campagnolo compatibility old and new

[rickmm]

Hi
Does anyone know if I can use 2016 mechs with pre 2015 shifters (campagnolo chorus 11 speed), my shifters are in great condition but I could use some new mechs.
many thanks
Rick

[em3]

New frt mech will work with older shifters.... not as intended, but it will work. Have not tried new rear mech with old shifters but all reports I have read indicate no-go.

[graeme_f_k]

2014 and previous Ultrashift levers with 2015 mechs:

FD - tends to throw chain off to the inside - the 2 click" bar on the LH shifter is designed to stop this. The 2015 mech is more prone to doing this as the derailleur cage and the gate through which the chain passes is narrower than it's predecessor, so that with the correct shifter it controls the chain better on downshift, whilst contributing to a sharper upshift.

RD - cable pull ratio is different - the shift 1-> can be dialled in, 2->3 is "OK", 3->4 is barely acceptable, 4->5 very poor, mech skips a sprocket in the middle of the cassette, then 6->7 back to barely acceptable and so on. So don't do it. Pointless.

2014 and previous mechs are freely available from the factory and any ProShop or come to that, any other retailer can order through the normal supply channels. From a retailer perspective, there are some sales guys at the distributors who haven't read the memo and think that the 2014 mechs are discontinued in production but this is not the case - they *do* now have to be ordered as a "spare part", not as a "stock item" in Campagnolo's ordering system, that is all.

[rickmm]

2014 and previous Ultrashift levers with 2015 mechs:

FD - tends to throw chain off to the inside - the 2 click" bar on the LH shifter is designed to stop this. The 2015 mech is more prone to doing this as the derailleur cage and the gate through which the chain passes is narrower than it's predecessor, so that with the correct shifter it controls the chain better on downshift, whilst contributing to a sharper upshift.

RD - cable pull ratio is different - the shift 1-> can be dialled in, 2->3 is "OK", 3->4 is barely acceptable, 4->5 very poor, mech skips a sprocket in the middle of the cassette, then 6->7 back to barely acceptable and so on. So don't do it. Pointless.

2014 and previous mechs are freely available from the factory and any ProShop or come to that, any other retailer can order through the normal supply channels. From a retailer perspective, there are some sales guys at the distributors who haven't read the memo and think that the 2014 mechs are discontinued in production but this is not the case - they *do* now have to be ordered as a "spare part", not as a "stock item" in Campagnolo's ordering system, that is all.

Many thanks, I think this answers my question, time to source some pre 2015 mechs

[AJS914]

You can find lots on eBay as well.

[BRM]

Only everything with Campagnolo on eBay has absurd prices.
And warranty and responsibility of sellers on eBay is very limited.

(I buy many goods on ebay but for somethings I prefer a normal shop)

[AJS914]

I've found lots of good ebay deals with careful shopping. Lots of BIN stuff though is way over priced. I buy lots of new stuff too because it's often hard to beat Ribble.

[graeme_f_k]

Only everything with Campagnolo on eBay has absurd prices.
And warranty and responsibility of sellers on eBay is very limited.

(I buy many goods on ebay but for somethings I prefer a normal shop)

Campagnolo have an absolute moratorium on allowing warranty on any item supported by an EBay proof of purchase.

Why not just go to a retailer - use the facility they offer in terms of advice and the possibility of hassle-free warranty where any problem (however unlikely) can be handled through the correct channels? Cost of ownership and cost of maintenance are things that you take on board when you buy componentry at this level - trying to cut corners after the fact nearly always costs you more in the long run ...