Though it is nearly 2014, I just installed “modern” shifters on my De Rosa – 8 speed Campagnolo Chorus Carbon Ergo Shifters that were first released in the mid-90’s. I am catching up. At this rate, I should be fitting a Campagnolo 11 speed setup on my De Rosa around 2028.
I bought these shifters on eBay and when I took them apart to rebuild them, I saw that the right spring carrier was broken into two pieces. I bought the current version of the spring carrier at my local bike shop and with a Dremel cut-off wheel, modded them to fit.
I had previously been using Campagnolo Record SL-01RE CG downtube shifters. With my last rear wheel build, I graduated from a 7 speed freewheel to an 8 speed Campagnolo Chorus freehub. My Campagnolo Syncro shifters only had a 7 speed insert and with CT cranks (50-34), I was spinning out of gears at about 30 mph. I wasn’t using the smallest rear cog because I needed the largest cog to get up hills. Now I can use all the gears in the freehub and don’t start spinning out until I reach 35 mph.
On my first ride, I only reached for the no-longer-there downtube shifters three times.
come in. After a few minutes with the cut-off wheel and some chamfering of the splines with a file, the 10 speed cog was now 8 speed compatible.