97 or 98 Chorus Ergo Levers

A friend and neighbor has been having endless grief with his right
Chorus 9-speed Ergo lever, not because it didn't give him good service,
but because the LBS decided to rebuild it even though they couldn't get
all the right parts. (A trip to a further-away, better LBS yielded this
for my friend: I could have rebuilt it for you but now I can't because
the other guy replaced something ...) Along the way, he was told he
needed, and bought and had installed, a new rear derailleur, cassette,
and chain. (He probably should have his chainrings looked at - I didn't
think of that when I talked to him but I'll suggest it, and new cables,
too.)

I'm trying to help and thus have a couple of questions:

Is there a difference between '97 and 98 Chorus Ergo levers that we need
to be concerned with? My friend isn't sure which he has.

The best idea, IMHO, is for my friend to find a NOS or lightly used
lever and just replace the level entirely. Any suggestions or comments
about that idea appreciated.

And whatever else you can tell me, including if anyone is aware of
anything appropriate that's for sale somewhere right now. I'm suspect
my friend is willing to buy a pair of levers, left and right, if that's
what's needed.

Thanks in advance.

-S-

On Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:20:06 -0400, "Steve Freides"
wrote:

A friend and neighbor has been having endless grief with his right
Chorus 9-speed Ergo lever, not because it didn't give him good service,
but because the LBS decided to rebuild it even though they couldn't get
all the right parts. (A trip to a further-away, better LBS yielded this
for my friend: I could have rebuilt it for you but now I can't because
the other guy replaced something ...)
Is there a difference between '97 and 98 Chorus Ergo levers that we need
to be concerned with? My friend isn't sure which he has.

The best idea, IMHO, is for my friend to find a NOS or lightly used
lever and just replace the level entirely. Any suggestions or comments
about that idea appreciated.


I recall the '97 had pointy hoods and would use different parts. The
'98 Chorus is different in that it has a different through bolt than
other models. You cannot easilly convert it to 10 sp and the
complimentary parts may also be different.

I have a 2003 Veloce lever. You could just change the brake lever
that says Chorus and you'd have a setup that works aOK.
And whatever else you can tell me, including if anyone is aware of
anything appropriate that's for sale somewhere right now. I'm suspect
my friend is willing to buy a pair of levers, left and right, if that's
what's needed.

Thanks in advance.

-S-

On Oct 14, 12:20*pm, "Steve Freides"
wrote:
A friend and neighbor has been having endless grief with his right
Chorus 9-speed Ergo lever, not because it didn't give him good service,
but because the LBS decided to rebuild it even though they couldn't get
all the right parts. *(A trip to a further-away, better LBS yielded this
for my friend: I could have rebuilt it for you but now I can't because
the other guy replaced something ...) *Along the way, he was told he
needed, and bought and had installed, a new rear derailleur, cassette,
and chain.

1998 Campagnolo Chorus and Record used a different rear derailleur
than what you can buy today. The rear derailleur traveled in a
slightly different arc than later rear derailleurs. I think they went
to the current rear derailleur movement in 2000. So your new
derailleur will not work perfectly with your old 1998 levers. Can you
make it work, sure. But not perfectly. The levers and rear
derailleur need to be matched for 1998 and maybe 1999 years.



*(He probably should have his chainrings looked at - I didn't
think of that when I talked to him but I'll suggest it, and new cables,
too.)

I'm trying to help and thus have a couple of questions:

Is there a difference between '97 and 98 Chorus Ergo levers that we need
to be concerned with? *My friend isn't sure which he has.

1997 Campagnolo levers had the old/original pointy hoods. 1998 Chorus
and Record have the current rounded hoods. Current until the pointy
rounded hoods of the new 2009 11 speed levers come out.

As for whether the internal mechanism is the same or different from
1997 to 1998, I can't give you an informed answer.




The best idea, IMHO, is for my friend to find a NOS or lightly used
lever and just replace the level entirely. *Any suggestions or comments
about that idea appreciated.

And whatever else you can tell me, including if anyone is aware of
anything appropriate that's for sale somewhere right now. *I'm suspect
my friend is willing to buy a pair of levers, left and right, if that's
what's needed.

Thanks in advance.

-S-

On Oct 14, 10:52*am, "
wrote:

1997 Campagnolo levers had the old/original pointy hoods. *1998 Chorus
and Record have the current rounded hoods. *Current until the pointy
rounded hoods of the new 2009 11 speed levers come out.


They're out - I've got 2009 Veloce levers on my CX bike. Only thing I
don't like about them is that it's too quiet pulling cable for the RD.
I like loud, tactile clunks for my shifts.

Steve Freides wrote:
A friend and neighbor has been having endless grief with his right
Chorus 9-speed Ergo lever, not because it didn't give him good service,
but because the LBS decided to rebuild it even though they couldn't get
all the right parts. (A trip to a further-away, better LBS yielded this
for my friend: I could have rebuilt it for you but now I can't because
the other guy replaced something ...) Along the way, he was told he
needed, and bought and had installed, a new rear derailleur, cassette,
and chain. (He probably should have his chainrings looked at - I didn't
think of that when I talked to him but I'll suggest it, and new cables,
too.)

I'm trying to help and thus have a couple of questions:

Is there a difference between '97 and 98 Chorus Ergo levers that we need
to be concerned with? My friend isn't sure which he has.

The best idea, IMHO, is for my friend to find a NOS or lightly used
lever and just replace the level entirely. Any suggestions or comments
about that idea appreciated.

And whatever else you can tell me, including if anyone is aware of
anything appropriate that's for sale somewhere right now. I'm suspect
my friend is willing to buy a pair of levers, left and right, if that's
what's needed.

Ergo levers are simple to service. Round top series service parts are
cheap and available. Pointy top levers have limited availability of 9
and ten inserts now. Here's all you need to rectify whatever is awry:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/ergo1.html

Chainrings, unless worn or damaged, are irrelevant to this. a 'nine'
ring is a 'ten' ring but for the graphic. Yes, inspect and evaluate
control wires, casing, ferrules etc, replace if suspect.

You do not mention the specific problem. What's wrong?
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

In article ,
A Muzi wrote:

Ergo levers are simple to service. Round top series service parts are
cheap and available. Pointy top levers have limited availability of 9
and ten inserts now. Here's all you need to rectify whatever is awry:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/ergo1.html

Gotta love a procedure where the second tool listed is a hammer. W00t!

On Oct 14, 11:20*am, "Steve Freides"
wrote:
A friend and neighbor has been having endless grief with his right
Chorus 9-speed Ergo lever, not because it didn't give him good service,
but because the LBS decided to rebuild it even though they couldn't get
all the right parts. *(A trip to a further-away, better LBS yielded this
for my friend: I could have rebuilt it for you but now I can't because
the other guy replaced something ...) *Along the way, he was told he
needed, and bought and had installed, a new rear derailleur, cassette,
and chain. *(He probably should have his chainrings looked at - I didn't
think of that when I talked to him but I'll suggest it, and new cables,
too.)

I'm trying to help and thus have a couple of questions:

Is there a difference between '97 and 98 Chorus Ergo levers that we need
to be concerned with? *My friend isn't sure which he has.

The best idea, IMHO, is for my friend to find a NOS or lightly used
lever and just replace the level entirely. *Any suggestions or comments
about that idea appreciated.

And whatever else you can tell me, including if anyone is aware of
anything appropriate that's for sale somewhere right now. *I'm suspect
my friend is willing to buy a pair of levers, left and right, if that's
what's needed.

Thanks in advance.

-S-

1997 was the last year of the pointy top 9s(some lower end 8s)
shifters. The innards of this and 1998 are drastically different. 1998
was the first year of rounded top shifters, for Record and Chorus.
Athena was still pointy top, 9s but the innards were the same as the
rounded top ones.

2007/8 Record and Chorus along with 2000 thru 2006 levers can be
converted to 8s or 9s(most of these are all 10s).

If the Chorus lever is 1997, all he would have needed were shift
springs, same as today. If it was 1998, shift springs(same ones) and
perhaps a spring carrier, also same as the ones in 2008 Record and
Chorus levers.

On Oct 14, 11:52*am, "
wrote:
On Oct 14, 12:20*pm, "Steve Freides"
wrote:

A friend and neighbor has been having endless grief with his right
Chorus 9-speed Ergo lever, not because it didn't give him good service,
but because the LBS decided to rebuild it even though they couldn't get
all the right parts. *(A trip to a further-away, better LBS yielded this
for my friend: I could have rebuilt it for you but now I can't because
the other guy replaced something ...) *Along the way, he was told he
needed, and bought and had installed, a new rear derailleur, cassette,
and chain.

1998 Campagnolo Chorus and Record used a different rear derailleur
than what you can buy today. *The rear derailleur traveled in a
slightly different arc than later rear derailleurs. *I think they went
to the current rear derailleur movement in 2000. *So your new
derailleur will not work perfectly with your old 1998 levers. *Can you
make it work, sure. *But not perfectly. *The levers and rear
derailleur need to be matched for 1998 and maybe 1999 years.

Beg to differ. we use modern(2007/8) rear derailleurs as replacements
with all Campagnolo shifting systems we see. From the early 90s thru
today with great results.

**(He probably should have his chainrings looked at - I didn't

think of that when I talked to him but I'll suggest it, and new cables,
too.)

I'm trying to help and thus have a couple of questions:

Is there a difference between '97 and 98 Chorus Ergo levers that we need
to be concerned with? *My friend isn't sure which he has.

1997 Campagnolo levers had the old/original pointy hoods. *1998 Chorus
and Record have the current rounded hoods. *Current until the pointy
rounded hoods of the new 2009 11 speed levers come out.

As for whether the internal mechanism is the same or different from
1997 to 1998, I can't give you an informed answer.



The best idea, IMHO, is for my friend to find a NOS or lightly used
lever and just replace the level entirely. *Any suggestions or comments
about that idea appreciated.

And whatever else you can tell me, including if anyone is aware of
anything appropriate that's for sale somewhere right now. *I'm suspect
my friend is willing to buy a pair of levers, left and right, if that's
what's needed.

Thanks in advance.

-S-

On Oct 14, 12:15*pm, Hank wrote:
On Oct 14, 10:52*am, "

wrote:
1997 Campagnolo levers had the old/original pointy hoods. *1998 Chorus
and Record have the current rounded hoods. *Current until the pointy
rounded hoods of the new 2009 11 speed levers come out.

They're out - I've got 2009 Veloce levers on my CX bike. Only thing I
don't like about them is that it's too quiet pulling cable for the RD.
I like loud, tactile clunks for my shifts.

We have 3 2009 ERGO bikes on the floor. Veloce, Chorus/11s and Record/
11s. Altho the levers look like crap, they are VERY comfy. Very happy
to see the functionality of the levers return. makes Veloce/
Centaur(with an aluminum option for the levers and crank) really great
values.

In article
,
Hank wrote:

On Oct 14, 10:52*am, "
wrote:

1997 Campagnolo levers had the old/original pointy hoods. *1998 Chorus
and Record have the current rounded hoods. *Current until the pointy
rounded hoods of the new 2009 11 speed levers come out.


They're out - I've got 2009 Veloce levers on my CX bike. Only thing I
don't like about them is that it's too quiet pulling cable for the RD.
I like loud, tactile clunks for my shifts.

Couldn't get your hands on red-badged Record levers?

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."