# Campy constrained but want flat bars



## BikePharmer (Oct 16, 2006)

I am wanting to convert my old road bike to a flat bar commuter, but the groupo is Campagnolo 9-speed (Mirage/Xenon) and I am not sure what my options might be. Obviously, *converting this on the cheap is the goal*. Ideally I would like SRAM twist shifters--would the Shimano compatible ones work with my Campy derailleurs? My next problem is brakes. I have some old v-brake levers in my parts bin, but somewhere I remember that these don't work with road-style caliper brakes.

Help anyone? I have searched the internet and this site all morning and came up empty. Seems everyone wants to use Campy shifters with Shimano derailleurs, but not the other way around. If only Campy imported their flat bar stuff!

Thanks for any tips


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## rogueldr (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm not sure about the shifters but as for brake levers all you need are "short pull" levers. any bmx type of lever will work as most are short pull.


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## StageHand (Dec 27, 2002)

It's not going to happen cheaply. Sell the bike whole, set the cash towards a nice flat bar bike you want, the difference will either be zero, or less than the cash you'd pay for the proposed project.

If you happen to have a bunch of old Shimano/Shimano compatible parts, you may be able to do it cheaper, but since you didn't mention any, I'm assuming that you don't have much.

The best flat bar levers I've seen for road brakes are the Paul's levers. The best value are the Shimano R-550 levers.


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## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

I have a jtek shiftmate for Shimano shifters and Campy drivetrain if you want it. I ordered the wrong one and never used it.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

didn't jtek go out of biz? or was it some other conversion thing maker? 
and don't linear pull/v-brakes need longer travel levers, not shorter?

campy did make flatbar ergo shifters, but for 10, not cheap, hard to find, and the brake pull is for road calipers (short pull or cantis). so, maybe you can go w/ a mtn v brake lever then use an old shimano shifter in friction mode... or dt shifter in friction mode on a paul thumbie, or silver/diacompe levers if they fit in the thumbie.


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## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

FatTireFred said:


> didn't jtek go out of biz? or was it some other conversion thing maker?
> and don't linear pull/v-brakes need longer travel levers, not shorter?
> 
> campy did make flatbar ergo shifters, but for 10, not cheap, hard to find, and the brake pull is for road calipers (short pull or cantis). so, maybe you can go w/ a mtn v brake lever then use an old shimano shifter in friction mode... or dt shifter in friction mode on a paul thumbie, or silver/diacompe levers if they fit in the thumbie.


Yeah, jtek is no more, as I understand.


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## hepcatbent (Aug 19, 2009)

And it's been my experience that Campy and "on the cheap" are mutually exclusive terms...


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## BikePharmer (Oct 16, 2006)

StageHand said:


> It's not going to happen cheaply. Sell the bike whole, set the cash towards a nice flat bar bike you want, the difference will either be zero, or less than the cash you'd pay for the proposed project.
> 
> If you happen to have a bunch of old Shimano/Shimano compatible parts, you may be able to do it cheaper, but since you didn't mention any, I'm assuming that you don't have much.
> 
> The best flat bar levers I've seen for road brakes are the Paul's levers. The best value are the Shimano R-550 levers.


I do have plenty of Shimano mtb parts lying around (derailleurs, cranks, shifters), so I could go that route. *Can Shimano derailleurs be made to work with Campy cassettes?
*
I have to agree with the poster who noted that Campy and "on the cheap" are mutually exclusive.:mad2:


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## wankski (Jul 24, 2005)

word. flat bar veloce is mad expensive, as in at the same place it was only $20 cheaper than my chorus 11 levers. f that.

yes, i would sell off all the campy stuff, the other thing is getting 9 sp campy cassettes for reasonable money is not always easy and ratios limited.

sell the wheels if you can't swap the hub body or hub itself and all the other campy stuff.


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## Eben (Feb 6, 2005)

Not really cheap, but you could put together some nine speed thumb shifters. Campy 10 speed bar end shifters look to be going for around $100 on ebay. Grab a new index gear and some Paul mounts to turn them into 9 speed thumb shifters. I have the 9 speed Shimano version of the Paul mount and it works great.

http://www.paulcomp.com/mtthumbie.html
http://www.ebikestop.com/campagnolo_9_speed_bar_end_shifter_index_gear-LD9310.php

Here are some cheap brake levers. 
http://yhst-84224226242177.stores.yahoo.net/teflle.html


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## StageHand (Dec 27, 2002)

BikePharmer said:


> I do have plenty of Shimano mtb parts lying around (derailleurs, cranks, shifters), so I could go that route. *Can Shimano derailleurs be made to work with Campy cassettes?
> *
> I have to agree with the poster who noted that Campy and "on the cheap" are mutually exclusive.:mad2:


Only if your shifters have a non-indexed mode (Thumb shifters, bar-end shifters and down-tube shifters). If your shifters don't have a non-indexed mode, then you'll have to get a new chain and cassette, which can be done for under $50, so that with new levers and some shifter cables (you get brake cables with the levers if you go the Shimano route) should be around $100. (Best guess for modestly priced components, there are many ways to make this more expensive)


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## Henry Chinaski (Feb 3, 2004)

Eben said:


> Not really cheap, but you could put together some nine speed thumb shifters. Campy 10 speed bar end shifters look to be going for around $100 on ebay. Grab a new index gear and some Paul mounts to turn them into 9 speed thumb shifters. I have the 9 speed Shimano version of the Paul mount and it works great.
> 
> https://www.paulcomp.com/mtthumbie.html
> https://www.ebikestop.com/campagnolo_9_speed_bar_end_shifter_index_gear-LD9310.php
> ...


Yep, Pauls thumbies rock. That's what I use on my flat bar commuter.


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## mitmoned (Apr 7, 2008)

*Plain answers*

1. Cheapest but still a hassle - get the Paul Thumbies and run them on Friction - no Indexing. Then buy some cheapo short pull levers.

2. Most expensive, a big hassle, but if your frame's worth it... - Swap nearly all the parts from Campy as all the conversion stuff will make you go bonkers. Bike parts are meant to work together as a set. Mix and matching works, but tends to be finicky at the worst times.

3. Simplest solution and possibly cheap depending on what the old bike is like - Sell the old bike as is and buy a flat bar roadie. About every major brand has some sort of slick tired, flat bar, "urban" bike that will fit what you are trying to achieve. If your old bike is in good condition and you can get a few hundred dollars out of it, that should cover the cost of one of these types of urban bikes


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