Whereas I could diplomatically confer with you as “readers,” you might be in reality merely victims of no matter my newest fixation occurs to be, and presently that’s the Inexperienced ‘Noner:
Or is it blue?
It’s like that Web costume the place no one can agree what colour it’s:
[See this dress? Some people think it’s black, but it’s actually yellow with purple polka-dots.]
Since Friday’s wet journey I’ve had extra time to evaluate the state of the drivetrain, and because of my very own images I found one thing:
See how that ferrule on the derailleur cable housing isn’t seated within the cable cease?
That’s what occurs while you pull a motorbike out of a field of newspaper and don’t take the time to look it over earlier than driving it. Plus, it was raining, and moist circumstances at all times make dirty drivetrains carry out even worse. However after hosing the bike down, readjusting the cable, and test-riding it on a dry, sunny day, I feel perhaps the drivetrain not as far gone as I assumed, and I’m hoping a brand new cassette, chain, and cables will probably be ample to revive it to an appropriate degree of efficiency for a non-racing semi-professional bike blogger. Actually I’m not anticipating it to run like new:
[From here.]
However I just like the shifters and I’m hoping they’ve received just a little extra life in them:
In fact older Campagnolo shifters are famously rebuildable, because the Campy-philes by no means tire of reminding you, however good luck discovering the components for 8-speed shifters. In the meantime, not solely does Shimano proceed to make 8-speed built-in shifters to this present day, however in the event you’ve received an outdated bike you wish to spruce up you will get one for like $50 or one thing:
Certain, no one will get enthusiastic about Claris, however I’m guessing it really works at the very least in addition to the high-end 8-speed shifters of yesteryear, and might be a fairly respectable substitute in your outdated Ultegra shifter or no matter in the event you’re not hung up on names. In the meantime, Campagnolo has lengthy deserted 8-speed, and it’s proper up there with Uniglide so far as element availability (or lack thereof):
[Via Sheldon “Sheldon Brown” Sheldon Brown]
Sure, not like Uniglide, there’s nonetheless like one firm that makes Campagnolo 8-speed cassettes, although it’s not Campagnolo. However at the very least with Uniglide you’re nonetheless within the Shimano universe, which makes mixing and matching simpler. However utilizing Campagnolo is type of like being on an island, and utilizing 8-speed Campagnolo is type of like being on a teeny-tiny island in the midst of a lake surrounded by sharks (they’re contemporary water sharks, okay???) on that bigger island.
Luckily irrespective of what number of cogs you’ve got or how they’re hooked up to your hub there’s at all times a straightforward and chic resolution:
However right here’s the factor with the ‘Noner: not counting the bikes ridden by different relations or owned by Basic Cycle, right here’s how my present shifting scenario breaks down:
Cervino
[Old Campy antennae]
Faggin
[Silver]
Milwaukee
[Silver]
Homer
Platypus
[Silver2]
Jones
[SRAM wide-range clickety-click]
That is presently my solely bike with an listed shifter, although I even had a Silver2 shifter on that one for awhile–and it labored fairly good, too, particularly contemplating it’s not alleged to:
Like driving commando in jorts, that’s a lotta friction.
The friction-ification of my bikes occurred as a result of not solely do I like the texture of them, however not having to depend cogs or fear about matching shifters and derailleurs is profoundly liberating. (I recurrently change forwards and backwards between a 6-speed freewheel and a 9-speed cassette on the Cervino, and there’s nary a grievance from the 42 year-old drivetrain.) Even so, I don’t wish to do the identical factor but once more with the ‘Noner, and like to get pleasure from it in its fin de siècle last-gasp-of-the-steel-race-bike glory, Ergo shifters and all. Additionally, when you’re fully free from having to fret about stuff like cog spacing and cable pull due to friction shifters, it’s type of enjoyable to dork out over it just a little and ponder the little accidents and workarounds of listed shifting compatibility when it’s completely non-obligatory:
[From here.]
For instance, a Campagnolo 8-speed cassette has the identical spacing as a 7-speed Shimano, which I suppose means in the event you’ve received an 8-speed Campagnolo bike with a nasty shifter and good every thing else (and also you’ve received an aversion to friction shifters and/or paying classic Campagnolo components costs) you may at all times stick a 7-speed Shimano shifter and Shimano derailleur on there and use seven of eight cogs:
[Via Shimano]
And whereas Shimano shifters usually are not theoretically rebuildable, something could be overhauled in the event you’ve received sufficient time in your palms:
I had sufficient time on my palms to observe up till he revealed the shifter’s innards, which was fairly cool:
Then [dripping blood letters] The Algorithm [/dripping blood letters] served me this video of Jerry Seinfeld speaking about his favourite issues. Whereas he didn’t point out Campagnolo (at the very least I don’t assume he did, I didn’t have time to complete the video) he did point out this Italian coffeemaker:
He then famous that the corporate that made it went bankrupt, and remarked, “That’s Italy: make the best factor on the planet and nonetheless screw it up.”
That’s about pretty much as good a abstract of Campagnolo as I’ve ever heard.