domtor

Looking for advice/recommendations if the Campy 50th anniversary(Super Record) drivetrain can take a new set of wheels with a 9 or 10 speed cassette.

My current 6 gear flywheel (13-18) was manageable when I was in my 20's, but it's brutal on me now...

I am looking at Campagnolo Zonda C17 clincher wheelset, with a 9 gear Shimano Cassette 11-28.

Pretty sure the chain would need to be replaced, but not sure if the derailleurs can even handle the extra gears.

Any help much appreciated.

P!N20

I assume your rear frame spacing is 126mm, 8 speed and beyond requires 130mm. Some people just force it in, others cold set the rear stays.

Not sure about the derailleur range, but the narrower 9/10 speed chain may not like the gap between chainrings.

jiangshi

Buy a new freewheel. You should be able to go to a 26t without major issues.

jeirvine 

Or even 28t. Waay cheaper than a whole new wheelset, and you can keep the 50th hubs.
-J

CliffordK

I went up to 9s with my old Colnago. Choosing an "Off Center" rim. The Campagnolo derailleur had been replaced with an early Ultegra derailleur years ago, with the shifters barely being able to handle the range.

There are a lot of 7s freewheels, and a few 8s and 9s freewheels.

You will probably need to throw all the rear hub spacers from the left to right, and redish if you go to 7s or greater.

Oh, one other thing. It is not just the max gearing, but rather the gearing range that is important. I.E. You may find a short cage derailleur just won't cut it. There are some long cage conversions for SR/NR available.

At some point you'll be compromising the originality of the 50th... and may choose to simply remove the entire groupset and put it into storage. If you haven't watched E-Bay lately, you'll be surprised at the value of good condition 50th groupsets.

Kabuki12

Since I am in my late sixties I have changed most of my bikes over to 28t free wheels without changing the Campy NR derailleurs or wheels. I just back the axel stop screws out so the jockey wheel cage clears when shifting in or out of low. I have one bike with second generation Super Record and it seems to work better but they all work well. Even with a 53/41 chain ring set up on the cranks it works. I find six cogs to be plenty of gear choices even five is ok, it’s the low gear for hills that I need. When on the flats and in town I only use the large chain ring and rarely go “big to big”.

domtor

Thanks. just the info I was looking for, I'll take baby steps on this one and try to find a 7speed freewheel with 26 or 28T, instead of complete new wheels.

jiangshi

If your freewheel is a Campagnolo 50th freewheel, make sure you use the proper tool to remove it.

I wouldn't trust a shop unless the spoke fluent Campagnolo.

CliffordK

As mentioned, you will likely need to move hub spacers from the left to right to go to 7s and dish the wheel, but it shouldn't be bad, and can easily be reversed.

Nuovo Record

What kind of freewheel and chain are you using for the six-speed setup?

If it is Regina, it may perhaps not be possible to just swap the freewheel for a seven-speed one, but you may have to replace the chain, too. The distances between the sprockets are different.

This may also be true for the Campagnolo lightweight freewheel, but I am not sure. The sprockets do have different letter codes for sure, and the seven-speed freewheel uses spacers, I think.

Why not just replace the sprockets for bigger ones? I am using a 13-15-17-19-22-25t freewheel with the same hub and derailleur and am very happy with it.

I once had a Colnago Junior with a Campagnolo Super Record group and an eight-speed freewheel. Unfortunately, I don´t remember the rear spacing, the type of freewheel or the sprocket sizes, but I am pretty sure it was the regular rear derailleur.

CliffordK

Can you purchase bare sprockets?

There was someone on this board who was rebuilding some freewheels.

Nuovo Record

You can buy sprockets, e. g. in the bay. It can be tricky, though, because of the many different types of freewheels.

Oh, and should you decide to replace the freewheel, make sure you use one with the right thread. I think the Campagnolo Cinquantenario (aka 50th anniversary) hubs were available with both Italian and English threading (it is indicated on the hub).
Yes, it is not impossible to force a freewheel on a hub with a different thread. No, it is not OK to do that, not on a Campagnolo Cinquantenario hub.

domtor

My freewheel is Regina Oro, can I assume my 50th hub has Italian threading?

domtor

My Freewheel is Regina Oro. Sprockets not easily found on eBay, but there are few 7 speed Regina freewheels with bigger sprockets than I currently have, they just asking much $$.

CliffordK

@pastorbobnlnh is a Bike Forum member that has a small business of freewheel rebuilding.

https://www.freewheelspa.com/

I don't know his rates, but he would be worth contacting if you choose to rebuild your old freewheel.

pastorbobnlnh 

We need to know which Regina Oro you are running. Specifically, a picture would be most helpful. You should be able to post a picture in your album and one of us can attach it here for viewing.

IIRC, the 13-18, could very well be that odd Regina that only has the one largest 18T sprocket thread-on in reverse from the spoke side of the body (most of Regina bodies have the two largest thread-on from the spoke side). There are little options in re-gearing this model. I suppose a rider could go 13-14-15-16-17-26, but better options are available.

IMO, find a Suntour Perfect or ProComp 6 speed. Mechanically it is a better freewheel and changing the sprockets is very user friendly!

Nuovo Record

Your Regina freewheel and Campagnolo hub PROBABLY BUT NOT NECESSARILY have Italian threads. They might be English.

This information is engraved on the hub, right next to the largest sprocket. You should be able to see some letters and numbers down there. Please post this here, and we know what type of threads you have.

You might be able to find an older six- or seven-speed Shimano freewheel from the 600 or Dura Ace series that fits. I have had several wheels with Campagnolo Record hubs (technically identical to Cinquantenario hubs) and Shimano freewheels. They are good and not expensive.