10 sp to 9 sp campag

[Colin B]

I have recently bought a second hand (but like new) Wilier Mortirolo Veloce. A beautiful bike. However, I notice that the clearance between the 12 tooth cog and the dropout is very small. This is my first bit of carbon and I'm a bit precious about it. I have visions of the chain overshooting the small cog and ripping hell out of the seat stay. Am I worrying about nothing or should I consider changing the 10 speed block to a 9. If the latter, will 10 speed levers work on a 9 speed block? Hope this is not too stupid a question. Regards, Colin B.

[tatanab]

Why not just screw down the limit screw so that the chain cannot reach the 12? Then when you are confident that overshooting will not happen you can screw it out again.

[Colin B]

Thanks, tatanab, this is what I was planning to do if no other advice was forthcoming.

[BigFoz]

9/10 spd Campag are different due to different spacing of cassette. Levers are stopped differently and you can't adjust them in. Swapping to 9spd doesn't help either as the cassette is same total width, so the smallest sprocket on both is likely to be as close to frame.

[AndyA]

You could also apply some helicopter tape or similar to the part of the chainstay in danger.

[CJ]

Modern bikes are all like that, and actually it's better to have barely enough room for the chain to run in. That way: the chain has no option but to engage the sprocket. Give it a bit more space though, and now it'll be possible for it to overshoot and jam in the gap.

In the past there often was a bit more space and chains sometimes jammed, but since frames were then made of steel the chain came off worse. But sometimes the end of the seatstay was very close over the top of the chain, which would jump up and hit this protrusion whenever one shifted into or out of top gear, taking the paint off straightaway and in time wearing a hole in the curved-over end of that tube. So I can see where you're coming from, now you have a frame made of plastic! Such frames are usually designed so that the end of the seatstay is nowhere near the chain, but joins onto the dropout further outboard than the over-locknuts distance, so the chain can jump as high as it likes without hitting it. And the dropout itself is usually a metal insert, so it can help to guide the chain onto the sprocket without getting hurt.

[Brucey]

it'd take a bad shift to cause trouble but if you are worried I'd suggest a 'protector shim' cut from (say) a beer can, stuck on with thin double-sided tape and then covered over in more tape.

Or just don't use the 12.

It is purely decorative on my bike anyway....

[edit: I agree with CJ's comments re the gap and chainstay construction (but do check) too BTW]

cheers

[Mick F]

No need to worry at all.
The chain won't overshift at all if the indexing is set correctly.

10sp and 9sp Campag have different internals, and depending on what model you have, it will be easy or impossible to modify them. As has been said, going to 9sp won't help your position because the outer cogs are basically in the same place as 9sp cassettes and 10sp cassettes are the same width.

[Colin B]

Many thanks for your helpful suggestions. Indeed, as CJ has stated, the gap is so small that the chain would have no option but to be thrown back onto the 12 cog. However, I might stick a bit of helicoptor tape on the bottom of the seatstay just to be on the safe side. Regards, Colin B.

[Steve Kish]

I'm currently using Campag Veloce 9-speed levers and am looking to move up to 10-speed .... perhaps we can do some kind of swap?

[Colin B]

Thanks for the offer, Steve, but I think I'll stick to what I've got for the time being.

[Mick F]

I'm currently using Campag Veloce 9-speed levers and am looking to move up to 10-speed .... perhaps we can do some kind of swap?

Depending on the model and year, you can modify your existing RH Ergo to 10sp.
(Been there, done that!)

That way, all you would need would be the cassette and the chain, as you would be re-using your Ergos.