Jtek Shiftmate 1 help needed

[fredN4]

Hi
trying to fit the shiftmate 1 to a bike running ten speed campag shifters, 10 speed campag RD with Shimano 9 speed cassette. entered cable via the small pulley groove, which when viewing from the back is on the left as I read the instructions. I have fitted an in-line barrel adjuster. when I try to index I need to add plenty of tension to get the RD to shift. It then shifts OK until about the 5th cog when I run out of clicks! I reduced the length of the rear outer cable to get the shiftmate to fit snugly against the derailleur. Not too tight I hope.
Cables inner and outer are new.
Any thoughts please.
Thanks
Fred

[fausto99]

When I get this type of problem I often find that the cable wasn't really tight when I did up the pinch bolt on the RD. One of the ferrules was not properly seated or I hadn't made sure the shifter was clicked to the fully slack position. Worth a check?

[PH]

It's a few years since I fitted mine and it's a different model and combination, but I have a vague memory of having to turn the pully round.
This may or may not be relevant, or something you already know, I just post this in case you hadn't realised it was sometimes required.

[fredN4]

thanks both. changes OK when I remove the jtek. it says enter via the small pulley. might give it a go the other way round.

[gxaustin]

I'm interested to know why you don't use a 10 speed cassette? Is there some incompatibility that a nine speed overcomes?

[drossall]

If you reverse the pulley, you'll reverse the effect of the ShiftMate. It's designed to alter the pull of the shifters of course. The way round that you have the pulley will determine which of the two. It's hard to see how it could help, assuming that you had it correct in the first place.

I have ShiftMates on three machines at the last count. I have had to set one or two of them up a couple of times. I think you're right to focus on cable length and how it makes the ShiftMate sit against the derailleur. The instructions are fairly precise also about how to set the pulley in terms of where the flat lies and so on.

[mattsccm]

Sorry to mention granny and eggs but you have got the Ergo set to the very smallest sporcket haven't you? The cable needs a tug as you press the little ear and it can sort of stick about half way down. It is quite possible to just click as far as you can and think that it's there but without that tension it doesn't always work like that.

[fredN4]

Sorry to mention granny and eggs but you have got the Ergo set to the very smallest sporcket haven't you? The cable needs a tug as you press the little ear and it can sort of stick about half way down. It is quite possible to just click as far as you can and think that it's there but without that tension it doesn't always work like that.

will double check. but all works fine when I ditch the shiftmate

[De Sisti]

..but all works fine when I ditch the shiftmate

Carry on.

[De Sisti]

I'm interested to know why you don't use a 10 speed cassette? Is there some incompatibility that a nine speed overcomes?

Someone explain.

[PH]

I'm interested to know why you don't use a 10 speed cassette? Is there some incompatibility that a nine speed overcomes?

Someone explain.

What's to explain? Campag levers, Shimano cassette, whatever the speed there's an incompatibility.
Enough to make a difference? I don't know, I understand some people get away with it, but it'll never be perfect.

[drossall]

I'm interested to know why you don't use a 10 speed cassette? Is there some incompatibility that a nine speed overcomes?

Why bother? If you're mixing and matching anyway, there's no special benefit in using 10. And 9-speed is likely to last a little longer because the sprockets aren't quite so thin. And 9-speed cassettes are probably cheaper. So why spend extra?

[De Sisti]

I'm interested to know why you don't use a 10 speed cassette? Is there some incompatibility that a nine speed overcomes?

Someone explain to him.

What's to explain? Campag levers, Shimano cassette, whatever the speed there's an incompatibility.
Enough to make a difference? I don't know, I understand some people get away with it, but it'll never be perfect.

In this case (Campag 10s levers, Campag 9 or 10 front and rear derailleur, Shimano 9s cassette) it does work perfectly. I've been using that combination for over 20 years (and this subject has been discussed at length on this and other forums).

[fredN4]

Someone explain to him.

What's to explain? Campag levers, Shimano cassette, whatever the speed there's an incompatibility.
Enough to make a difference? I don't know, I understand some people get away with it, but it'll never be perfect.

In this case (Campag 10s levers, Campag 9 or 10 front and rear derailleur, Shimano 9s cassette) it does work perfectly. I've been using that combination for over 20 years (and this subject has been discussed at length on this and other forums).

Thought I would give the jtek a go as I have quite a few bikes. Hoping to have them all ready for the family assault of Le Ventoux.

[drossall]

In this case (Campag 10s levers, Campag 9 or 10 front and rear derailleur, Shimano 9s cassette) it does work perfectly. I've been using that combination for over 20 years (and this subject has been discussed at length on this and other forums).

Not tried it, but you'd need to be careful because, part-way through its life, Campagnolo changed the cable pull for 9-speed, so you need to know which one you're talking about. I think Ergos on eBay tend to be new-9, and quite a few derailleurs are old-9. I'm using one of my ShiftMates to convert between those two.