Ergopower rebuilding after accident.

Sorry for copying it over here, but I'm a lazy ass when it comes to writing posts. :D :D I'd appreciate the help or input of anyone who has a clue about old vs. new ergos..

Yesterday I was commuting home after school in the usual Friday afternoon rush hour. Then someone decided to open the car door in front of me when I was beside the car. Ended up with bent thumbie button on my Record Titanium 8speed ergopower, which I unfortunately bought for 49pounds in perfect shape-strong clicks and nice shaped hoods. The brake levers and anything else seem to be intact, though with some scrateches on the body..

But the thumb button "came out" from the ratchet ring. here are the pictures:

Although the release button of the later 10speed ergos will fit fine (ie:: EC-RE204, http://branfordbike.com/product/campagnolo-3-ergo-record-thumb-button-return-lever-right-side-543.htm )

It's a disgrace, cause the driver behaved like a spoiled swine. Was shouting and swearing all over the street, even insulting the witnesses who were trying to calm him. After all, I haven't broken the rules.

The ergos now will need a rebuild. Is there anyone who know what parts will I need most likely? The thumb button seems to be a "must have", and probably a retainer spring also. A bike shop offered me a crashed 10speed ergopower with good internals as a donor for free. Will the thumbie button and the retainer will be compatible with my 1996 ergopower?

i'm running an all-out 8speed campa gruppo on that bike with Record Ergos, Athena derailleurs and Chorus-Athena hubs, in very great shape.. Not to mention, that the bike got a new paintjob-cables-hb tape and chain 3 weeks ago..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97878439@N06/sets/72157638374775884/
(sorry, but I love this bike, much more than my alloy one).

Or is it even possible that the release button can be "bend back" to the correct shape? it's from stainless steel after all (rostfreiii). I'll never buy 8speed Record ergos in perfect shape again for 49 pounds :'( (nobody bid on that on ebay, only me..)

Glad you aren't in too bad shape after the crash. If you have the drivers details and a couple of the witnesses I would persue it and have the driver get them for you or there insurance company, will likely cost less than the excess on insurance so don't see what driver wouldn't. When I got car doored about 10 years back I took my bike into a shop and explained what happened and they said "bike looks rideable but I guess this bit has a minor scratch and this has minor damage, what parts do you want? just don't take the piss"

At least you were unharmed! :)

By "retainer spring", do you mean the return spring (EC-RE015)?

If so, I understand that the design changed with 9 speed, so one from a 10 Ergo won't work.

Apart from the thumb button I hope you don't need anything else, because from bitter experience I know they are hard to come by...

Thanks for the responses :) It seems that I've managed to get my hands on a nice shape 8spd ergopower, Veloce I'd guess.

So, it seems that I'll have all the neccessary parts. And Examined the lever today, fortunately the return coil spring is totally intact and unharmed.

I guess the bike will be road worthy in a few days. (I still have to get those ergos delivered and assembled)

Scilly Suffolk: thank you for the link to your thread. As I said, the return spring is perfect, so probably all will turn out well enough.

Good stuff!

If you plan to keep using 8 speed, it would be a good idea to buy up any cheap Ergo for spare parts: the current G-springs are compatible, but the return springs and spring mount rings aren't.

I suppose it would be possible to bend an new return spring and I was told that 9 speed rings could be modified to fit 8 speed, but I haven't tried.

here's a pic of the broken thumb button. fortunately i only needed to change that one piece, the rest of the lever was in good shape.

Ergos working like new. :) Cannibalised an Athena for the neccessary part, kept the whole other bunch for later re-use.