# Campagnolo Gearing Question...



## flatlander_48 (Nov 16, 2005)

I'm seriously thinking about upgrading to 11sp (probably Chorus or Record) in preparation for eventually going to EPS. Right now I am running a 53-42-30 with 12-25 out back. 11sp does not have a triple (and yes, I started with a double so the triple was a conscious move), so it appears that I will be forced to go to a compact. I say "forced" as I don't want to give up that last little bit at the top end, but that's life.

The lowest that you can go in Campagnolo is a 12-27 out back. I gather that Miche, and perhaps others, offer a 29 as their largest in an 11sp cassette. So, the question is what are the practical limits for the 11sp rear derailleur as they don't have different cage lengths available? Is 29 as far as you can go? If not, who makes the cassettes?


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## eekase (Nov 10, 2009)

*11 speed RD was a wide range*

Campy's 11 speed rear derailleurs can handle cassettes from 11 tooth cogs to 29 tooth.

The official Campagnolo web site - Bicycle Parts and Components Cycling - NEW 11-SPEED 12-29 CASSETTE: LOTS OF COMBINATIONS WITH A SINGLE REAR DERAILLEUR


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## flatlander_48 (Nov 16, 2005)

eekase said:


> Campy's 11 speed rear derailleurs can handle cassettes from 11 tooth cogs to 29 tooth.
> 
> The official Campagnolo web site - Bicycle Parts and Components Cycling - NEW 11-SPEED 12-29 CASSETTE: LOTS OF COMBINATIONS WITH A SINGLE REAR DERAILLEUR


Funny, I had been on the factory web site previously and I looked specifically at the cassettes for Record, Chorus and Athena. All those came up as 12-27 max. I never looked at Super Record until your message. It seems that the 12-29 cassette is only available as a Super Record. That size doesn't seem to show up anywhere else. I thought it might be in a section where they used to put the hardware that wasn't part of a particular group, but evidently they have done away with that.

Thanks!


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

Go window shopping on those british web shops and you shall find 12-29 also as Record and Chorus.


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## flatlander_48 (Nov 16, 2005)

Great minds think alike! I just came from doing that and then I found your message. I was on ProBikeKit.com and they do have them down to Chorus. It is curious that they are not listed on the Campagnolo site. Going from memory, they list only 11-23, 11-25, 12-25 and 12-27.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

The weirdest to me is that they don' list the Record 12-29. If my memory serves me correctly the difference between 12-27 and 12-29 is the largest three cog cluster, 19 and up should be exactly the same. So when Chorus 12-27 is available Record 13-29 should be easy. Maybe they are responding to demand. 
Oh well. Good you found the Chorus. Compensate by underfilling your bidons.


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## Cyclin Dan (Sep 24, 2011)

I used to ride 50/34 up front with 11/28 in back. Now that I run Campagnolo I have a 53/39 up front with 12/29 and love it. 

I should add you're the first person I've ever heard that had gone from a double to triple. I don't know anyone who had ridden a double and prefers a triple. I think they're sloppy and a PITA. 

To each their own. You'll the Campagnolo. Good luck in your decision.


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## campagnoloneutron (Sep 15, 2005)

The various 11 speed cassette sizes that are available from Campagnolo are the same in Super Record/Record/Chorus versions. 

Just a matter of seeking out the specific version that you may want from a source. 

For the actual combinations that exist see the attached.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*well...*



Cyclin Dan said:


> I used to ride 50/34 up front with 11/28 in back. Now that I run Campagnolo I have a 53/39 up front with 12/29 and love it.
> 
> I should add you're the first person I've ever heard that had gone from a double to triple. I don't know anyone who had ridden a double and prefers a triple. I think they're sloppy and a PITA.
> 
> To each their own. You'll the Campagnolo. Good luck in your decision.


A properly setup Campy triple shifts no differently than a double. They're not sloppy and not harder to adjust than a double. When I moved to the Denver area and started riding a 10-mile mountain climb on nearly every 50 mile ride, plus challenges like the 28 mile climb from Idaho Springs to the top of Mt. Evans, I found a 53/39/28 triple with a 12-25 to work perfectly. Once you're on a big climb, the only reason to shift back to the 39 is when pedaling standing.

More recently, I switched to a 50/34 with an 11-25 (11 speed). If I was doing a really tough climb, I'd opt for a 12-29 and sacrifice speed on the descent.


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## willieboy (Nov 27, 2010)

I run Campy SR 11 12-29 and a compact crank. This was my alternative to going with a triple front crank. I'm not the best climber but it works well up to the 12/13% grade range and then I struggle. Super smooth and quiet. Wouldn't change a thing at this point  good luck with your choice and keep rolling!


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## flatlander_48 (Nov 16, 2005)

Cyclin Dan said:


> I used to ride 50/34 up front with 11/28 in back. Now that I run Campagnolo I have a 53/39 up front with 12/29 and love it.
> 
> I should add you're the first person I've ever heard that had gone from a double to triple. I don't know anyone who had ridden a double and prefers a triple. I think they're sloppy and a PITA.
> 
> To each their own. You'll the Campagnolo. Good luck in your decision.


What I was trying to accomplish was to be able to keep the top speed up, but also not to let my cadence get so slow on short steep climbs that I would almost fall over. the 53-39-30 and 12-25 seemed like a good way to do that. However, I'll be going back home soon and you can find hills in my area back home that are not straight up...

Actually, I don't think it functions that much different. I ran the double for close to 2 years before I switched and I didn't think it was a step backwards when I changed. The progression was 9sp double 105 for a year and a half on a Giant, 10sp Centaur double for 2 years and then 10sp Centaur/Chorus triple mix for about 4 years (both on the BreakAway).


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## Cyclin Dan (Sep 24, 2011)

C-40 said:


> A properly setup Campy triple shifts no differently than a double. They're not sloppy and not harder to adjust than a double. When I moved to the Denver area and started riding a 10-mile mountain climb on nearly every 50 mile ride, plus challenges like the 28 mile climb from Idaho Springs to the top of Mt. Evans, I found a 53/39/28 triple with a 12-25 to work perfectly. Once you're on a big climb, the only reason to shift back to the 39 is when pedaling standing.
> 
> More recently, I switched to a 50/34 with an 11-25 (11 speed). If I was doing a really tough climb, I'd opt for a 12-29 and sacrifice speed on the descent.


I've never ridden a Campagnolo triple, so I can't speak to that specifically. I hear you O'three mountains. I'm in SLC and it's rare for any of my rides (even short 20 milers) to include less than 2,000 feet of climbing. I do lots if hilly rides...LOTOJA and Tour of Park City are a couple if the more well known ones I do every year. 

I'm a big guy (240 lbs) and believe me...I understand what gearing does to climbing.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

The Campagnolo Triple indeed shifts very well when it is properly adjusted.

I have a 10sp one on my Commuter, and one 9sp came on the Colnago Dream I recently bought.

When I setup the Comp Triple 10sp the first time, the chain was a bit short ( I was reusing a shimano one until I got the Campa chain tool ) and the shifting was horrible.

When I setup the right chain lenght and the front derailer at the right height it worked flawlesly.

I can see why some people say Campa is finickier to setup, in fact you can ride fine with a not-so-right adjusted shimano, but a bad adjusted Campa won't work well. I guessnow I know why the sloppy mechanics have problems with Campa.

The thing I don't like with the current Campa triples is they come only in 170 and 175, why don't they produce a 172.5 ?


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## ejprez (Nov 9, 2006)

Can anyone tell me how well Campy 11 shifts if I mix and match my cassettes, I currently have 11-23, 11-25 and 12-25. Looking at the chart it looks like I could take the 12-27 or 12-29, remove the 16 tooth and add my 11 for a wide range cassette that I could use for a mostly long up and down race. Like Battenkill, where I used a 26 cog, but it wasn't enough, 27 might help a tad, but a 29 sounds great for the over 12-18 percent grades. I looked into just getting the last 6 cogs and just using the 11-15 I already have with my current cassettes. If I was still on sram I would just get an 11-28, but I campy doesn't make a cassette like that, and I like having the 11 for downhills and so on. If not I'm just getting a MIche and do whatever.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

First ask yourself if you really need the 11 for the downhills*. Maybe it's possible to work on your spin? 
You don't state if you have a standard or a compact. 
Shifting 15 to 17 will most probably not be smooth.

*Battenkill seems like a fun race, btw.


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## ejprez (Nov 9, 2006)

I use a 53/39, but thought for the odd epic road race I would use a 27 or 29. I could buy just the cassette pieces, and stick to a 23 for the rest of my racing. I do more crits than road races.


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