# SRAM or Shimano cassettes compatible with Campy drivetrains?



## ping771

Okay, I know that many people ask about it, but they all seem to say it will work. I want to know if it works well, meaning without misshifts or much adjustment. 

I plan on building a budget racing bike (good for steep hills), and want to use all Campagnolo Veloce or Centaur components, and either an Campy compact or FSA compact crankset. However I don't like the Campy cassette options since 12-26 is not enough gear for me. Shimano has a 12-27 combo, and SRAM offers 11-28 and 11-26. 

1) Can I use a Shimano or SRAM cassette (with Shimano or SRAM chain respectively) with all Campagnolo drivetrain components (front and rear derailleurs, shifters)?

2) If not, can it be done well with buying a Shimano or SRAM rear derailleur and chain?

3) Can anyone answer if the following ideal set up will work: FSA compact crank, Veloce front and rear derailleur, shifters, brake calipers, SRAM 11-28 cassette, SRAM PC-1070 chain?

4) Will a compact FSA crank work WELL with a pre-2008 standard Campy front derailleur, or must I get a pre-2008 Campy CT front derailleur (I know that in 2008 Campagnolo wised up and made one kind of front derailleur which worked with both standard and compact cranksets)?


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## orange_julius

Welcome to the wonderful world of Campy.



ping771 said:


> 1) Can I use a Shimano or SRAM cassette (with Shimano or SRAM chain respectively) with all Campagnolo drivetrain components (front and rear derailleurs, shifters)?


Yes, but the shifting will not be great. The cog spacing is different just enough that the end-to-end range does not match well. For some people this is OK, but if you're really picky about shifting smoothness then this may not work out well for you. 



> 2) If not, can it be done well with buying a Shimano or SRAM rear derailleur and chain?


That's probably a bad idea since the shifting indexing is done at the levers, not at the derailleur. Look for posts by C-40 on this. 

But I do use Shimano 10 sp chains and they are fine. 



> 3) Can anyone answer if the following ideal set up will work: FSA compact crank, Veloce front and rear derailleur, shifters, brake calipers, SRAM 11-28 cassette, SRAM PC-1070 chain?


I have a bike setup with Campag levers, deraileurs, cables, cassette, plus Shimano 10-sp chain and FSA 50/36 cranks and it works well. For the cassette, search for posts by C-40 on this. 



> 4) Will a compact FSA crank work WELL with a pre-2008 standard Campy front derailleur, or must I get a pre-2008 Campy CT front derailleur (I know that in 2008 Campagnolo wised up and made one kind of front derailleur which worked with both standard and compact cranksets)?


Yes, I use a non-CT front derailleur on said bike and I'm quite happy with the shifting. I also have a cross bike with 50/34 FSA crankset and again non-CT front derailleur and it also works fine.


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## ping771

Thanks. But I don't understand (with regard to your setup) why you need a Shimano chain. I thought FSA cranks work well with Campy chains. And for that matter, I thought that Shimano chains don't work well with Campy cassettes b/c of spacing issues.


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## Guest

There is so much BS around all of this.

I have 9 bikes with CAmpy.


I have one bike with SRAM.

I regularly swap wheels between the bikes and there is NO difference in shifting performance. None.

To be fair, if I am using a Shimano hubbed wheel I usually use an American Classic cassette.

This fits Shimano hubs and is spaced for Campy shifting.

It works fine and there is no problem with shifting.

On the bike with SRAM components I usually just throw a Campag wheel in it and go, I don't even adjust things after the wheel change.

It works, the shifting is perfectly fine.

There are many people who will tell you this cannot work, or will show you the math as to why it can't work.

I am telling you based on doing it, it works just fine.

BTW - I only use Wipperman chains. Whether Campag or SRAM, I use Wipperman chains.


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## Argentius

The cassette spacing is what matter.

The american classic cassette fixes that.

I had a Campy bike and a SRAM bike, swapping wheels did shift the bike, but it was noisier in most gears and the shifting was slower.

Sram and Shimano seem to work fine, and actually the Shimano 10 cassettes run quieter than the "open-glide" SRAM ones.

Maybe it's your chain, every wippeman I've seen makes a giant racket.




toomanybikes said:


> There is so much BS around all of this.
> 
> I have 9 bikes with CAmpy.
> 
> 
> I have one bike with SRAM.
> 
> I regularly swap wheels between the bikes and there is NO difference in shifting performance. None.
> 
> To be fair, if I am using a Shimano hubbed wheel I usually use an American Classic cassette.
> 
> This fits Shimano hubs and is spaced for Campy shifting.
> 
> It works fine and there is no problem with shifting.
> 
> On the bike with SRAM components I usually just throw a Campag wheel in it and go, I don't even adjust things after the wheel change.
> 
> It works, the shifting is perfectly fine.
> 
> There are many people who will tell you this cannot work, or will show you the math as to why it can't work.
> 
> I am telling you based on doing it, it works just fine.
> 
> BTW - I only use Wipperman chains. Whether Campag or SRAM, I use Wipperman chains.


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## Guest

Argentius said:


> The cassette spacing is what matter.
> 
> The american classic cassette fixes that.
> 
> I had a Campy bike and a SRAM bike, swapping wheels did shift the bike, but it was noisier in most gears and the shifting was slower.
> 
> Sram and Shimano seem to work fine, and actually the Shimano 10 cassettes run quieter than the "open-glide" SRAM ones.
> 
> Maybe it's your chain, every wippeman I've seen makes a giant racket.


Quiet as a mouse, all of them.

I have trouble making people understand this - I can put a Campag wheel with a CAmpag cassette into a SRAM setup - and it works perfectly.


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## Argentius

*I suppose*



toomanybikes said:


> Quiet as a mouse, all of them.
> 
> I have trouble making people understand this - I can put a Campag wheel with a CAmpag cassette into a SRAM setup - and it works perfectly.


Whacky. 10SO or SX?

That does seem like an (!) thing. I just remember when I used to run Campy, a Shimano wheelchange didn't work as well.

Maybe it's this Canadian "Campag" stuff that helps!


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## Guest

Argentius said:


> Whacky. 10SO or SX?
> 
> That does seem like an (!) thing. I just remember when I used to run Campy, a Shimano wheelchange didn't work as well.
> 
> Maybe it's this Canadian "Campag" stuff that helps!


I buy the 10SO's 

Buy them in bulk and just put them in the cabinet.


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## orange_julius

ping771 said:


> Thanks. But I don't understand (with regard to your setup) why you need a Shimano chain. I thought FSA cranks work well with Campy chains. And for that matter, I thought that Shimano chains don't work well with Campy cassettes b/c of spacing issues.


It's not a matter of "need" it's a matter of "cheaper".


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## Squidward

Read this page to understand what is happening between Shimano and Campy shifters, derailleurs, and cog spacing.

Pay particular attention to the information about running Shimano derailleurs and cogs with Campy shifters ("Shimergo"). Alternatively, you can do what I did and run a new set of shifters with an older, pre-2001 rear derailleur, which just happens to shift across a Shimano cassette just about perfectly. Of course, if you don't want to buy an older, used rear derailleur this will not work for you.


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## ping771

toomanybikes said:


> There is so much BS around all of this.
> 
> I have 9 bikes with CAmpy.
> 
> 
> I have one bike with SRAM.
> 
> I regularly swap wheels between the bikes and there is NO difference in shifting performance. None.
> 
> To be fair, if I am using a Shimano hubbed wheel I usually use an American Classic cassette.
> 
> This fits Shimano hubs and is spaced for Campy shifting.
> 
> It works fine and there is no problem with shifting.
> 
> On the bike with SRAM components I usually just throw a Campag wheel in it and go, I don't even adjust things after the wheel change.
> 
> It works, the shifting is perfectly fine.
> 
> There are many people who will tell you this cannot work, or will show you the math as to why it can't work.
> 
> I am telling you based on doing it, it works just fine.
> 
> BTW - I only use Wipperman chains. Whether Campag or SRAM, I use Wipperman chains.


Okay, but can I run an a Campy front, rear derailleur, either an FSA or Campy crank, and SRAM cassette with a Wipperman chain?


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## ping771

orange_julius said:


> Welcome to the wonderful world of Campy.
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, but the shifting will not be great. The cog spacing is different just enough that the end-to-end range does not match well. For some people this is OK, but if you're really picky about shifting smoothness then this may not work out well for you.
> 
> 
> 
> That's probably a bad idea since the shifting indexing is done at the levers, not at the derailleur. Look for posts by C-40 on this.
> 
> But I do use Shimano 10 sp chains and they are fine.
> 
> 
> 
> I have a bike setup with Campag levers, deraileurs, cables, cassette, plus Shimano 10-sp chain and FSA 50/36 cranks and it works well. For the cassette, search for posts by C-40 on this.
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, I use a non-CT front derailleur on said bike and I'm quite happy with the shifting. I also have a cross bike with 50/34 FSA crankset and again non-CT front derailleur and it also works fine.


Your statement "I have a bike setup with Campag levers, deraileurs, cables, cassette, plus Shimano 10-sp chain and FSA 50/36 cranks and it works well. For the cassette, search for posts by C-40 on this." is the closest to what I was looking for since I already have a Shimano 10 speed chain and an FSA crankset.The only thing that concerns me is that in that setup I would prefer to run at least a 27tooth on the cassette, and I hear that Campy short cage derailleurs have a max of 26 teeth. If I run a medium cage derailleur, then I will have to use a 13t minimum, which I don't want. Ideally I want to run a 12-27 or a 11-28 on a campy short cage rear derailleur, which does not seem workable.


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## orange_julius

ping771 said:


> Your statement "I have a bike setup with Campag levers, deraileurs, cables, cassette, plus Shimano 10-sp chain and FSA 50/36 cranks and it works well. For the cassette, search for posts by C-40 on this." is the closest to what I was looking for since I already have a Shimano 10 speed chain and an FSA crankset.The only thing that concerns me is that in that setup I would prefer to run at least a 27tooth on the cassette, and I hear that Campy short cage derailleurs have a max of 26 teeth. If I run a medium cage derailleur, then I will have to use a 13t minimum, which I don't want. Ideally I want to run a 12-27 or a 11-28 on a campy short cage rear derailleur, which does not seem workable.


Many people on this forum have run a short-cage derailleur with a 27t cassette with no problems. The key is to cut the chain to the correct length. But check real quick whether your frame's derailleur hanger is not too short to allow this. Those are the only two critical factors I can think of right now. 

Good luck on your religious conversion ....


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## ping771

ha ha thanks orange julius.


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## roseyscot

orange_julius said:


> Many people on this forum have run a short-cage derailleur with a 27t cassette with no problems. The key is to cut the chain to the correct length. But check real quick whether your frame's derailleur hanger is not too short to allow this. Those are the only two critical factors I can think of right now.
> 
> Good luck on your religious conversion ....


i rode a 50-34 fsa crank with a campy-compatible miche 12-28 and campy chain in back last summer during a long tour. i used a short cage centaur alloy derailleur. it was nowhere near as nice as the pure campy drivetrain i have now but it didn't give me any problems and shifted adequately with minimal adjustment along the way.

last week i put a shimano 10 speed cassette in my campy race bike and with proper adjustment it worked well (not as well as my campy cassette, but no problems). if you are mechanically inclined, you can get away with these kinds of mix and match situations. if you are picky about the performance (probably not if you are buying fsa and/or veloce), i'd stick with a pure campy or pure shimano/sram build.


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