I’d like to replace my 9 speed Campag cranks and rings with Shimano 105, will this work as I believe they use different chain pitches and the cassettes can’t be swapped (then my head started aching and I decided to ask on here).

Thanks

A shimano 9 speed cassette / wheel works with a campag 9 speed gear train and it works really well, I used it for 3 years no problems despite what others say. The chainset would not be a problem either

i run a campag 10spd chainset with shimano 9speed kit. Works fine – i am not aware of any differences on chains, i thought the main difference between the brands was the amount of cable pull on the shifteres / mechs?

9 spd chain is 9spd chain innit?

9 spd chain is 9spd chain innit?

Innit. Indeed.

My 10 speed chainset works perfectly well with a 9 speed drivetrain.

But you are correct that (in theory) the cassette, shifters and mechs can’t be swapped ‘twixt Campag and Shimano. Chainsets are fairly agnostic though.

Gunz – you are right in thinking there are issues with the rear, but at the front as long as your new rings are the same width or narrower than previous they will work fine. 9spd shimano is narrower than 9spd campag, so you will be fine if thats what you choose.

The rear on 10sp can be made to work over the 8 consecutive gears in the block. There is fractions of a millimeter difference the spacing between each cog, so if needs must you can get home on a shimano wheel with a campag rear mech.

http://www.highpath.net/

under Cycle information
Derailleur gears
Rear derailleur gears + indexing

7 sp (all makes) 5.00 mm
8 sp (Campag, Sachs) 5.00 mm
8 sp (Shimano, SRAM) 4.80 mm
9 sp (Campag) 4.55 mm
9 sp (Shimano, SRAM) 4.35 mm
10 sp (Campag) 4.15 mm
10 sp (Shimano) 3.95 mm
11 sp (Campag) 3.85 mm

For 9 speed the rear mech has to move sideways 4.55mm each time to index with a Campagnolo cassette, but only 4.35mm for a Shimano cassette.
Over the full width of a 9 speed cassette this would be a difference of 8 x 0.2mm = 1.6mm.

Thanks all, gobsmacked by the depth of info available through this forum (if any of you can now convince my Wife that I need new cranks that would be much appreciated).

Another thing to remember is that the front gears and rear gears work totally independently of each other, so they don’t really care what each is doing, if that makes sense.

As long as you’re running the correct chain (easy as KMC’s are designed to work with Shimano/SRAM/Campag for any given chain in their range), then you can mix and match to your hearts content front to back, as long as (as been pointed out), you run the correct cassette for the type of rear mech and shifters you are running, because of the indexing spacing on the back.

Over the full width of a 9 speed cassette this would be a difference of 8 x 0.2mm = 1.6mm.

but if you set the cassette up on the 5th cog at 1st and 9th there is a mere .8mm discrepancy worked perfectly for me 😛

I’m the same as salad dodger, I run a shimano 9 speed cassette with a Campagnolo rear derailleur and shifter,works very well indeed.

Sorry to hijack,… but on a similar note, I run a full 8spd Campag set up on my old road bike, but the shifters are knackered and replacements hard to find. Will the Shimano equivalents work, or is the amount of cable pull per shift different? Or are there any alternatives I can try without changing the shifters, rear mech and cassette together?

Thanks

If your 8 speed shifter are duff you need to give them to me and but some new ones. I’ll get them to work. Ergos last for ever.
You will find all you need and more on the CTc forum. try searching Shimergo for a start. for the record, ?I run 8 speed Ergos with a 8 speed shimano cassette, it’s fine. Even better with a touch of wear maybe. I have also run the same but in 10 speed and couldn’t see an issue. It’s worth borrowing a wheel and trying the cassettes.
Chainsets are irrelevant. Bear in mind that Shimano fron mechs can be a fly in the ointment as MTB and road can be an issue. Also shimano STI’s are not as versatile as Campag which have more trim options.