# Athena and Chorus left lever difference?



## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

I know on the right levers there is quite a difference between Athena (power shift) and Chorus (ultra shift) but what about the left side?

Did not get any response in my lever swap thread so trying a new message?

I'm wondering if there is any functional difference, don't really care about weight. Do they look/feel/work exactly the same? My goal is to have multiple shifting up/down but alloy levers. I think I going to try my hand at swapping the Athena alloy shift lever as well as the brake lever onto a chorus set but now I am wondering if I only need to do the right side if the lefts are essentially the same. I've never seen or used Athena in person only C/R/SR. I'm actually hoping to buy just the Chorus right shifter assembly if possible.

As a side note in looking on ebay I don't ever see any Chorus 11 speed shifter assemblies only Record and Super Record. Is that because Chorus/Record are the same (once the actual brake lever is gone) and SR differs only in the carbon look/sticker to the lever behind the brake lever? I thought I remembered something about bushings vs. bearings between Chorus and Record. Am I mistaken or is that on a different part of the group?


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

Yes there is a difference. The left internals are completely different as well as the right. Athena = escape.

The main thing you notice is that there is no fine trim with the thumb shifter on Athena. It's a 1-click trigger.

I'm using a 10-spd FD so there is a little more tolerance, and once set up it's been fine.


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## jpz (Jan 19, 2007)

I just went from 10 to 11 speed (had carbon escape Centaur levers), replaced the right lever body, left the left/front body alone, absolutely no problems


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

jpz said:


> I just went from 10 to 11 speed (had carbon escape Centaur levers), replaced the right lever body, left the left/front body alone, absolutely no problems


jpz...where did you purchase a separate right lever body for 11s?
Also jpz, did you change your rear derailleur from 10s to 11s or simply stick with a 10s rear derailleur to shift a 11s cassette in back? FWIW pull ratio is very close between 10s and 11s for Campy rear derailleurs...only slight index error throughout entire cassette range (not shifters...they vary by quite a bit in cable pull per click).

OP...believe you know your two options. As jpz stated...a standard Athena left lever should work fine. So you can just change the right lever body as jpz did to get multi shift aka Ultrashift capability + 11 speed. 

As to swapping out both Al brake levers (easy) and Al shifter paddles (harder) behind the brake levers have a look at the video below that shows complete disassembly of Campy Ultrashift. I am quite sure that the Al paddle with riveted double ring shown in the video when disassembled is compatible for all Campy Ultrashifters from Record through Veloce...in other words Campy uses the same double ring for all late model shifters. So no need to drill out the rivet and try to reinvent that union which could be tricky for prolonged reliability.

Campagnolo 2009 Ultra Shift Ergopower Overhaul - YouTube


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## headloss (Mar 3, 2013)

roadworthy said:


> jpz...where did you purchase a separate right lever body for 11s?


They're all over... a bunch of options on Amazon including a 2009 Centaur body in alloy, I wonder if it has the soft feel or not. I've seen a few other online retailers that carry them. Modern Bike has a bunch Campagnolo Shifter Parts - Modern Bike


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

Hopefully this answered OP's questions.

Your last question is answered by the fact that Chorus and Record shifters share identical internals. Ain't marketing a wonderful thing.


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## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

Thanks all, seems like I know what lies ahead. I ordered the Athena levers form Ribble on a Thursday and got them on Monday...crazy fast. After looking at videos does not look all that hard just be careful and pay attention. 

I think I give the Athena a go just to see how it works and try something different, but keep on the look for Chorus assemblies (really Record that is quite funny) or perhaps a complete set of used levers. Looking at ebay for assemblies and Ribble for levers if I were to get a full set only a 60 dollar difference. Might be worth that should I ever break a lever on my other bikes. For sure cheapest option is to get just right assembly and not worry about click vs trim on the left...but knowing how I am it would bug me to not have ultra shift all around. Probably should have held out for alloy 10s levers and left it at that.

Sure would be a lot simpler if Campy would just have two 11 speed lever sets. Super light carbon and reasonable alloy with same shifting. Having 10s Record on multiple bikes I've never understood bringing back SR. Or why not bring back SR and forget Record all together. Going backwards with Athena from US to PS seemed just silly. I get that there will always be a small percentage that will buy the "best" just because. Heck if I have 15K to drop on a new bike I'm sure I say what is the top of the line and be done, but to me Record does really seem pointless now. Chorus is obviously the sweet spot for non-weight-obsessed, SR for money is not object types and Athena if you want 11s on budget. So why even bother with Record??? I seem to be the odd man out wanting chorus/UShift AND Alloy.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

rplace13 said:


> Thanks all, seems like I know what lies ahead. I ordered the Athena levers form Ribble on a Thursday and got them on Monday...crazy fast. After looking at videos does not look all that hard just be careful and pay attention.
> 
> I think I give the Athena a go just to see how it works and try something different, but keep on the look for Chorus assemblies (really Record that is quite funny) or perhaps a complete set of used levers. Looking at ebay for assemblies and Ribble for levers if I were to get a full set only a 60 dollar difference. Might be worth that should I ever break a lever on my other bikes. For sure cheapest option is to get just right assembly and not worry about click vs trim on the left...but knowing how I am it would bug me to not have ultra shift all around. Probably should have held out for alloy 10s levers and left it at that.
> 
> Sure would be a lot simpler if Campy would just have two 11 speed lever sets. Super light carbon and reasonable alloy with same shifting. Having 10s Record on multiple bikes I've never understood bringing back SR. Or why not bring back SR and forget Record all together. Going backwards with Athena from US to PS seemed just silly. I get that there will always be a small percentage that will buy the "best" just because. Heck if I have 15K to drop on a new bike I'm sure I say what is the top of the line and be done, but to me Record does really seem pointless now. Chorus is obviously the sweet spot for non-weight-obsessed, SR for money is not object types and Athena if you want 11s on budget. So why even bother with Record??? I seem to be the odd man out wanting chorus/UShift AND Alloy.


You will never be able to second guess the marketing of Campy which is carefully crafted and no doubt the source of many internal board room debates.
But OP, it gets way more complicated in the next few months. Campy is dramatically changing its 11s offerings which btw are not backward compatible with current 11s. This should further discount current 11s but there is strong allure for new 11s because they there is improvement to ergos + shift performance. I will in fact likely pick up a new 11s groupset for 2015. Where it gets further complicated in a shrewd marketing strategy is Campy is emulating their EPS upshift side button for Athena and Veloce aka single shift escape mechanism. I am in fact leaning in the direction of carbon Athena because I am so ergo directed...I like the button more out the way as with Campy EPS and can live with the single upshift feature which can be rapid fired like every manufacturer on the market from new DA to Red 22. Decisions.


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## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

Agree that single shift is not that BIG of a deal. But once you are used to it - hard to go back. I do find myself using multiple shifts in both directions quite a bit. Probably terrain dependent and just old habits.

As for the alloy thing I'm sure it is a small segment that like retro looks on both old and new bikes. I for one and totally sick of the murdered out, all black look of so many bikes these days. So many bike look almost the same. Give me a Colnago with Art Decore any day.


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## Cycling Doc 88 (Oct 31, 2012)

bikerjulio said:


> Yes there is a difference. The left internals are completely different as well as the right. Athena = escape.
> 
> The main thing you notice is that there is no fine trim with the thumb shifter on Athena. It's a 1-click trigger.
> 
> I'm using a 10-spd FD so there is a little more tolerance, and once set up it's been fine.


I just picked up a Colnago with Campy Athena 11 speed.
The left lever now does have a fine trim intermediate shift.

A question...I also noticed the left shifter has an about 3/4" dead travel before shifting. Is this normal?
Does the 11 speed Chorus shifter have an initial dead zone or no dead zone?


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## headloss (Mar 3, 2013)

Cycling Doc 88 said:


> I just picked up a Colnago with Campy Athena 11 speed.
> The left lever now does have a fine trim intermediate shift.
> 
> A question...I also noticed the left shifter has an about 3/4" dead travel before shifting. Is this normal?
> Does the 11 speed Chorus shifter have an initial dead zone or no dead zone?


I have a 2012 Athena 11 shifter, but I'm using it with a 105 triple FD so it's hard to say how my experience would translate... for me, I have trim positions; it takes three clicks to go from granny ring to middle ring and two more clicks from middle to big (but one click drops it down per ring). As I understand it, the "triple" version of the Athena shifter maintained the shifting of the 2012 double while the 2013+ did not. If someone wants/needs trim, I'd find an Athena triple or a Chorus/Record shifter. 

Even with the 2009-2014 Chorus/Record, you only have on trim position, as I understand it.

Whatever the case, I don't consider the first click dead travel as it moves the derailleur (even if it doesn't shift).


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## cs1 (Sep 16, 2003)

bikerjulio said:


> Yes there is a difference. The left internals are completely different as well as the right. Athena = escape.
> 
> The main thing you notice is that there is no fine trim with the thumb shifter on Athena. It's a 1-click trigger.
> 
> I'm using a 10-spd FD so there is a little more tolerance, and once set up it's been fine.


I thought the left front was QS/Quick Shift. While the rear was the Escape mechanism.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

cs1 said:


> I thought the left front was QS/Quick Shift. While the rear was the Escape mechanism.


No, QS was applied to upper level shifters too. It was really just a reduction in dead travel.

Nothing to do with escape vs ultrashift.

Record QS










Xenon (escape) QS


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## headloss (Mar 3, 2013)

cs1 said:


> I thought the left front was QS/Quick Shift. While the rear was the Escape mechanism.


Record/Chorus left had the micro-ratcheting internal. The Mirage/Centaur-QS left had indexed shifting (and I don't think any trim position). 

Both front/left had QS on the shifter, but the internal designs were completely different. Also Centaur and below QS derailleurs had a longer lever arm (not sure if this is also the case for Record/Chorus). So "QS" means at least three completely different things in the 2007-08 lineup. 

QS Chorus and Record levers are highly compatible across lines due to the micro-ratcheting design while the Mirage/Centaur QS front shifter needs to be paired with the QS-specific FD or an adapter plate due to the indexing.


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