainring minimizes the "chattering" noise I hear.
So, what would I do to help the derailleur more effectively wrap the
chain?

(Just to review, we're talking new Campy Centaur long cage rear
derailleur, triple chainrings (53-42-30), 12-25 cassette.)

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I think we're getting close to a
solution here!

Donald Gillies wrote:
"Pete Biggs" writes:

Donald Gillies wrote:
All gear trains can sound noisy with just a small amount of rear
jockey wheel misalignment in relation to cassette cog - even with
less than 1/2 of a gear change of misalignment, the chain as it goes
from jockey onto the rear cog can make a lot of noise. This is
worse on campy derailleurs, i think, because they don't have
floating upper wheels so they need better alignment.

They do have floating upper jockey wheels.

I checked my 2003 chorus derailleur. The upper jockey wheel does not
float in/out. Since the 2003 chorus derailleur became the 2004
centaur derailleur, I think that you are mistaken about this fact.

I've owned five modern Campagnolo rear derailleurs* and they all had
floating upper jockey wheels. Perhaps you mean something different by
"float" or perhaps yours is gummed up or you're not pushing hard enough?
I mean they are free to move sideways. From what I can remember of an old
Shimano XT derailleur I had, the upper jockey wheel was much the same as
Campag's.

* Avanti 8sp long cage, Xenon 2001 9sp medium, Xenon 2003 9sp long, Racing
T 2001 9sp, Chorus 2003 10sp long

~PB

Donald Gillies wrote:

They do have floating upper jockey wheels.

I checked my 2003 chorus derailleur. The upper jockey wheel does not
float in/out.

Please check again. You should find that the upper jockey wheel is free
to move sideways somewhat, whereas the lower one is not.

BTW, see http://yarchive.net/bike/derailleurs.html for an alternative
explanation of what float was designed for.

~PB

Page 32-30 of the Barnett Bicycle Institute handbook for bike
mechanics states that a poor chainline could cause the chain to rub on
the adjoining rear cog when it is on the "A" (small) cog :

http://www.bbinstitute.com/BM5%20chap%2032.pdf

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

End of the tale:

Took the bike (repeatedly) to my LBS. They adjusted the derailleur,
adjusted the hanger, re-routed the cables, checked the torque of the
lockring. No improvement.

Finally, they decided that my nearly new Campy Record 10-speed chain
was defective. (I didn't quite get the description of what the problem
was -- something about the spacing...) They threw on the only 10-speed
chain they had in the shop -- a Mavic (which I believe is identical to
the Wipperman 10-speed chain.)

Bingo! The drive train is so quiet that it sounds like there's no chain
at all! Oh yeah!

Thanks to all for your suggestions.

Alan

End of the tale:

Took the bike (repeatedly) to my LBS. They adjusted the derailleur,
adjusted the hanger, re-routed the cables, checked the torque of the
lockring. No improvement.

Finally, they decided that my nearly new Campy Record 10-speed chain
was defective. (I didn't quite get the description of what the problem
was -- something about the spacing...) They threw on the only 10-speed
chain they had in the shop -- a Mavic (which I believe is identical to
the Wipperman 10-speed chain.)

Bingo! The drive train is so quiet that it sounds like there's no chain
at all! Oh yeah!

Thanks to all for your suggestions.

Alan

AlanL wrote:

End of the tale:

Took the bike (repeatedly) to my LBS. They adjusted the derailleur,
adjusted the hanger, re-routed the cables, checked the torque of the
lockring. No improvement.

Finally, they decided that my nearly new Campy Record 10-speed chain
was defective. (I didn't quite get the description of what the problem
was -- something about the spacing...) They threw on the only 10-speed
chain they had in the shop -- a Mavic (which I believe is identical to
the Wipperman 10-speed chain.)

Bingo! The drive train is so quiet that it sounds like there's no chain
at all! Oh yeah!

Thanks to all for your suggestions.

Alan


Thanks for posting this resolution.

Wayne

On 30 Jun 2005 20:18:39 -0700, "App" wrote:
Alan reported:

Someone told me that if the cassette lockring is too tight it can
scrunch together the smaller cogs slightly, causing some misalignment.
Anyone ever heard of that?

Oh, man, who told you that? As Peter C. would say, that's pure
bugleoil.

If anyone had shifted to carbon or, better yet, plastic spacers to cheaply
save some weight, maybe.

Jasper

Jasper Janssen wrote:
On 30 Jun 2005 20:18:39 -0700, "App" wrote:
Alan reported:

Someone told me that if the cassette lockring is too tight it can
scrunch together the smaller cogs slightly, causing some misalignment.
Anyone ever heard of that?

Oh, man, who told you that? As Peter C. would say, that's pure
bugleoil.

If anyone had shifted to carbon or, better yet, plastic spacers to cheaply
save some weight, maybe.

Jasper

The official, genuine, from the factory, come in the gray/silver
Campagnolo box with the Campagnolo cassette are plastic. Or some kind
of phenolic I suppose. At least all of the 9 speed spacers that have
come with my Campagnolo cassettes are plastic. An orange tinted
plastic spacer. There is no "shifted" to it. I think bugleoil or
muffler bearings would apply to the tightening the lockring too much
theory.