# Ergopower vs Escape



## toonraid (Sep 19, 2006)

What's the difference between the two mechanism in real life usage and durability?

I was under the impression that Centaur, Chorus and record all had the same mechanism but closer look suggests that Centaur has Escape, was this also the case for 06 and earlier models (which might explain it)?


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## Squidward (Dec 18, 2005)

For '07 the Centaur shifters have the Escape mechanism. Before '07 they had the same mechanism as the Chorus and Record groups, though the brake lever blades were aluminum. There are other subtle internal differences but the pre-'07 Centaur shifters are essentially Chorus shifters without the carbon blades, as far as I can tell. The Centaur may or may not have captured ballbearings in there. I'm not sure and I'm not about to take my perfectly functioning '06 Centaur levers apart to take a look.

I have never seen an Escape lever in person so I cannot answer about real life experiences with them but I have heard that they are not as durable as the normal mechanisms.


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## wankski (Jul 24, 2005)

centaur did not have the internall BB... chorus and record had this only... BB is marked on the hood - i dunno how there is so much confusion...

my recommendation. get the 07 centaur build sans shifters. Upgrade those to chorus. so worth it. mulit click feature *makes* campy. quality and rebuild options are a bonus. made in italy is pretty sweet too.


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## toonraid (Sep 19, 2006)

Squidward said:


> I have never seen an Escape lever in person so I cannot answer about real life experiences with them but I have heard that they are not as durable as the normal mechanisms.


On another recent thread I read that someone was still happy with their Veloce gruppo after 20 000 miles - not sure how long Record, Chorus last for but thats impressive for Veloce.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*info...*

The '07 Centaur and lower level shifters use the "escape" mechanism, previously only used on the lowest level Xenon shifters. The right thumb button only shifts one cog at a time, instead of having unlimited travel. That means every time you shift to the little ring, you have to hit the thumb button 2-3 times to shift to smaller cogs, instead of just one push through 2-3 cogs.

On the left side, a single push of the thumb button makes a Shimano-like ping and drops the chain from the big ring to the little ring. With Record and Chorus shifters, the thumb button is pushed all the way down, through 3-4 clicks to make this shift. A trim shift to the right, with the finger lever, works the same. 

Trimming to the left from the big ring is a bit awkward. Here's part of a previous post on the subject:

First, move the finger lever over to the right to take up the system slack. Then trip the thumb button, and finally release the tension on the finger lever. The derailleur cage moves to a position that is higher than either of the two intermediate clicks found when going from the bottom up.

I'd pay the extra cost for the Chorus shifters myself.

There have also bee reports of early failure with escape shifters. Apparently the index gear is made of a soft material that wears quickly. I imagine a fix will be in order.


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## Fr Ted Crilly (Feb 7, 2002)

toonraid said:


> On another recent thread I read that someone was still happy with their Veloce gruppo after 20 000 miles - not sure how long Record, Chorus last for but thats impressive for Veloce.


Approx. 17K miles on my 2001 Veloce ergopowers and the right shifter is now noticeably lacking in precision compared to a younger Chorus shifter. Time for a major overhaul I think.


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## Squidward (Dec 18, 2005)

Yes, but that Veloce mech is the same mech as was used on the Centaur shifters until '07. That is the same mech that was used on the Chorus and Record mechs, albeit without ball bearings.

I have a set of Campy Mirage 9-speed shifters that I bought through eBay. Taking the drive side lever apart (it was not shifting correctly when I got it) I see that it is pretty much the same as on my '06 Centaur and '07 Chorus mechs. None of my shifters have the Escape mech on them.


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## odeum (May 9, 2005)

*rambling as usual...*

fwiw, i never need to trim the fd with campy record '06 the way it is adjusted, never even use the outward most position.
i do not realy care for the "ping" style shimano method of fd to small ring shifting. but the qs has a lot shorter big ring travel than the looong travel of the previous...
funny thing, i read some pros like the escape mech, and have had it built into their record ergos. i might even consider it if it lasts longer than what we have now, even if it is one click per cog. 





C-40 said:


> Trimming to the left from the big ring is a bit awkward. Here's part of a previous post on the subject:
> 
> First,


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*pros with escape...*

You can't modify a Record shifter to use the escape mechanism. The pros have a Record brake lever swapped to a Centaur shifter.

If a Campy ergo lever is set up correctly, the "outward most" (furthest right) cage position should be what you get when you shift to the big ring with a full sweep of the finger lever. From there, trimming should only be required with some of the larger cogs and it would be the awkward left trim.


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## odeum (May 9, 2005)

C-40 said:


> You can't modify a Record shifter to use the escape mechanism. The pros have a Record brake lever swapped to a Centaur shifter.(QUOTE)
> ______________________________________________________--
> 
> 
> ...


_______________________________________________________________-----
i have no experience with needing this awkward trim you mention, perhaps needed due to cable tension slack adjust not being optimal?

as for the trim not being needed, here is what i found, on the shift to the big ring the outward click is not needed, that is, most of the time. this i know is the conclusion of a few other riders and mechanics also...

if i am in big ring/small cog and need to sprint fininshing bunch style, max output and loose style,
it scrapes momentarily a tiny bit, but nothing grinds enough to warrant the outward position...as for the big ring/big cog combo, i use this in the bunch also sometimes, and the same scenario, could trim to eliminate momentary slight scraping if stomping, otherwise no big need.
this has to be attributed perhaps to the bike frame and cranks/bb relative stiffness i know but this is my experience.


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## wankski (Jul 24, 2005)

i find it weird some1 would prefer the escape.... maybe they were brought up on shimano and couldn;t deal w/ that big a change all at once??


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

I guess everyone shifts a bit different, but when I shift to the big ring, I push the finger lever all the way to the left, so the FD rests on the limit screw. From there, no trim to the right can be made. With the standard ergo lever, if you need to trim the FD cage to the left, all you do is hit the thumb button, one click. With an escape lever, if you hit the thumb button, all it does is shift back to the little ring. An escape owner described the left trim maneuver like this:

First, move the finger lever over to the right to take up the system slack. Then trip the thumb button, and finally release the tension on the finger lever. The derailleur cage moves to a position that is higher than either of the two intermediate clicks found when going from the bottom up.


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## odeum (May 9, 2005)

that does sound weird, first detailed explanation i have had of the qs/escape fd mech trim.

i wonder if all the qs fd ergos are like this...the same for chorus and record?

i understand what you are saying about the standard ergo (pre-qs) fd shift and trim. with my bike, it may be the seat tube region is oversize and positions the fd outboard more than some, so i never need to hit the limit screw. 




C-40 said:


> I guess everyone shifts a bit different, but when I shift to the big ring, I push the finger lever all the way to the left, so the FD rests on the limit screw. From there, no trim to the right can be made. With the standard ergo lever, if you need to trim the FD cage to the left, all you do is hit the thumb button, one click. With an escape lever, if you hit the thumb button, all it does is shift back to the little ring. An escape owner described the left trim maneuver like this:
> 
> First, move the finger lever over to the right to take up the system slack. Then trip the thumb button, and finally release the tension on the finger lever. The derailleur cage moves to a position that is higher than either of the two intermediate clicks found when going from the bottom up.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*escape not QS*

If you never use the right (big ring) limit screw you don't have the FD adjusted correctly. The purpose is to allow the finger lever to be swung to the limit of it travel without throwing the chain off to the left and set the cage in correct position so there is no rube in the big ring and largest cog.

QS is not what causes the odd left trim maneuver. That's how the escape mechanism works. Read previous postings in this thread.

The QS feature is used on all '07 and newer left side ergo levers. What this does is engage the shift cable sooner, reducing some of the "dead" travel in the finger lever. QS FDs have a longer lever arm, which reduces the force required to move the finger lever, but also requires an extra click to cover the full range of travel. Triple FDs are not QS.


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