BCDrums

I am wondering if I can use a recent Campy ergo lever on the left to shift a Shimano CX70 front derailler on a triple setup. I am not interested in a Shimano STI for the front because I'd like to be able to trim the shift a bit, and I have been told that the Campy lever has multiple clicks and is more akin to a friction lever.

Is there anything I should be aware of? Thanks.

DaveSSS 

Any campy shifter newer than 2014 will not operate a triple FD. 2015 and newer only operate a double and have no extra travel.

Andrew R Stewart 

I agree with running trim able Campy levers for the front. Been doing this since 1995 (except the logo said SACHS). I decided years ago to tread water with my personal bikes and invest in 9x3.

What's the rear end of your system? Do you care if the levers don't match? Andy

BCDrums

I am also staying with 3x9. Have been on a triple with bar-ends since 1980. I got a pair of used 2x9 Dura Ace STI levers a couple years back, and I like the STI rear shifting very much (13x28 cassette with an Ultra 6700GS RDer). I rode around for a year with one brifter and one bar-end, so I'm not stylin'. A pal at the bike shop suggested I try a Campy Ergo for the front. Will it work well?

Andrew R Stewart 

Yes, the pre 2014 Campy Ergo LH shifters works well for triples and with many trim points. I've used a number of pre and post indexing front ders with mine. The SunTours with the very strong parallelogram return springs can test the lever's G springs holding power. otherwise there's no problems.

One other possibility to retain your DA LH unit is to find a triple adaptor and run a DA DT cable stop with it's "wing" for trimming. The adaptor was a device, working much like old caliper QRs, that attached to the lever's cable port and has a tiny peg that when turned moved the cable an amount equal to the double's shift needs. So one could run the adaptor played out and have the granny and middle shift via the lever or played in and used the lever for the middle big shift. I forget who made them. Moot point perhaps as finding one will be hard. The DA DT cable stops have a rear side trim feature but can be mounted on the LH side also. Andy

BCDrums

Do post-2014 Ergos not work, as DaveSSS says??

Andrew R Stewart 

As daveSSS said, no. The post 2014 LH Campy Ergo shifters use a different indexing design that only covers a double ring set up.

Rant warning- IMO that the move from triples (and now from doubles) is a poor path for those of us that are aging up and/or live near serious hills. But the industry in their goal to sell more bikes to riders who already have a bike needs to somehow differentiate the new stuff. Claiming a rider no longer needs to deal with a front shift is seen by many riders as being a good thing. Until they age up and/or come to the Finger Lakes of NY . Andy

Drew Eckhardt 

G-spring levers will shift anything, using 6-7 of 12 clicks for Campagnolo triple derailleurs leaving more for Devinci and Mountain Tamer quads.

Those have the original pointy-hood shape or second rounded hood shape, noting 2005 Xenon and 2007-2008 Veloce and below were "escape" that didn't work like that,

The down side is they need periodic spring and carrier replacement, and small parts except for G-springs/left carriers have been discontinued for the pointy hood 1997 and older levers..

2009-2014 Ultrashift levers have 6 (or 7?) positions using all the travel for Campagnolo triple derailleurs; so a longer arm could cause problems. 2009 Veloce and Centaur 10 speed right levers have weak detents. In 2011 Veloce/Centaur 10 and Athena 11they switched to PowerShift which is Escape risen from the dead.

The down side is you need to buy replacement shift mechanisms ($80-$100 for all but hood, brake blade, and mounting hardware) when you wear them out instead of replacing small parts.

I'm running 2010 Centaur Carbon ultrashift 10 speed shifters with 2006 Record Titanium triple derailleurs. I upgraded to NOS levers and used other parts in 2012. For spares I grabbed a spare set of 2010 Veloce levers for about the cost of the included hoods + cable sets, then added a set of NOS 2014 Chorus levers after the 2015 design change.

I also have spare front and rear triple derailleurs.

BCDrums

So, G-spring levers ended in 2008? I see that the springs and carrier are available.

What is the longer arm?

How often do the 2009-2014 levers wear out?

Wow. You know your Campy.

So to make it easy for me, I should look for which years/models? And avoid which years/models? Thanks.

Drew Eckhardt 

They ended in the 2008 model year, although I think Campagnolo continued to make new ones for a little while.

On the front derailleur. Campagnolo monkeyed with them a bit; I don't know how Shimano's pull compares.


I got 23,811 miles out of my first right lever before the front spring broke, although your mileage will vary.

I shift like I have ADHD causing cables to die from fatigue in not much over 2000 miles.

Consider that 10 required rear cable replacement intervals running contemporary shifters with under bar tape routing hoods level with bar tape; 5 with Shimano flying housing or Campagnolo pointy hood levers which got better fatigue life without a tight 90 degree guide in the lever body.

Good:
1999-2006 round hood any lever except Xenon
2007-2008 round hood Record/Chorus
2010 new shape Centaur/Veloce 10 speed

Replacing the right 11 speed mechanism with 10
2009-2010 Athena
2009-2014 Record/Chorus/Super Record

Bad:
1997 and older pointy hood - discontinued small parts
2005+ Xenon - Escape
2007-2008 round hood Centaur and Veloce - Escape
2009 new shape Centaur and Veloce - weak detents)
2010+ new shape Centaur and Veloce - PowerShift mechanism

DaveSSS 

My new Campy 12 speed bikes with the 48/32 crank and 11-34 cassette have a slightly lower gear ratio than the 10 speed triple I used many years ago, with a 53/39/28 and a 13-29 cassette. There is a a way to get relatively low gear with modern parts. I regularly ride slopes in the 10-12% range and I'm 66 years old ( for a few more months).

sch

My experience is similar to DaveSS, a 48/32 CW and 11-34 11 spd cassette get me over any hill I currently ride and
are wider ranged than the triples I rode for ~20 yrs with 12-27 9 spd cassettes and later 11-28 10spd cassettes.
In a few years the 50/34 will be swapped to 46/30 on my second bike.