Converting Campagnolo Ergos

I just bought some 9 speed Chorus ergos. I want to run them with my 8 speed set up (replace the Syncro IIs I have now).

My options as I see them - replace the rear mech and block with 9 speed bits, or convert the 9 speed ergos to 8 speed.

Anyone done the latter, and have advice?

Also, I probably should make sure I've got an 8 speed rear mech (which I'm assuming is 8 speed, although I've never actually had this confirmed! I bought it with an almost complete Croce d'Aune/C-Record groupset). Anyone able to confirm what I've got?

yep

definitely campag

My options as I see them - replace the rear mech and block with 9 speed bits, or convert the 9 speed ergos to 8 speed.

Anyone done the latter, and have advice?

I've not done this myself, but a friend attempted it and it went horribly wrong. The internal spring in the Ergo lever is almost impossible to fit and you have to change this. He tried and tried and tried but could never it to work again.

I'd go 9 speed if I were you.

http://forums.cyclingweekly.co.uk/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/42991/page/0/vc/1

As Andy says, go 9 speed if you can.

If you type in the word shimergo in a popular search engine, the CTC have a large piece on all the conversion possibilities. Mercian can convert your ergos to 8 speed.

cheers guys - quick question re: dérailleur. I was looking up 9 speed stuff in case I follow AndyP's advice (probably will) and saw all the 9-speed chorus mechs looks like the one I have now (except newer - they have Chorus painted on). for example:

http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad146/laurelcycles/campyderailleur01.jpg
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/8306/dsc04893q.jpg

Is this a case of having a 9-speed C-Record, before they were introduced into the Chorus group, or is it possible for an 8-speed and 9-speed mech to share the same body?

You don't need to change mech to go between 8 &9 gears, the gears are closer together (so the range will be similar) and the indexing is done at the changer, not the mech.
The pull ratio between the amount of cable and the amount of sideways movement of the cage is all that matters, and that's the same on all late Campag mechs.

Just fit the right cassette and changer, and set up limit screws and indexing.

You can't fit a 9spd cassette to an 8spd rear hub/freehub, BUT if your 8spd cassette is loose sprockets with spacers (most were) then you can replace the spacers with those from a 9spd cassette and then it will index perfectly. The 9spd cassette will have one more spacer than 8spd, this one you put on the freehub first before the large sprocket. I have a set of 9spd spacers you can have for beer(s)! Obviously the key thing is to get the hi/lo limit screw set correctly, and the cable tension, then you effectively 'lose' the 9th click on the Ergo. I'm happy to help set this up for you if you like (you know where I live!) = more beer :)
p.s. give it a clean first ;-)

Oh, and Kris (east_end_images) will have the 8spd Syncros off you, or I will take them on his behalf :)

Looks like it's all been covered... But.

I tried the otherway, 8 to 9 and it went horribly wrong. Then got Mercian to have a go and they failed too. Apparently they have limited success converting ergo's and the chap I spoke to really didn't like attempting it.

It IS possible to convert the Ergos but if you were to go that route I would recommend the Campag UK service centre, which is actually an independent company authorised/trained by Campag. But it won't be cheap (or quick), AND you will still have to sort out the issue that if you have an 8spd freehub you can't just fit a 9spd cassette to it - you would still have to find 9spd spacers and an extra 8spd sprocket that somehow fitted into your existing range. Or get a 9spd wheel! By far the best option IMHO is to respace the 8spd cassette with 9spd spacers...

You don't need to change mech to go between 8 &9 gears, the gears are closer together (so the range will be similar) and the indexing is done at the changer, not the mech.
The pull ratio between the amount of cable and the amount of sideways movement of the cage is all that matters, and that's the same on all late Campag mechs.

Just fit the right cassette and changer, and set up limit screws and indexing.

Interesting!

You can't fit a 9spd cassette to an 8spd rear hub/freehub, BUT if your 8spd cassette is loose sprockets with spacers (most were) then you can replace the spacers with those from a 9spd cassette and then it will index perfectly. The 9spd cassette will have one more spacer than 8spd, this one you put on the freehub first before the large sprocket. I have a set of 9spd spacers you can have for beer(s)! Obviously the key thing is to get the hi/lo limit screw set correctly, and the cable tension, then you effectively 'lose' the 9th click on the Ergo. I'm happy to help set this up for you if you like (you know where I live!) = more beer :)
p.s. give it a clean first ;-)

There are two different types of 9 speed cassetes/blocks. Is this true of both? If so, that's annoying.

In any case, it does look like they're loose sprockets with spacers (the outside sprocket/lockring is attached to a silver coloured thing-a-ma-bob, where as all the others seem so to have dark coloured spacers in between them).

I am more than happy to get your drunk enough to work on my bike! It does need a clean though. Bah! Hate cleaning bikes.

Oh, and Kris (east_end_images) will have the 8spd Syncros off you, or I will take them on his behalf :)

Ha, these are the Syncros I got off of you. I'll send him a message.

Thanks to everyone for the info.

horatio - how did you get on? i've got my bike in bits trying to fit 9 speed ergo's using 8 speed rear sprockets. have used 9 speed spacers and have a 9 speed rear mech, but time is the limiting factor.
sheldon brown has a crib sheet, so you can see exactly the difference
as far as i am aware, there's only 1 type of campag 9/10 speed freehub. 8 speed is different (shallower splines)

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cribsheet-spacing.html

regards

N_R

Just got the shifters in the mail today. Going to visit Retro_di_corsa tomorrow hopefully to do the swap, and then going on a ride to Oxford on Wednesday hopefully to try them out. I'll report back!

NR, had this done today (Retro_di_corsa did the work while I watched). Works a treat. Indexing was pretty much bang on right away. Haven't had it out for a long ride (hopefully tomorrow), but so far so good.

Cheers, RdC!

NR, had this done today (Retro_di_corsa did the work while I watched). Works a treat. Indexing was pretty much bang on right away. Haven't had it out for a long ride (hopefully tomorrow), but so far so good.

Cheers, RdC!

snap - connected mine last night and went out round the block....pretty spot-on i'd say.