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I've my eye on a couple of very cheap roadbikes, one 2x 8spd and one with a 9 speed compact triple.
I'm guessing Campag and Shimano use different splines or something on the hubs so the cassettes are not interchangeable? (please correct if incorrect!) so...
Can you use campag casettes with shimano shifters (assuming the same number of gears on the cassette as the shifter)?
Can you use a 9 or 10 spd cassette on an 8 speed hub? Would you need to change the chainrings converting from 8 to nine speed?
Is 8 speed so old that getting spares would be an issue (would I need to convert to 9 spd if I wore the drivetrain out?) and do road bike drivetrains wear out as quickly as on a mtb?
Sorry if these are stoopid questions, I know naaaathing!
This explains it: http://www.ctc.org.uk/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=3946
C and S cassettes aren't interchangeable
C Cas with S shifters - no (caveat - C9 shifter and C mechs with S9 cassette can work ok)
9/10 shimano on 8 speed hub - yes (with a couple of exceptions that you're unlikely to need to worry about). No need to change c/rings
8 speed spares will be around for a while yet but will prob start to get lower range/more expensive
Road drivetrains tend to last much longer than mtbs.
Clubber, I thank you!
Campag 9/10/11spd is interchangeable as far as hub spline goes - 8spd is not compatible.
You can't fit Camapag cassettes on S hubs (or vice versa) although Campag hubs can be converted to use S cassettes using a Campag/Fulcrum freehub.
Road stuff lasts ages - unless you have a habit of dragging it down the road a lot.
Campag and Shimano do use different splines. Sometimes you can interchange freehubs on things like Zipp wheels.
Also, Campag 8 speed is different to 9/10 for cassette splines. SO you couldn't put a Campag 9/10spd cassette on an 8 speed freehub. Shimano 9/10spd cassettes will fit on the same freehub as the overall width is the same.
The spacing between Shimano and Campag sprockets is different so generally you can't mix them. There is some cross-compatibility but personally I wouldn't bother.
Chainrings tend to be thinner for 10spd than 9/8spd but you usually have enough clearance to make it work.
Don't forget it's the shifters that are indexed for the number of gears - the rear mech just moves across a fixed distance between two points.
You can still source Campag 8 speed cassettes (or Miche ones) but your choice of sizes is limited. Any 8spd chain will do. KMC is fine, in fact KMC 9 or 10spd do the job on Campag and Shimano fine.
Road drivetrains tend to last 3x the miles of MTB as a ruleof thumb.
I'm guessing your 2x8 is a Campag and the 3x9 a Shimano?
I'd go for the big S every time. If you buy the Campag and then start to want little spare parts, or need to service hubs or whatever then you'll understand why 😉
If you buy the Campag and then start to want little spare parts, or need to service hubs or whatever then you'll understand why
Strange because I'd have said that was one of the benefits of Campag - that you can get spare parts if you break a small bit or need a spare whereas with Shimano it's just a bin job.
From Mercian for example: http://www.mercianblog.com/2008/07/ergo-spares.html
As a comment here.
I am running 9 speed campag shifers, with a 9 speed shimano wheel and casette.
Just had a week in the alps - works perfectly.
Investigated this as wanted one GOOD set of wheels for two bikes.
Thanks all!
I'm currently running an 8 speed road drivetrain with parts up to 15 years old - including the cassette I think. Road stuff lasts for ages if you look after it properly.
Strange because I'd have said that was one of the benefits of Campag - that you can get spare parts if you break a small bit or need a spare whereas with Shimano it's just a bin job.
Fair points but try getting a barrel adjuster for a Campag rear mech off the shelf in your LBS - you can't. You also can't randomly swap another one in from something else either.
At least you can get Shimano spares if you really want to. With Campag the importers frequently tell me that if they don't have something in stock they have NO IDEA of when it'll be available - if ever.