Shimano 9 Speed Sti levers - hidden cables

[MGate]

I've got veloce 10 speed on the ribble winter bike. The derailer I'm going to try to work with is a shimano Ultegra, yes should work with 10 as I think the indexing 'jump' is determined by the lever, and there's plenty of range left either side on the adjustment screws. I guess if I went 10 speed I would need a new 10sp chain as well as the sprockets - but then I would have the option of STI or Ergo. Sounds like it will cost more than I paid for the bike though.

My gate has Campag 9 on it - I guess if I was really pottering in the garage I could put the wheel and derailer onto the gate and see how that went with a Shimergo adjustment to where the cable is pulled from. In fact I have some old Campag mirage 8 shifters on a bike somewhere - could try them too!

And I thought getting a mac and PC to talk to each other was tricky

[niggle]

An 8 speed Shimano compete drive train indexes perfectly with Campag 10 speed at the rear. It is the front that can be a problem due to the different cable pull.
If one of the extra clicks is used at both ends of the shifter range then the inner cable can be properly rested with no stretch at all.

At the front I believe it is only a problem with Shimano road mechs, which need less cable pull, my front Alivio 8 speed MTB mech is absolutely fine with 10 speed Ultrashift Ergos, I get useful trimming (about 3 clicks per chainring I think but must check that) and plenty of range across a triple chainset. I believe you may also get good results using a Shimano flat bar road front mech like an R440 etc., or on a normal road mech you can modify the cable clamp position with something to extend it further from the pivot point.

I am not sure why you would want an extra click at both ends though? Surely it is better if when on the smallest sprocket the mech is positioned by the end stop screw, with the shifter at the fully released position, so that the cable is just slightly slack. This is how I have it at the rear with 10 speed Ergo shifting 8 speed Shimano. With an extra click at that end the cable will be extra slack and prone to snagging or for outer cable being dislodged from the frame stops etc.

[foxyrider]

you could get some of these http://www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=l&ai=Cc ... -MS_SBR09A perhaps?

[niggle]

you could get some of these http://www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=l&ai=Cc ... -MS_SBR09A perhaps?

They have the same washing line gear cable issue which the OP does not want:

[MGate]

Yes foxyrider - did look at those, but trying to avoid 'washing lines' out the front. Interesting though to see another group set manufacturer come through, was thinking in the old days there were only two Campag and shimano but when I was a lot younger we had Simplex, Huret, SunTour, and I'm sure a pile of others that people will remember...

[MGate]

Well I've spent a couple of hours in the garage stripping the veloce 10 speed Ergos off my ribble an fitted them to the thorn. Using the 'hubbub' method they work just fine. There is no extra click to worry about as the derailler reaches the upper stop. So that's Veloce 10 Ergos to 9 speed Ultegra.

Now the only problem is do I buy another pair of Veloce Ergos and make the ribble back up and sell it as a nice little runner (which it is) or do I strip the parts and sell off a few bits and bobs...

Thanks for all the input from everyone - pointing me to the right resources made me realise that I had the solution in the shed.