# Campy 12-27 cassette that actually shifts well!



## capt_phun

So in my search for a Campy Cassette in 12-27 I came up with this little trick that others may find useful.

As you may be aware, Campagnolo does not make a 12-27. Its either 12-25 or 13-26, 13-29. The 12-25 is good for 75% of my riding, but here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, it's sometimes nice to have that 27 to spin tired legs up a climb after 80 miles. The 13-26 & 13-29 are not bad, but the 13 is to easy to spin out down hill or won't cut it in a sprint like the 12T will. 

I tried the Miche 12-27, and man that cassette shifts terrible. It works, but the amount of grinding & popping is substandard. Also, the 15-17 jump is harsh & not having a 16T is a downer.

So how do you get a good shifting campy 12-27? KCNC makes a cassette but it is like $250, no thanks for lightweight cassette that will wear quickly. 

So the solution, you can buy an individual Miche 24 & 27 tooth cog, 1 Miche spacer and add that to an inexpensive Campy Veloce 12-25 cassette.
You keep all the Veloce cogs for 12-21 as normal. Add the Campy spacer that would go after the 21T, then add the 24T Miche cog. After the 24T miche cog, add the blue Miche Spacer, then the 27T miche cog. You will end up with a left over Veloce 23T & 25T cog, and one Veloce Spacer. 

The shifting is fine since you are only going from Veloce 21 to Miche 24, and 24 to 27. All the Veloce cogs shift great as normal. 
A bonus is when you don't need the 27T, you simply swap out the 24 & 27 and reinstall the Veloce 23-25 for a normal 25T cassette.


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## Bocephus Jones II

(This all assumes you are running standard 53x39 chainrings) I use the 13x26 here in CO and don't have many issues spinning it out. If I get much above 35 on a descent I just tuck and coast. Really, I don't miss the 12 and it shifts like a dream. I've used the 12x25 also and I'd rather have the extra climbing gear when I need it.

//sorry...guess this doesn't really help if you are hell bent on that combo.


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## RoyIII

plus the 13-26 has an 18 cog. I have a 12-25 on a triple for unknown territory - just in case...


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## awiner

You can always use a 13-26 and replace the 13T with a 12T. I have done this and it works well.


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## C-40

*good info...*

I might have to try that, or something similar. I actually did try to make a 12-29 using cogs 12-15 from a 12-25 and the 17-29 from a 13-29, but the 15-17 shift was awful.

I just installed a 50/34 Campy Chorus UT crank on one bike, with an 11-25 Chorus cassette, but could sure use a 27 largest cog on occasion (being more of a spinner than a masher).

The biggest problem with swapping cogs is the timing issue. Most often the result is poor shifting between any two cogs that were not orginally designed to be next to one another.

Doing a lot of climbing with a standard double, I'd much rather have a 13-29 than a 13-26. The 13-26 is really a flatlander cassette, in places where the 18T might be valuable. I had an 18T on 12-21 9 speed cassettes, for a couple of years, but haven't had one since 2000, when 10 speed came out. I've rarely noticed the lack of an 18T.


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## capt_phun

Also, you can't use the 25T of the veloce in the mix because the cog is not straight but has a slight bend to its profile. Took a couple tries to figure that out. I tried spacing it, but then could not get the lockring to engage. Laid the 25T on the counter & notice, whoops it is not a straight cog cause the 25T was the final position cog. By swapping in the 24T it acts like a standard shimano 12-27 cassette & since it is only the top two cogs I have not noticed any negative shifting that would make me mad. The 15-17 jump IS a crappy shift if you make a franken-cassette.

Also, i have a 13-26 for my Cross bike, but as said before, I can spin out the 53/13 on a long downhill when our group hammers it, and sprinting in a 53/13 doesn't cut it either.


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## Tak962

deteled


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## capt_phun

Tak962 said:


> Where can I get individual Miche cogs?


If you google "miche 27T" or whatever number T you'll get about 5 sites right away. I had time to kill on a rainy saturday and found that www.bikeparts.com had the best price when shipping was calculated to the total. Their shipping was reasonable, like $3.95.


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## handsomerob

Just started using a IRD Elite 12/28 and it seems to shift fine so far.


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## jaxxon

Hey capt_phun, do you reco this set up with a compact crank for the blue ridge parkway? I'm doing the parkway next month in a 5 day tour and not sure what cassette to use, the compact crank has been seriously reco'd to me. Not sure if i should stick with my 12-25 or have the 27 'just in case'...


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## capt_phun

If you have a 25 on a compact you should be fine. I ride the blue ridge parkway (i live in SW Virginia) all the time and I get along fine on the parkway with a 39/53 crank with 12-25 cassette. Having a 34/50 crank & 12/25 would allow you to spin pretty easily up the climbs.

Where you riding at on the Parkway?


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## jaxxon

I'll be doing the whole parkway in 5 days on a supported tour, a little concerned about the hills day after day as we'll be averaging about 95 miles per day. I would love to keep the 12-25 (because I can keep my short cage derailleur) but thinking the 27 might come in handy about day 3.... Any tips on the appropriate gearing would be appreciated..


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## RoyIII

I found a campy compatible 12-27 here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/TOKEN-ULTRA-Lit...42332QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713.m153.l1262

about $200.00 - you can get a ww-style light one for $400+


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## Keeping up with Junior

*Timing*



C-40 said:


> ...The biggest problem with swapping cogs is the timing issue. Most often the result is poor shifting between any two cogs that were not orginally designed to be next to one another...


I regularly customize cassettes and never noticed a big difference when mixing the cogs with different timing ramps. Even if you do find a hesitation in shifting is it only one shift and having the correct cogs (and range) far outweighs that minor inconvenience.


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## toonraid

Of course campagnolo will be releasing a new 12-27 for their Super Record, Record & Chorus range but that will be for 11s and therefore not compatible with current 10s groupsets.


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