Noisy campagnolo drive train

[Comedian]

I've never heard of someone riding an 8 year old Shimano groupset.

You mustn't get out much then....

For starters I have a '05 model (late '04 build) 6600 Ultegra groupset which has only had chain, cassette, cables and brake pads replaced - normal consumables.

My '06 model commuter bike, which only ever had a partial Sora groupset (shifters & derailleurs), with Truvativ crank & generic brakes, again still has the bulk of its original components barring consumables. Only the front derailleur got changed, and that only to suit conversion from triple to double chainrings (the shaping to suit a 42T middle ring didn't like a 39 in its place).

Nice! Commuting is a different thing.Though. My commuter bike is circa 2010. It's only had 10k put on it though. My roadies in the intervening years have had nearly 60k put on them.

As I've said elsewhere though, the in roadie crowd I ride with it's rare to see a bike more than 3 years old. Next group ride I do I'll have a good look and see if I can see anything older than 11 speed and I'll report back. That's a nice way of surveying to see which bikes are only a few years old.

[rangersac]

I've never heard of anyone replacing a front campy chainring../quote]

Two here - my SR big cog after 28K, and my mate's SR cog after doing a 1 min wattage competition: was reading over 1200W when he pretzeled it. And I mean a pretzel.

Three here. Dunno what went first but both the chainring bolt and the bolt mount point fractured on my 11 spd 53t Chorus, sprinting up a hill out of the saddle.

[WyvernRH]

As I've said elsewhere though, the in roadie crowd I ride with it's rare to see a bike more than 3 years old. Next group ride I do I'll have a good look and see if I can see anything older than 11 speed and I'll report back. That's a nice way of surveying to see which bikes are only a few years old.

Posh group! Seriously, someone must have 10 speed?

I have only just noticed this thread and I'm a little puzzled by the noise problems that seem to plague everyone on all brands.
I have had my Felt CX for best part of a year, maybe a couple of thousand km on mixed surfaces. It has Shimano 11 speed 105 using a long arm rear derailleur and as far as I am concerned it runs dam near silently across the block and changes quietly and smoothly (if you keep it adjusted).
The dam freehub sounds like a mad woodpecker when you freewheel tho....

Equally my mid 2000's Shogun road bike has a full 10 spd 105 group which has done.. hmmm lots of km....and is only on it's first replacement chain and cassette. Pretty quiet too.

Maybe I just don't lay the power down like you chaps....

Richard

[Comedian]

As I've said elsewhere though, the in roadie crowd I ride with it's rare to see a bike more than 3 years old. Next group ride I do I'll have a good look and see if I can see anything older than 11 speed and I'll report back. That's a nice way of surveying to see which bikes are only a few years old.

Posh group! Seriously, someone must have 10 speed?
Richard

Nope.

[VinceGU05]

As I've said elsewhere though, the in roadie crowd I ride with it's rare to see a bike more than 3 years old. Next group ride I do I'll have a good look and see if I can see anything older than 11 speed and I'll report back. That's a nice way of surveying to see which bikes are only a few years old.

Posh group! Seriously, someone must have 10 speed?

The dam freehub sounds like a mad woodpecker when you freewheel tho....

Maybe I just don't lay the power down like you chaps....

Richard

lol nailed it richard. sound like an affluent group of riders

but there's definitely no sneaking up freewheeling by a campy owner riding a Harley would be more stealth

[eeksll]

forgot about this video i found way back when, has same problem, offers a reason but no solution unfortuantely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oMMoyqnzc4

the video is a bit average, but the posted suggest the chain rubs slightly on the larger cassette gear next to it. This would be due to the angle of the chain from the cassette cog to the front chainring.

Ill have a closer look on the weekend. Maybe try some really thick lube on the exterior of the chain

[Comedian]

forgot about this video i found way back when, has same problem, offers a reason but no solution unfortuantely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oMMoyqnzc4

the video is a bit average, but the posted suggest the chain rubs slightly on the larger cassette gear next to it. This would be due to the angle of the chain from the cassette cog to the front chainring.

Ill have a closer look on the weekend. Maybe try some really thick lube on the exterior of the chain

The noise in the video is incorrect adjustment of the tension at the rear. 11 speed is pretty critical. The thing is - the position the cable stops at must be consistent or it's impossible to get the adjustment right.

Things that I've found cause this inconsistency is broken cables and blockages in the cable path that adds resistance. In the video I noticed that the bike had the little campy rubber thing at the back on the chain stay. I've found this gadget has always been problematic.

[eeksll]

forgot about this video i found way back when, has same problem, offers a reason but no solution unfortuantely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oMMoyqnzc4

the video is a bit average, but the posted suggest the chain rubs slightly on the larger cassette gear next to it. This would be due to the angle of the chain from the cassette cog to the front chainring.

Ill have a closer look on the weekend. Maybe try some really thick lube on the exterior of the chain

The noise in the video is incorrect adjustment of the tension at the rear. 11 speed is pretty critical. The thing is - the position the cable stops at must be consistent or it's impossible to get the adjustment right.

Things that I've found cause this inconsistency is broken cables and blockages in the cable path that adds resistance. In the video I noticed that the bike had the little campy rubber thing at the back on the chain stay. I've found this gadget has always been problematic.

what rubber thing? I couldn't spot it.

I dont think the chain alignment here is caused by the derailleur adjustment, its only a smidge in board as it leaves the top cogs of the cassette and that could well becaused by the angle of the chain line.

If I get time this weekend, I will have a play and see if I can just get 1 cog silent by adjusting the derailleur.

[jd73]

Thank you all for the responses, tips and apologies for the delay in following up.

So I ended up back at the bike shop, gears retuned and new chain fitted. Noise gone and I was a happy camper for a little while. A few hundred km's later though and the noise gradually came back albeit not as bad as pre service. Thinking through how it was fine and then deteriorated I thought to try the lube tips. i normally use Morgan blue dry wax on my other bikes with shimano with no issues. I like this lube as it keeps the dry train nice and clean. I normally just squeeze a bit on whilst running the chain backwards a few times. I tried the same with campy and no change still noisy. The other oil I had was white lightning wet ride - a real heavy duty lube. Applying this as per the YouTube Art's cycle clip with a drip per link and sure enough silence from the drive train. But a very heavy lube and needed a good wipe off the excess. A quick ride and still silent and finally a smile back on my face. Will see how it is over this week with some more km's. So will order some of the dumonde lube and give it a try.

As a first time campy user the first 18 months has been a frustrating experienced. I prefer campy for the feel and gear changes over shimano. But jeepers it has been so much more high maintenance than Shimano. Googling noisy drive train and campagnolo comes up with numerous threads. It seems to be a relatively common problem and a general lack understanding on how to look after it. If only I knew / had advice the importance of lubing campy and different to Shimano. I dare say I am not the only one to have tired campy and then thought all too hard I am going back to shimano.

Anyway hopefully all good now and if it keeps quiet I will stay a campy user.

[RonK]

I dare say I am not the only one to have tired campy and then thought all too hard I am going back to shimano.

Go back to Shimano? I've never heard of anyone doing that.

However I've been riding Campy for > 20 years. These days I only use Rock 'N' Roll Gold on both 10 and 11 speed. I don't mind making slightly more frequent applications in exchange for a clean, low maintenance drive train.

The only time I had a noisy drive train was when I tried a Wipperman Connex chain, and it goes without saying I wouldn't use one again.

[Comedian]

As a first time campy user the first 18 months has been a frustrating experienced. I prefer campy for the feel and gear changes over shimano. But jeepers it has been so much more high maintenance than Shimano. Googling noisy drive train and campagnolo comes up with numerous threads. It seems to be a relatively common problem and a general lack understanding on how to look after it. If only I knew / had advice the importance of lubing campy and different to Shimano. I dare say I am not the only one to have tired campy and then thought all too hard I am going back to shimano.

Anyway hopefully all good now and if it keeps quiet I will stay a campy user.

Well I'm the first to admit that there was a bit of a learning curve to campy. I think it's just got some nuances that are different to the Shimano nuances. It's like owning a Landrover. In the UK they are everywhere and all the mechanics know what to do. Out here, it's mostly Toyota (like Shimano) so when you bring your LR in they just don't know. In the UK I reckon the situation would be reversed.

Anyway, I've got three campy bikes plus another couple i look after and then are absolutely silent and they go 500-800k between chain lubes, and the components last forever. I've only just worn out a couple of casettes. 30-40k seems to be the norm plus 7-10 off a chain.

[g-boaf]

I dare say I am not the only one to have tired campy and then thought all too hard I am going back to shimano.

Go back to Shimano? I've never heard of anyone doing that.

However I've been riding Campy for > 20 years. These days I only use Rock 'N' Roll Gold on both 10 and 11 speed. I don't mind making slightly more frequent applications in exchange for a clean, low maintenance drive train.

The only time I had a noisy drive train was when I tried a Wipperman Connex chain, and it goes without saying I wouldn't use one again.

I was going to suggest it, just jokingly though. I have a Cervelo P5 on Ultegra 6870 Di2, Dura-Ace chain, Rotor 3D aero crankset which is absolutely dead silent. Only the extremely loud DT Swiss hub on the rear wheel gives it away, or the fact it sounds like a cannon firing when you change gears.

There are no nuances with Shimano I'm aware of, it just works. That's years and years of using Shimano groupsets.

[Comedian]

There are no nuances with Shimano I'm aware of, it just works. That's years and years of using Shimano groupsets.

But that's what I'm suggesting. You are used to Shimano.. you know just what to do. I used shimano for a few years. When I switched to campy there were a few things that were ever so slightly different. Nuance.

I'm now fully used to campy. It's silent, and it just works, and that's 4 years of experience.

I think if I switched back to Shimano there are a few things I'd have to relearn. Like replacing things. And begging for non existent parts.

[warthog1]

There are no nuances with Shimano I'm aware of, it just works. That's years and years of using Shimano groupsets.

But that's what I'm suggesting. You are used to Shimano.. you know just what to do. I used shimano for a few years. When I switched to campy there were a few things that were ever so slightly different. Nuance.

I'm now fully used to campy. It's silent, and it just works, and that's 4 years of experience.

I think if I switched back to Shimano there are a few things I'd have to relearn. Like replacing things. And begging for non existent parts.

Shimano just works. Apart from chains, cassettes, rings and cables (ie wear items) nothing needs replacing
Thats 100k km or so.

To compound things, Campag uses unequal spacing between the sprockets, so some gears can be trickier to tune than others....

[Thoglette]

11 speed is pretty critical.

I'm so glad I'm still running my 2000 era Daytona 10sp. It just works.

[Comedian]

There are no nuances with Shimano I'm aware of, it just works. That's years and years of using Shimano groupsets.

But that's what I'm suggesting. You are used to Shimano.. you know just what to do. I used shimano for a few years. When I switched to campy there were a few things that were ever so slightly different. Nuance.

I'm now fully used to campy. It's silent, and it just works, and that's 4 years of experience.

I think if I switched back to Shimano there are a few things I'd have to relearn. Like replacing things. And begging for non existent parts.

Shimano just works. Apart from chains, cassettes, rings and cables (ie wear items) nothing needs replacing
Thats 100k km or so.

To compound things, Campag uses unequal spacing between the sprockets, so some gears can be trickier to tune than others....

20k on shimano Ultegra 6700 for me was 3 cassettes, 6 chains, one shifter (the part to fix it wasn't available, and nor was the whole component), one front chain ring (which was also not available, so the dealer took one off a bike and it was sitting chainring less 9 months later).

64k on Campy "in the family" has resulted in chains, one casette, and a shifter repair (fixed next day).

As to the spacing.. I thought all the 11speed groups were compatible? I know I've used SRAM casette equipped wheels, and my mate my Campy equipped wheels on his SRAM bike. They worked fine.

In practice, the measurable differences account for little and a Shimano 11-speed cassette works well with a Campagnolo groupset, and vice versa.

https://cyclingtips.com/2014/10/mixing- ... at-doesnt/

[warthog1]

20k on shimano Ultegra 6700 for me was 3 cassettes, 6 chains, one shifter (the part to fix it wasn't available, and nor was the whole component), one front chain ring (which was also not available, so the dealer took one off a bike and it was sitting chainring less 9 months later).

I don't know wth you are doing with chains and cassettes? They will last longer than that with just the factory lube I'd imagine.
I'm no fastidious maintenance man. Chains usually 6k or so when the chain checker (apparently prematurely) says time to change.
I just wipe, lube and wipe weekly or so.
You are a bike industry dream with that sort of consumption.
You can hardly blame part supply on the manufacturer. The Aussie distro is shizen hausen apparently.
Have you not heard of online bike stores?

As to the spacing.. I thought all the 11speed groups were compatible? I know I've used SRAM casette equipped wheels, and my mate my Campy equipped wheels on his SRAM bike. They worked fine.

I've never had cause to use second (or third) best. I'm just quoting the resident bike mechanic for the purpose of poking fun at campy owners.
It might work ok if your prepared to pay extra.
I'm verty happy with shimano.
I do use the odd sram component and am more likely to go that way in future.
Shimano and sram appear to be where the innovative changes come from of recent times.

[Duck!]

Shimano and sram appear to be where the innovative changes come from of recent times.

More to the point, SRAM come up with the innovations, but push them to market before they're fully tested, Shimano see what went wrong and make them better.

[Comedian]

20k on shimano Ultegra 6700 for me was 3 cassettes, 6 chains, one shifter (the part to fix it wasn't available, and nor was the whole component), one front chain ring (which was also not available, so the dealer took one off a bike and it was sitting chainring less 9 months later).

I don't know wth you are doing with chains and cassettes? They will last longer than that with just the factory lube I'd imagine.
I'm no fastidious maintenance man. Chains usually 6k or so when the chain checker (apparently prematurely) says time to change.
I just wipe, lube and wipe weekly or so.
You are a bike industry dream with that sort of consumption.
You can hardly blame part supply on the manufacturer. The Aussie distro is shizen hausen apparently.
Have you not heard of online bike stores?

Yes I was living the bike industry dream. Same guy, same maintenance early on. I was getting 2-2600 off shimano chains, first campy one was 5 I think with R&R and that class of lube. Since then with Dumonde it's stretched (groan) to 7-9. I should explain that I think I broke 2 or 3.

Hey I'm a cheap skate heretic. With the mileages I was doing I couldn't afford the continual run of new parts and frames that was considered "normal". When I was doing 15k a year this was a big thing. That's why I looked for super low maintenance stuff. I tried all the chain lubes that everyone loved... and I'm like "it needs doing mid week.. screw this". I remember one local lube.. yes it was clean.. yes it smelled nice.. but by the time I got back to work in the morning the drivetrain was getting noisy...

For example the chain lube stuff... I went through maybe 20 bottles.. where everyone said this is the best stuff evah. I used it and I'm like meh... it only lasts for a few hundred k. I threw all the bottles out... Anyway, some were notably longer lived then others..Like double or more.. Sure they all have their strengths and weaknesses but I value longevity, quietness and shifting.

The thing that does amuse me about this stuff is I've tried both camps and I gave it a good nudge. So I report and say this is what I've found. And then people tell me I'm wrong. But they haven't used the other stuff. But I guess thats how it goes. Life.. the internet and everything.

Very occasionally someone does try something I harp on about...

[Comedian]

I've never had cause to use second (or third) best. I'm just quoting the resident bike mechanic for the purpose of poking fun at campy owners.
It might work ok if your prepared to pay extra.
I'm verty happy with shimano.
I do use the odd sram component and am more likely to go that way in future.
Shimano and sram appear to be where the innovative changes come from of recent times.

I posted this for Duck a while back ... Have a listen to Mike Burrows on the "Shimano Effect". If you don't know who he is - you're most certainly riding his design.

http://thebikeshow.net/burrows-on-the-bicycle-part-one/

My LBS are Giant/Shimano. I really do think they are a great bunch of guys. They are honest businessmen. They pay their staff. They ring their customers back. They really are awesome. They supported me through my shimano dramas. They found second hand parts and stripped new bikes to keep me on the road. When the frame started cracking they arranged for it to be fixed. When the MTB frame died, they replaced that too. I really can't speak more highly of them.

However when I announced I was going to try Titanium bikes with Campy you could see it on their faces. It was like... crap we've lost him. And so it has been. I rarely visit a bike shop now. I just buy a few chains and gear cables online occasionally.

You see.. sometime I realised it was not so much about what was the best for me.. but it was what they could sell. They are inexorably aligned to Giant/Shimano. Overall I think that's probably great for most people and for them. If there are some people it doesn't work out for then it's just bikes.

[RonK]

There are no nuances with Shimano I'm aware of, it just works.

No nuances? Ha ha good try.

If I could be bothered, it would be easy enough to dig up numerous posts made by Duck and others which indicate the opposite.

[warthog1]

Shimano and sram appear to be where the innovative changes come from of recent times.

More to the point, SRAM come up with the innovations, but push them to market before they're fully tested, Shimano see what went wrong and make them better.

We have alot of sram riders here. They mostly like them.
I understand their mtb stuff is very good too?
Campy gave that up as too hard I believe?

[Duck!]

But that's what I'm suggesting. You are used to Shimano.. you know just what to do. I used shimano for a few years. When I switched to campy there were a few things that were ever so slightly different. Nuance.

I'm now fully used to campy. It's silent, and it just works, and that's 4 years of experience.

I think if I switched back to Shimano there are a few things I'd have to relearn. Like replacing things. And begging for non existent parts.

Shimano just works. Apart from chains, cassettes, rings and cables (ie wear items) nothing needs replacing
Thats 100k km or so.

To compound things, Campag uses unequal spacing between the sprockets, so some gears can be trickier to tune than others....

20k on shimano Ultegra 6700 for me was 3 cassettes, 6 chains, one shifter (the part to fix it wasn't available, and nor was the whole component), one front chain ring (which was also not available, so the dealer took one off a bike and it was sitting chainring less 9 months later).

64k on Campy "in the family" has resulted in chains, one casette, and a shifter repair (fixed next day).

One area where Campag is noticeably down on durability is the shifters; the ratchets wear down & lose their indexing precision, considerably more frequently and rapidly than Shimano (SRAM just fall off!). Many were rebuildable, but Campag are getting a bit Shimano-like in that regard now, and offering less in the way of spare parts than they used to.

[Uncle Just]

^This. I fitted 11 speed Athena shifters to run a shimergo 10 speed. Lasted well for about 18 months before the shifter wouldn't give me the last 4 gears. Not repairable. The Chorus 8 speed ergo gruppo I bought new in 94 took about a year to settle in, often locking up in the left lever but then became ok. A bit agricultural in its operation and lasted some years. I'm hoping the 2014 Record shifters I fitted earlier this year last considerably longer with an almost full gruppo. I offended the velominati by using imo an easier to fit and disassemble DA chainset which works very well.

[g-boaf]

There are no nuances with Shimano I'm aware of, it just works.

No nuances? Ha ha good try.

If I could be bothered, it would be easy enough to dig up numerous posts made by Duck and others which indicate the opposite.

Apart from having a gear cable snap, or chains wear out (or cassettes for that matter), none of my Shimano stuff has had anything unusual or quirky happen to it. And as I mentioned before, the TT bike on Ultegra Di2 runs absolutely silent. You cannot hear any noise at all when pedaling. It is whisper quiet and smooth running.

The noise you do hear is from the wheels (or perhaps the tyres), a sort of low pitched humming noise. And then a huge clunk when you change gears - scares people when it happens. Like a cannon firing. Typical TT bike noises.