Cycling UK Forum

Having put a 9 speed cassette (campag veloce) on a 1980s Holdsworth mistrale, which already has a 9 speed rear mech (campag mirage), i find the old downtube shifters struggling to get the mech across all the back cogs (it almost does).
Do 9 speed downtube lugless/band-on shifters exist?
Or am I committed to bar end or combined with break lever shifters if I want 9 speed?
jon

If your existing shifters are band on, then you can just fit the new levers onto the existing band.

I take it that your existing levers are friction levers of that period. They have a comparatively small diameter and so pull less cable than modern levers. I also assume you've sprung the frame to be able to get a 9 speed in place.

Yes, Campag 9 speed levers exist, I have some in my box of bits. As Crepello says, they will fit the band of your existing levers unless you are using some strange types e.g. some Huret and some Japanese used strange sized bosses on their bands.

Different brands of friction levers have different pull-through lengths. I'd say that you're unlucky to have a brand with insufficient pull. There are some tricks you can try: increase the effective diameter of the cable-drum by enclosing the end length of cable in a sheath to fatten it, or by glueing something to the drum-surface to build it up (it needs very little to get a good increase in pull -through). Easiest of all is to try another brand of lever.

Campag derailleurs generally require more "pull" (of the cable) than say Shimano.
You may get away with it if you swapped to a Shimano, or other make, derailleur. Although probably costlier than new DT shifters.
Another option is to see if you can clamp the cable in a slightly different position, on the derailleur, to increase the movement?

Hmm! I've got a Pearson , with 9 speed veloce ergo shifters, but couldn't get on with them, always hunting up and down the gears 'coz they're there'. so disconnected them, and fitted old campag downtube friction levers, prob 6 speed ish, and they work fine, no probs at all, can get all the gears, and it a much more relaxed ride, choose a gear, and ride it.

I use Campag downtube friction levers on a 9 speed set up. It works fine, though you need to get used to the small amount of lever movement compared to say 6 speed. There's certainly enough lever travel to cope. The ones which don't work, because the wrap around diameter is too small, are old Huret and imitators. You could try a couple of thicknesses of insulating tape round the cable channel to increase its diameter.

You have of course slackened off the adjuster screws to allow the mech to get right under the cogs.... When you disconnect the cable the chain shoul go right out to the smallest gear. Pull the cable through until it's as tight as poss. With the wheel stationary pull the lever as tight as tou can (as if you were changing down). You won't change down but you will bed in the cable. Now refix the cable as tight as poss. You may then find there is enough to pull through to give you bottom gear. Of course this is hopelessly unclear and in any case you have already done it or the equivalent. Sorry.

Richard

Not sure if it is any use but just in case. I bought a band on adapter from Spa cycles which enables modern metric braze on downtube levers to be fitted to a bike without braze on fittings

Thanks for all the advice.
Will try adjusting existing levers etc before taking the plunge and getting a pair of ergoshifts on ebay