Upgrade to 10sp?

[Russcoles]

I recently bought a nice road bike from ebay with Shimano 105 'Golden arrow' Components. The only issue with it is that the wheels are on their last legs. I found a pair of really nice wheels for a reasonable price, the catch is that the wheels take a CAMPAGNOLO cassette. As the wheels are new, I would guess they would take a 9-10 speed cassette only (as I found out reading up on Sheldon Browns site). I had been hoping to only go up to 7 or 8 speed to save costs, oh well. So am I correct in assuming I will need new chainrings, chain and of course a cassette. Am I missing anything, will I need to replace the jockey wheels in the rear mech or anything?

[JohnW]

............campy cassette...............

campy........campy........campy.......do I know a campy? Perhaps you mean Campag?

[Brucey]

you can fit 9/10speed sprockets with wider spacers to make an 8-speed cassette, and suddenly you have cheaper chains, at least.

The jockey pulleys don't make a big difference provided you are running narrower (not wider) chain, and they are not knack'd to start with.

Golden Arrow huh?
Blimey, that prodded a few dormant memory cells, that did...

cheers

[Russcoles]

you can fit 9/10speed sprockets with wider spacers to make an 8-speed cassette, and suddenly you have cheaper chains, at least.

The jockey pulleys don't make a big difference provided you are running narrower (not wider) chain, and they are not knack'd to start with.

Golden Arrow huh?
Blimey, that prodded a few dormant memory cells, that did...

cheers

I usually ride small wheelers, it was the way the golden arrow stuff looked that made me buy it. Its quite weird having such a high center of mass but I guess I'll get used to it. Damn you Ebay!

[531colin]

Not indexed shifting, then?

[BigG]

Don't forget that Campag cassettes have a different sprocket spacing to Shimano. Shimano 105 systems will not index properly (or at all) with them.

[Big T]

Golden arrow is pre-indexing and dates from around 1983:

http://www.disraeligears.co.uk/Site/Shi ... can_7.html

Looks like it was originally 6 speed. Would probably be compatible with modern-ish 7 speed and campag 8 speed, but not 9 speed. As mentioned upthread, you may have trouble finding a suitable cassette without having to change chainring, chain, rear mech/jockey wheels.

[Russcoles]

OK, so I now have my 9 speed cassette, have installed this on the new wheel and have tried to see if it works with the existing chain. It seems to be fine, it shifts really well. I cannot get the mech to adjust enough to reach the smallest ring but I can live with that (unless anyone has a tip for sorting it?).
Modern deep rimmed low spoke count wheels look rather good on an otherwise vintage bike. Sometimes a bit of contrast just seems to work.

[Brucey]

I cannot get the mech to adjust enough to reach the smallest ring but I can live with that (unless anyone has a tip for sorting it?).
.

apologies if this is b. obvious, but as well as twirling the limit screws you may need to slacken the cable to allow the mech to move fully.

What mech/chainline is it?

cheers

[Russcoles]

Its a shimano 105 golden arrow mech on a 9 sp campag cassette, with the cable slack and the limit screw out as far as poss it only reaches the 2nd smallest sprocket. I know I could add spacers to the axle and spread the frame, but I won't do that.

[Brucey]

hang on, you confused me when you said 'chainring' earlier and now 'sprocket'. Am I to take it that you have a problem with the rear mech?

If so it isn't reaching to the smallest (high gear) sprockets?

A Golden Arrow mech should do that easily; I've just looked at mine and it reaches with room to spare. If yours doesn't move far enough maybe the spring is weak, or the pivots are sticky over the full range through lack of use.

Obviously if the pulleys/pivots are worn or it is bent it won't work too well either.

BTW you can polish these mechs up to a high shine if you like; they are not anodised or anything.

cheers

[Russcoles]

Doh! I definitely meant Cog!

Anyway, once I rode it a bit it all seems to have started working fine. The bike is a lot more stable with the new more rigid wheels.