localguy

Hello,

I am considering purchasing a early 1990's bike with a 8 speed campy cassette. (Campagnolo record 8)

While this maybe old to many, I bike still has a freewheel. So I am not 100% sure of my options with cassettes.

1) From my reading, I can only use campy cassettes.

2) How easy is it to change some of the gears in the cassette? From the picture, the gearing is very tight. My older legs needs some larger gears to ride comfortably, I would like the large gear to have at least 28 teeth.

Thank you
Local guy (Phil)

Dave Mayer

I see you can buy a new Miche Campy 8-speed compatible cassette on Fleabay for less than $50. A sensible 13-28 gear range.

As far as bigger cogs, your Campagnolo rear derailleur probably won't handle anything larger.

Campy 8-speed Ergopower is very fine stuff, and when set up properly (new cables, housing, chain, cogs) will shift flawlessly.

BTW: the G-springs in the right shifter need to be replaced every 10k miles or so. I noticed this on my setup yesterday; the shifting is getting soft, and the rear derailleur tends to upshift on its own when I'm cranking on the pedals. So time for an overhaul, which should take about an hour and $25 worth of parts. If the right shifter on your target bike does not shift cleanly every time, with a distinct 'click' for each gear, then you may have this problem - hence the reason why the bike is for sale.

localguy

Hi Dave,

Thank you for your reply. Since this is all new technology to me, I want to be sure I am not buying a something where I can not get parts.

If the bike needs a chain, can I use a KMC 8 speed chain? Or do I need a Campy chain?

Phil J (local guy)

rosefarts

Campy is funny stuff.

Robust and smooth and all that jazz. Also, largely incompatible with anything else.

Last year I sent my 10 speed Ergo’s to a company for a rebuild. I don’t think they offer it for 8 speed anymore. Maybe someone does.

That Miche cassette should work but in my experience (again, on 10 speed) their stuff isn’t as smooth as genuine Campagnolo.

What are your plans regarding this bike? Ride the heck out of it or keep it clean by only occasionally using it a days you can show it off?

Given it’s age and impending difficulties of getting parts, I wouldn’t get this as a bike to ride a ton on. Sounds like a cool bike though, if it’s not your only ride, it would be fun to have.

Camilo

I have campy 8 speed. I have Syncro DT shifters, not Ergo, but I believe technically it would be the same.

I bought two Miche 8 speed cassettes and combined the sprockets to make an 11-28 range which is what all my road bikes (Sram 10 speed) have. At the time they were less than $40 each from Bike24. I think at the time I bought a 13-28 and an 11-25. I am vague on the details as to which sprockets I used, but it is 11-28. I'm sure I would have been happy with the 13-28, but ah, I just wanted the same cassette as my other bikes.

In an otherwise 8 speed Record bike, I substituted a Centaur "compact" crank: 50-34. Again, the same as my other road bikes. Couldn't handle the Record crank of that era and wanted a silver compact so Centaur it is. It's a fine crank.

I was having a hard time getting enough wrap with the Record RD so I bought a "Racing Triple" RD on Ebay for a reasonable price (just looked... GAAK! They weren't that expensive 10 years ago!). Being Vain, with a capital V, I wanted the RD to say "Record" like everything else. The Racing Triple had the exact same body as my Record RD so all I had to do was take the cage off the triple and put it on the Record. I think the Racing Triple could handle more wrap than I subject it to, being made for a triple crank. I don't think it would handle a much larger sprocket in back though.

localguy

Thank you for your comments.

This bike is to replace my 1970's Peugeot PX10. The PX10 is a full Reynolds 531 double butted frame, with Mavic racer brakes, simplex front derailleur and a campy nuovo rear derailleur, Normandy hubs and Stronglite crank. (I had the rear derailleur upgraded not long after I got the bike). I purchased the bike used in 1977.

The PX10 has been good to me. I just can not get the wheel bearing to be smooth like I could before and I am running into other issues after I replaced the chain and freewheel. It also has a slightly bent rear axle.

So I am looking at a replacement bike that is being sold locally, below is the description. I just not sure if I am getting into another issue of no parts. This bike appears to have options to maybe even go with a campy 10 speed.

"Excellent condition Pinarello Asolo from the early 90's with pure Italian Columbus steel. Built up by a master mechanic from frameset as a project using full period-correct parts to create a truly special, functional work of art. It pains me to sell this bike, but I'm finding myself doing much more gravel riding and am selling off all my traditional road bikes.

Every part on this bike, excluding tires and rims (French) is Italian. The Fizik navy leather bar wrap perfectly matches the incredibly hard to find Selle Italia Flite Titanium saddle in navy blue. Bike will also include a longer Kalloy aluminum seatpost in case the Campagnolo Chorus Aero seatpost is too short, though I'm 6'2 and the bike has a perfectly compact fit for me. Very light, quick and agile bike. Turns heads everywhere she goes- I usually get the most compliments as I'm passing a modern $10k carbon superbike. Frame has been measured and is perfectly straight and true, as are the Mavic rims. Shifts crisply with perfect indexing and alignment. Brakes stop on a dime and work better than most from the era. Record 8 is one of the best shifting groups around, and truly makes this bike a joy to ride.

Decals were replaced as part of my restoration and were lightly coated with 4k clear coat to ensure longevity. Frame is in great shape with no dings or dents and has minor paint chips/scrapes which I've pictured as best I can.

To the best of my knowledge, this bike is a mix of Campy Record and Athena- Record shifters, cranks, bottom bracket, derailleurs, pedals and hubs with Athena brakes. Bottom bracket and left shifter were installed NOS. Bike will include spare L shifter, Campagnolo bottom bracket, and annodized Cinelli stem in navy blue."

Any comments are welcome!

rosefarts

Fitting a tire wider than 25mm is likely to be a challenge.

Parts replacement is going to get harder.

Its certainly got a lot more soul than a new bike though. It’s up to you.

Kinda like I said upthread, I would only get it if it wasn’t my only bike.

localguy

I think getting 700 by 25mm should not be too difficult. Right now I have 27 inch wheels, getting tires is difficult, I found Panaracers for my 27 wheel which are ok (27x1.125),but I would like more options.

Thank you for your help

rosefarts

I personally like 700x25 for the road but trends are not going that direction. I figured I’d point it out to you.

Good old steelies draw way more attention.

I had a group pass me up hill, guy in back looked at my bike and said “that’s a beautiful bike” and he hit the rear wheel of the guy in front of him and had a slow speed embarrassing crash. That’s sexy lady level of distraction there.

That doesn’t happen on modern mass produced bikes. Even if they are faster.

Enjoy the ride.

localguy

Dave,

Can a bike with a 8 speed campy cassette. (Campagnolo record 8) be converted to use a 10 gear cassette? What parts would need to updated?

Thank you
Local guy (Phil J)

Dave Mayer

Anything is possible with enough time and money. Converting to Campy 10-speed would involve new wheels (budget about $400), chain, cassette, new shifters, crankset and derailleurs. So maybe $1000 for parts. Campagnolo 10-speed gear is a few years old, but the good stuff holds its value. Add a few hours of conversion time; shop rates are at least $75 per hour. I know of about 20 local shops, but I would not trust any to undertake a Campagnolo groupset install due to lack of experience, and motivation.

Today I did a 4 hour ride on a Campagnolo 8-speed Ergopower equipped bike. The shifting was outstanding, as good as any mechanical shifting on any bike I've used. No mis-shifts, ghost, shifts, over or under-shifting, so flawless. But this was after an overdue overhauling of the right-hand shifter and replacing all of the shift cables and housing. And a new chain of course.

Andrew R Stewart 

Campy 8 cog spacing is the same as Shimano 7 cog. So a plan "B", after years of trying to keep the OEM Campy set up in cassettes, is to back spec to the Shimano 7 cog cassette and hub. Andy

70sSanO

I would never purchase an older Campy equipped bike. Even with older Shimano, it is getting tougher to customize a drivetrain, but it is still possible.

While I don’t deny how well Campagnolo performs, it is probably too late to jump in without having a stash of parts to keep things moving along.

John

localguy

Dave,

I did not realize that I would almost need a replacement group set. I was hoping for just replacing the cassette, shifters and chain. Definitely not in my humble budget.

Thank you for your time.
Phil J (Local guy)

70sSanO

If you are going to buy an older bike, I personally find Shimano 9 speed to be a good choice for a mix of gearing, availability, and cost; 3x9 even better.

For now at least, Shimano still supports 9 speed with the traditional 1.7:1 rear derailleur actuation, so you can run any 9 speed road or mtb RD/cassette setup.

Most every cassette, even 7 speed, currently starts with an 11t; a few 12t but no one makes a 13t. Some people never use the 11t, which just reduces the number of usable cogs.

I have run 10 speed cranks with an 8 speed drivetrain. This does open up the world of subcompact cranks.

John