Is Ultegra for big Guys?

Bill Davidson wrote in message news:_nXQc.13139$Uh.11749@fed1read02...
Russell Seaton wrote:
I personally don't think I would want to go with a 10 speed touring
bike. It just seems a bit too finicky. Maybe not but it seems so.

What's to keep you from using a 9 speed Shimano cassette/hub (say
XT, 11-32) with Campy 9/10 speed brifters and a long cage Campy
deraileur?

I suppose nothing. Assuming you have Shimano hub wheels and
Campagnolo shifters and rear derailleur. And the Campagnolo rear
derailleur will handle a 32 or 34 big cog. The Campagnolo website
lists a 29 cog as the largest cog for the long cage rear derailleur.
It might fit a 32 or maybe even a 34. I recently had some problems
getting a 1991 Deore DX long cage rear derailleur to work with a 34
rear cog. The pulley would not clear the 34 cog. So I replaced the
1991 Deore DX rear derailleur with a new 2004 Deore rear derailleur
and it easily clears the 34 cog. So I know there is a definite limit
to the size of the rear cog a rear derailleur will work with. The
1991 and 2004 Shimano rear derailleurs look identical for shape and
size. But there must be something different about the parallelagrams
that cause them to follow a different arc and allow the 2004 to clear
a 34 cog and the 1991 to barely clear a 28 cog. Both on the same bike
with the same length B screw. My 1998 Chorus short cage rear
derailleur is rated for a 26 large cog but it works with a 28 cog. I
don't think there is enough clearance to work with a 29 cog though. I
have a medium cage Campagnolo rear derailleur with a 29 tooth large
cog capacity. I will check tonight to see how much extra room it has
on the 28 cog to see if it could work with a 32 or 34 cog.

Some people use Shimano 9 speed cassettes with Campagnolo shifters and
rear derailleurs and claim it works great. Some probably claim it
works better than the Campagnolo cassettes. Some even use a Shimano
rear derailleur and claim it works great. And some might claim it
even works better than the Campagnolo rear derailleur. And then there
are others who say mixing the 9 speed components works OK but nothing
to rave about.

I have a medium cage Campagnolo rear derailleur with a 29 tooth large
cog capacity. I will check tonight to see how much extra room it has
on my 28 cog to see if it could work with a 32 or 34 cog.

The upper pulley on my 2003 Centaur medium cage rear derailleur is
pretty close to the 28 cog on my wheel. It would work with a 29 cog.
Maybe, maybe, maybe with a 30 tooth. Maybe. I have the standard 30
tooth inner ring on the triple crank. Using a 28 or 26 would change
the closeness of the pulley to the large cog. But it would not clear
a 32 or 34 Shimano cog. So if you go with Campagnolo shifters and
Campagnolo rear derailleur for a touring bike, you are limited to
about a 28-30 tooth large cog. Whether that is a Campagnolo or
Shimano cassette makes no difference to the rear derailleur.
Personally, I prefer having a 32 or 34 large cog for loaded touring.
Even with a 24 inner ring, I'd recommend getting the biggest rear cog
you can find. A Campagnolo rear derailleur would limit you.

The 2003 Centaur rear derailleur does not have a B screw. Campagnolo
removed this feature for some reason.

russell- The 2003 Centaur rear derailleur does not have a B screw.
Campagnolo
removed this feature for some reason. BRBR

Not true. the 'b limit' screw was moved to the upper pivot bolt, via a screw
and a worm gear that tightens or loosens a spring in there. Look under the rear
der for it. Loosening the screw tightens the spring, like screwing in a b limit
screw. Same for all Campagnolo rear ders.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
russell- The 2003 Centaur rear derailleur does not have a B screw.
Campagnolo
removed this feature for some reason. BRBR

Peter Chisholm wrote:

Not true. the 'b limit' screw was moved to the upper pivot bolt,

It used to be on the upper ("B") pivot, but the new Campagnolo derailers
have moved the spring balance adjustment to the lower "A" pivot/spring.

via a screw
and a worm gear that tightens or loosens a spring in there. Look under the rear
der for it. Loosening the screw tightens the spring, like screwing in a b limit
screw. Same for all Campagnolo rear ders.

It serves the same basic function, adjusting the balance between the two
springs, but it works on the "A" spring rather than the "B" spring.

Loosening the "A tension" adjustment on a newer Campagnolo derailer has
basically the same function as _tightening_ the "B tension" on a more
conventional derailer, and vice versa.

Sheldon "From B To A" Brown
+---------------------------------------+
| There's nothing like not being dead |
| to improve a fellow's outlook. |
| -- Michael Flynn |
+---------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Thanks to both for the information. I found the B/A adjustment screw
beside the upper pulley on my 2003 Centaur rear derailleur.
Tightening the screw moved the upper pulley closer to the cog.
Loosening the screw moved the upper pulley away from the cog.
Definitely the opposite of the normal B screw adjustment.


Sheldon Brown wrote in message ...
Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
russell- The 2003 Centaur rear derailleur does not have a B screw.
Campagnolo
removed this feature for some reason. BRBR

Peter Chisholm wrote:

Not true. the 'b limit' screw was moved to the upper pivot bolt,

It used to be on the upper ("B") pivot, but the new Campagnolo derailers
have moved the spring balance adjustment to the lower "A" pivot/spring.

via a screw
and a worm gear that tightens or loosens a spring in there. Look under the rear
der for it. Loosening the screw tightens the spring, like screwing in a b limit
screw. Same for all Campagnolo rear ders.

It serves the same basic function, adjusting the balance between the two
springs, but it works on the "A" spring rather than the "B" spring.

Loosening the "A tension" adjustment on a newer Campagnolo derailer has
basically the same function as _tightening_ the "B tension" on a more
conventional derailer, and vice versa.

Sheldon "From B To A" Brown
+---------------------------------------+
| There's nothing like not being dead |
| to improve a fellow's outlook. |
| -- Michael Flynn |
+---------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com