Campagnuisance#

Sun, 27 May 2007 13:00:32 +0000

After far too long reading usenet and browsing online stores, I decided about a week ago to upgrade my bike to ten-speed sprockets with shifting on the handlebars (Campagnolo Ergo). I went with Campag over Shimano because they seem a little less likely to break backward-compatibility at any opportunity, the levers are apparently rebuildable if they break, and probably also just because I like being different and everybody else has Shimano. That's why I'm a Linux user, after all.

So I ordered new levers (Mirage), a new cassette (Mirage), a new rear mech (Xenon, because there's not really a lot of difference), and a new chain (actually a 10 speed Shimano HG chain, cos they're cheaper). Oh, and bar tape. Because I'm cheap I'm not changing the front mech, but because the cassette has different ratios I am buying a Shimano 50T ring to replace the 53T Biopace big ring. Maybe having circular chainrings (instead of egg-shaped ones) will help the shifting on the front a bit anyway.

Now all the stuff has arrived (except for the chainring, but I can wait for that) on my first attempt to put it together I find that Campag cassettes aren't compatible with Shimano freehubs and vice versa. Gnngh. But then, the young man in Bikefix seemed to think the bearings in the rear were on their way out anyway. So, I guess I was thinking about lighter wheels...