boatsinbottles

A few months back, Velo Cult had a bike swap meet and I scored a pair of Campy 8 speed brifters. I thought those would be rad for a bike I hope to build for my wife ('82 Trek 610). She's pregnant so building her bike takes a back seat to all the other things I need to do for the baby and my own cycling needs.

Fast forward to today: I've been realizing that Campy 8 speed rear derailleurs are rare as hen's teeth, and costly.

I have the followings bits and pieces that I hope to use in the build. Can anyone give me some input on an affordable way to get this all to play together (remember the baby that I mentioned? oh and the wife, too. she's also expensive):

Shimano compatible wheelset with 7 speed cassette
SRAM 8 speed cassette
Wheels Manufacturing Shimano --> Campy 8 speed spacers

I know I need a rear derailer, but in the interest of economy, should I just leave the 7 speed cassette in place and get a Shimano 7 speed RD?

How can I affordably cobble-togther, or jerryrig this contraption to a point of happy indexing for my wife, the mother of (soon to be) two children?

From my reading using the 8 speed Campy brifter on the ShimaNO 7 speed cassette will be fine, just with a ghost shift.

Again, no offense to C&Vers named Jerry.

Daniel

PS Her birthday is the 24th. Would love to have this thing all set and dialed-in in time for that!

thirdgenbird

The campy 8 on shim 7 setup requires a campy 8 rear derailleur.

Is indexing a requirement? My wife has a full campy 8 but is missing ergo levers. She may trade her tektro r200 brake levers and silver bar end shifters for ergo levers.

thirdgenbird

Your other option is running 5 or 6 speed with a shimano RD using the alternative cable routing.

https://www.ctc.org.uk/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=3946

Campy 8 doesn't play well with much if you don't have the campy RD

illwafer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_rig

ColonelJLloyd 

^ +1

I wouldn't waste my time and money trying to make it work without an 8 speed Campagnolo derailleur. I'm using 8 speed Ergos and RD on a 7 speed HG freewheel and it shifts great.

boatsinbottles

I actually have a small collection of BE shifters and I've had my wife try Suntour Barcons before and she prefers brifters.

So, I'd like to get my brifters working. They looks pretty danged cool, too.

Can I turn the table on you and ask if I could maybe buy your wife's 8s RD?

I saw that, too, but 5 speed is a heck of a lot of extra clicks. Maybe I'll end up going 6 speed.

Also see: Jerry-Rigged on Merriam Webster

I got into the brifters cheap enough. Maybe I'll hold my breath till i find an 8 speed Campy derailer. There are also some 9 speeds that'll work.

Cheers, guys! (finishing the last of my Widmer Bros. summer brew that I had stashed)

thirdgenbird

She won't ever know there are ghost shifts. The limit screw will keep her from moving the lever. It will be just like hitting the end of a normal cassette. As long as you can gear the bike to fit her needs it will be fine.

mazdaspeed

Screw that, just sell them on ebay or something and get shimano 8/9/10 speed levers. So much cheaper and easier in the long run...

boatsinbottles

Rad! I never thought that through. But what type of RD would I use?

GrayJay

You can purchase a 9 or 10 speed index plate (ebay) to convert your old 8-speed ergo shifters into either 9 or 10 speed ans then there are more options for making the shifters play well with shimano 8 RD.

degan

+1 to this. With the money you'd get for the Campy brifters (assuming they're in good shape) you could probably get Shimano brifters and a RD.

RobbieTunes

8sp Campy RD's are not that expensive.
There's one for sale here for $45

They come in so many models, it shouldn't be hard to find one.

buldogge

I have a Campy Avanti 8s RD sitting here for cheap if you really need it...it just needs a cable adjuster out back.

thirdgenbird

Wrong.

You need way more than the index ring. The pivot diameter changed. A conversion from 8sp to late 9 or 10spd requires nearly every single part from a 10spd lever. While it can be done, buying an 8spd RD or selling the 8spd ergos and buying different ones will be far cheaper.

Captain Blight

I've seen 1st gen Chorus RD go for $30 on eBay recently. The market for vintage parts seems to be normalizing, finally.

ColonelJLloyd 

Say it if you want, but it's incorrect. That's taken from the phrase jerry-built.

How is this is a solution? He has a 7 speed cassette. That'd mean he has a hub that takes ONLY a 7 speed cassette, right? And used Shimano STI are pricey from what I've seen. It's cheaper to buy new 10 or 11 speed Campagnolo Ergos, though this wouldn't solve the OP's issue.

Sounds to me like the best solution is a $30-50 8 speed Campagnolo rear derailleur.

boatsinbottles

PM sent!

Not really my cuppa tea. I see your point, though!

I love me some etymology and this the jury-rig, jerry-built, and resulting jerry-rig is a fun one.

That's what I'm thinking.

thirdgenbird

I also vote 8spd campy rd with the 7spd hub. It should work and look great.

jonwvara 

As a fellow pedant, I have to close ranks with the Colonel on this on. "Jury rig" is correct it this case. "Jerry-built" is not. "Jerry-rig" is just wrong--you could call it new coinage, but there's no such expression.