Campag Chorus 10spd - Compact Chainset

[Paul Walters]

Pete, I'm beginning to think that just handing the bike over to my LBS and saying "sort it" is the way forward here...... another option I've just priced out is to change the entire groupset for a 105..... I can do that for about £320 from Wiggle, and with a set of ebay wheels, should be able to convert the bike to Shimano for only a few tens of £'s more than the replacement Campag stuff...... sell the Campag stuff on ebay, to offset the cost a little...... trouble is, given the trouble I'm having sourcing bits, who'd buy it?

 

[ColinJ]

OK, here's another option that has been suggested...... how feasible is it to change the crankset to Shimano 105 and replace the BB with a Shimano unit..... run campag on the back end, with a campag chain, and use the ratchet campag front shifter with the 105 chainrings/cranks? A friend of mine has just changed one of his racing bikes from 105 to Ultegra DI2 and has 105 bits available at silly money..... Anyone done this or know if it's even possible ? I'd always thought there was no cross compatibility between Shimano and Campag?

The Campagnolo/Shimano incompatibility comes in at the back. No problem at the front. Put what you like at the front.

Did you miss this post of mine earlier in the thread ...?

Ah, but you might need an adapter if your BB is pressfit!

 

[PpPete]

He says it's an allen bolt fixing ... from which I infer square taper.

OK, here's another option that has been suggested...... how feasible is it to change the crankset to Shimano 105 and replace the BB with a Shimano unit..... run campag on the back end, with a campag chain, and use the ratchet campag front shifter with the 105 chainrings/cranks? A friend of mine has just changed one of his racing bikes from 105 to Ultegra DI2 and has 105 bits available at silly money..... Anyone done this or know if it's even possible ? I'd always thought there was no cross compatibility between Shimano and Campag?

There is a way of making Campag shifters play nicely with Shimano mechs/ Shimano spaced cassettes together but you lose at least one 'speed'.
See http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/components/transmission-gears/derailleur-gears/shimergo

I have a couple of machines run with older 10 speed Veloce UltraShift levers to Shimano triple 9 drive trains. One of them has a Stronglight triple (like Colin suggests), the other is a 105 (but modded to go 50/38/26) No reason why it wouldnt work with a 105 compact double though. The only thing you need to do is buy a 9 speed cassette & chain (instead of 10 speed) - but that lowers your costs anyway, and to "re-wire" the rear mech..

 

[ColinJ]

He says it's an allen bolt fixing ... from which I infer square taper.



There is a way of making Campag shifters play nicely with Shimano mechs/ Shimano spaced cassettes together but you lose at least one 'speed'.
See http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/components/transmission-gears/derailleur-gears/shimergo

I have a couple of machines run with older 10 speed Veloce UltraShift levers to Shimano triple 9 drive trains. One of them has a Stronglight triple (like Colin suggests), the other is a 105 (but modded to go 50/38/26) No reason why it wouldnt work with a 105 compact double though. The only thing you need to do is buy a 9 speed cassette & chain (instead of 10 speed) - but that lowers your costs anyway, and to "re-wire" the rear mech..

But Paul is only talking about changing the front mech so he shouldn't have a problem!

 

[hurri]

Can you stick a finger into one end of your crankset and there is an allen key bolt at the bottom? Usually if it is ultratorque you can see all the way through the BB, (without pictures it is very hard to work out what you have).

To remove it, you should just need a 10mm hex key which is right in the middle once you have unscrewed that it will pull apart. Very easy to change to a compact without doing anything else (tho your front derailleur may need lowering a bit).

There are still compact Carbon Chorus chainsets out there ... 250 quid...new
http://www.probikekit.co.uk/bicycle...s-ultra-torque-compact-chainset/10769021.html

Or ebay will probably get you one for less than 250.

If you're going Shimano it will be cheaper but obviously heavier as you'll be ditching the carbon and replacing with alloy, might be cheaper just to go down to Decathlon and buy a whole bike for 300 quid with a triple on it and sell your existing machine for more. I'm sure your Orbea must be worth three times that and there will be plenty of people (like me) who appreciate Campagnolo gears, and will pay a premium for your bike.

Good luck!

 

[winjim]

Derrick. the cassette is a 12-25. There is a replacement 12-29 available, and I wonder how much difference that would make.

Pete, the chainring has "Campagnolo Power Torque EPS" on the side, and I can't see if it's a square taper. The fixing is Allen bolt in the centre. There are no "big holes", so I suppose it's a square taper. Given my usual experience with all things mechanical, this crankset will be a limited edition only ever fitted to 6 bikes between August and September 2006, and discontinued immediately afterward.

The BB cups are visible, but are smaller diameter than the shell, which appears to have an annulus of 5mm of metal showing around the BB.

Chorus 10sp did not use the power torque system. Maybe a couple of photographs would help?

 

[Paul Walters]

I'll take some pics tonight and try and post them somehow... haven't worked that bit out yet.... watch this space.....

 

[Paul Walters]

Pics here.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/25080732@N08/15350763738/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/25080732@N08/15351317420/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/25080732@N08/15350844008/
sorry for the earlier duff info..... the result of starting a thread at home and trying to continue it in the office :-0

 

[hurri]

As this crankset probably was a limited edition only ever fitted to 6 bikes between August and September 2006, and discontinued immediately afterward. it is probably worth a few bob. So, in order not to make a breakfast out of getting it off, and it is in good nick (as it has been attached for some time!) I would definitely take it to the local bike shop and get them to remove it. Sell it on eBay or to http://www.campyoldy.co.uk/. I imagine about 100 quid as it is Chorus and square taper would be perfect for retro fiends. (Once they have taken it off you can then get them to tell you what sort of BB you have, likely square taper but not sure if itaIian thread or British or BB30)

You could fit a compact chainset on the Campagnolo BB like this one http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/stronglight-impact-compact-double-chainset-silver-50-34t-170mm-prod18490/ for 70 quid as that is exactly what I have on a Campagnolo Athena equipped bike with ergo and it works just fine, shifts no problem. There is a 25 quid no brand alternative on the SJS site as well if you are feeling cheap.

But I'd suggest that if you're feeling like giving your bike a bit of bling. get the BB removed as well and sell that, and buy the chainset I linked to before (the Chorus Compact Carbon Ultratorque) as that is not bad money for a brand new Carbon chainset from Campy to match your other gear... and also pick up some Ultra torque cups for your BB. http://www.campagnolo.com/UK/en/Components/ultratorque_cups you can get them to fit all sorts of BBs - BSC (English thread) - IT (Italian) - BB30 (68x42 for road bikes). I got mine on eBay. And get an extra 'wiggly washer'.while you are at it (google that if you want to know why). Total expenditure will be about 300 quid once you have got the LBS to install the cups (required if they are BB30).