RiceAWay

Installing the chain on a Campagnolo 12 speed is not the same as installing a chain on any of the other groups. If you closely read the installation instructions from the Campagnolo installation manual site you discover that two things are critical to the chain installation - crankset and chain stay length. Because of disks most modern chain stays have vertical dropouts and 415 mm chain stays.

My older steel Moser instead has a 400 mm chain stay. And I use a normal (non-CX) crankset. Now, you would think that having shorter chain stays would mean you have to have a shorter chain but just the opposite. Instead of needing 110 links in the chain, I need 112 links for it to shift properly. And believe me, it is critical to shifting that the chain length is exactly correct. The 110 length chain recommended in the technical manual would jam in the big ring shifting up to the larger cassette cogs rather than shifting correctly. The LONGER chain shifted correctly without noise or the derailleur arm dragging on the cogs.

This chain length being so critical one had to wonder what happens to the shifting as the chain wears.

Now I liked the 11 speed shifters because Campy redesigned the rear derailleur so that it could handle a 32 tooth maximum cog rather than the 10 speed maximum of 28 or 29 teeth or the Centaur pushing that to 30 teeth. I'm getting older and slower and a weaker climber and I need the additional teeth. This gave Campy a LOT of additional sales so they expanded that on the 12 speed to a 34 tooth maximum cog.

But my question is that why all of those gears? I spend all of my time shifting to the 11 for downhills or the 32 for uphills. I simply don't use all of those intermediate cogs and would be much happier with a 9 or 10 speed where so much shifting isn't necessary. Just the redesign of the rear derailleur.

I love the intuitive action of the Campy levers, but sooner or later they are going to step over the line. I understand that on their latest electronic shifting they have eliminated the button and reverted to a Shimano-like double lever. That is a bridge too far and I think that they will learn that, not from the pros who couldn't care less, but from the sports riders like me who presently can shift without thinking whether it is the top button or the slightly lower one to push,

DaveSSS 

You're confused about the chain length. Campy has specific lengths stated for all common chain stay lengths and cassette sizes. A 55 inch or 110 link chain would never be required with a 400mm chan stay length. All major brands now sell 12 speed. It's easy to shift through multiple sprockets if needed. I owned chorus 12 with a 48/32 and 11-34 cassette.

On earlier models, Campy used the little/little method where the chain was run through the RD and made as long as possible in that combination.

https://www.campagnolo.com/US/en/Support/download?td=4

RiceAWay

You are running a cyclocross crankset and the setup for that is slightly different as I said. The Campy manual does NOT have a chain length stated for a 400 mm C-C crank to dropout center. That was the entire reason that I posted about the 12 speed needing to be set up differently than previous speeds. with a COMPACT chainset or a normal 52/39 110 links do not work since the shorter than normal chain stays one might expect the required chain to be shorter but in fact in requires 112.

I'm wondering if you read the Campy manual since you don't seem to know that your crankset is for cyclocross allowing shorter chains than for other cranks. I also have the idea that the larger standard crankset (52/39) might need an even longer chain if you're using an 11/34 cassette. This was a posting of information for people that are building their own 12 speed setups and not for people with the expected chainstay length and CX cranks.

DaveSSS 

A 48/32 is not a cycle cross crank. I have read Campy's instructions that came with the Campy chains. I never used a 112 link chain because it would be too long. The instructions say to use a 110 link chain with any other crank and chain stays in the 405-415 range. That in no way means that 400mm stays need a longer chain. The shorter stays require a chain that's 0.394 inch shorter than 110 links, so a 108 or 54 inch chain length might be sufficient. Use the small ring and smallest sprocket combination and see if the chain hangs loose or rubs on itself with a 110 link chain. If it doesn't, then the chains certainly doesn't need to be longer.

Using the standard chain length formula, a chain length of 108 links (54 inch) should work with a 53 big ring and 32T cassette. (53+32)/4=21.25 (400/25.4) x2=31.5 21.25 +31.5 +1 = 53.75

Campy shifters will shift up to 3 sprockets up or down with a long push on either the thumb button or finger lever.

zactaylor

The problem with 12 speed mechanical shifting is that is needs to be tuned exactly right.

Electronic you can set and it will stay indexed pretty much forever (unless you give it a whack obviously). This makes 12 speed a good idea - more gears and no extra hassle.

However, on mechanical shifting, the tolerances are so tiny, that it really must be dialled in properly. This also means that the slightest change in cable tension/alignment/indexing can throw the entire thing off.

And as for the levers, having ridden both Shimano and Campagnolo, Campag thumb button and paddle system simply cannot be beaten.