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I feel like crying - Campagnolo ergo cracking woes

I posted a thread up last week about a new shape Campag Centaur ergo lever breaking and causing me to come off the bike.

Anyway, this week I decided to fit a set of replacement ergos that I had bought new. I am now feeling extremely peeved – I installed them on my bar (Easton EC90 Aero) in line with the Campag instructions, using an accurate torque meter – and they immediately developed a crack in the lever body. I feel like throwing them in the bin and giving up with it all.

I’m just baffled as I had the old shape lever on this bar without a problem. I have also been installing and using Campag ergos for over ten years without a single problem.

The Easton website says the bar is Campag compatible, the levers are positioned on the bar in line with the Campag instructions and tightened with an accurate torque meter. Am I doing something wrong (that is other than attempting to try out the new shape levers)? I wish I'd just kept with the old ones now.

I know there are worse things happening in the world, but I'd be grateful if anyone could shed some light on this as this is troubling me.

Thanks

Rich

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16 comments

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drfabulous0 | 9 years ago
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You've missed my point, when I last worked at a Campagnolo service centre I had to go on regular courses covering the latest equipment, just like Shimano, Mavic etc, this issue was mentioned once for a couple of seconds. If you'd have brought it to me to install there is a chance I would have done exactly the same thing, but the liability would have been mine not your own. I reccommend you pursue a warranty claim and appeal to Chicken's goodwill, however legal action is a non starter.

If you purchase say a set of shelves which comes with installation instructions but ruin your wall drilling the holes do you sue the manufacturer of the shelves? Maybe you do, maybe you're American and sue people you run over for the damage to your car.

I'm afraid you will just have to accept my tone, I am not being aggressive it's just my personality, I'd do something about it if I gave a shit!

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catchweasel | 9 years ago
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However I dress it up at it I can't claim to be a certified qualified bicycle mechanic. I do have 30 years' experience of working on bikes and a range of specialist tools that compares well with the average bike shop. I can also read an instruction manual - and understand it. And this is really my point...

If you receive a set of technical instructions with a product, then those instructions should give you all the information you need to use that product. If there is a section in those instructions that is entitled 'Installation' then that section ought to contain all the information you need to safely install it. In the case of the ergo levers that I purchased, those instructions clearly do not include the various illustrations that people have posted up on here. If a company does not wish the purchaser of its products to install them then it should not provide instructions, as with the manual in my Renault - at certain points it just says 'consult your dealer'. I only have a shallow understanding of the law regarding this area, but broadly it goes thus:

If a member of the public can easily and legally buy a product and said product comes with a set of instructions, then it makes it explicit that following those instructions will ensure safe usage of that product. Sale of these products is not limited to people who are qualified mechanics.

Can you see what I'm getting it?

Your tone, by the way, is still quite aggressive.

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drfabulous0 | 9 years ago
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Sorry to come across agressive, but considering legal advice over your own mistake gets my heckles up.
No, I've never broken one of these, but I once damaged a brand new Madone 6.9ssl frame with custom paint job by dropping a ratchet on the downtube, I've also ruined a Zipp 404 by dropping it on the base of the workstand with no tyre on. Shit happens but if you pay a shop to do it you are covered against mistakes or accidents, if you do it yourself you will save some money but have to accept the liabilty yourself, it's swings and roundabouts, I'd usually encourage people to do stuff themselves but in this instance you made the wrong choice, which is only obvious with hindsight, best to just suck it up and move on.

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catchweasel | 9 years ago
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Fair point, albeit overly aggressively made.
Out of interest, have you broken any of these?

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drfabulous0 | 9 years ago
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I'm not being funny here but you say you followed the instructions supplied? In every Campag manual I've seen the second paragragh says:-

MECHANIC QUALIFICATION-Please be advised that many bicycle service
and repair tasks require specialized knowledge, tools and experience. General
mechanical aptitude may not be sufficient to properly service or repair your
bicycle. If you have any doubt whatsoever regarding your service/repair ability,
please take your bicycle to a qualified repair shop.

Now I'm not saying that you shouldn't fit stuff yourself but if you have expensive kit and decide to go ahead and fit it yourself without the specialist knowledge required you only have yourself to blame when you fuck it up. Professional mechanics make mistakes too but we have insurance so the consumer doesn't end up out of pocket if we break something. Feel free to take legal advice if you want to waste time and money, but the fact is you are unqualified to fit it and have broken it yourself with crap bodgery. take it to a Campag dealer and have it fixed and installed properly.

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crikey | 9 years ago
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They are ergo compatible, but you have to do it the Campag way...

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Flying Scot | 9 years ago
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I would be going after Easton if they claim these bars are ergo compatible, because they plainly aren't

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crikey | 9 years ago
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That's a choice only you can make, but my own feeling would be to accept it and move on a little bit wiser.

...and those bars are horrible anyway!

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catchweasel | 9 years ago
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Thanks again for the comments - I am becoming increasingly wise after the event. I accept that the lever position on the bar is causing the crack.

I should stress that in the installation instructions that came with my levers contain none of these illustrations with shouty 'NO!' captions. No mention is made of the fact that the radius of the curve on the bar should be 65-75mm (something I found online). I followed the paper instructions to the letter - and the ergos have cracked. Seems to me like a serious omission of very important information.

Interestingly, my first pair of the mk3 ergos which failed whilst I was riding and caused me some major injuries (which have prevented me from working for the past three months) have been replaced by Chicken Cycles free of charge and with no questions asked. This was after I sent the broken ergo back to Merlin Cycles who in turn sent it back to Chicken Cycles. I have heard from Chicken (via Merlin) that they had never seen a broken lever except as a result of a crash. Well, mine had never been crashed and I only crashed as a result of the lever failing. I can only conclude that Chicken Cycles are extremely generous and will replace everything that I break OR that I am being placated.

I am considering taking legal advice. Has anyone any thoughts?

Thanks
Rich

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matthewn5 | 9 years ago
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This image shows you why you've got a problem:

http://road.cc/sites/default/files/P1020490.JPG

The curve is too short so you're clamping the ergo against a straight section of bar. Campag ergos have a longer contact patch against the bar which means they are more sensitive to the bar curve, but also more rigid when mounted.

I think you need new bars.

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crikey | 9 years ago
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It looks as if there isn't a single importer for Campag in the UK, but there are a number of Service centres who perhaps deal direct with Campagnolo.

I'd be tempted to try the one nearest to you, but...

I think you'll find that they will suggest that it's user error even though the design does appear to be very sensitive to placement on the bar. You can buy Ergo bodies, and you can take them to bits to repair them, but I wouldn't like to be there after you've spent time rebuilding it when you try to fix it to the bar again!

Try here: http://www.campagservice.co.uk/ergo.htm

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catchweasel | 9 years ago
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I think you may be right about the lever bein a bit high on the bar, but the fact that ergo body can be so sensitive to this seems completely nuts. The mk2 ergos were always fine in that position.

It's interesting to note (to me anyway) that the images of the instructions posted above are not the same as the ones that came with my levers. The only point that my instructions make in regard to the position of the ergo on the bar is the flat parts of the ergo hoods should be approximately horizontal. I think people have had the same experience as me and the instructions have been revised to shift the responsibility for failure from what I think is a crappy design onto the end user.

I am meticulous in setting up my bikes and after 10 years as a happy camp(ag)er I'm through with them. Not only does it suck, I think it's very dangerous to have such a temperamental design that relies on finding the sweet spot on a bar for the ergo to have any structural integrity. I know for a fact that I am not the only home mechanic who has 'upgraded' to these ergos using them on a favourite older bar. How many people are riding round with these things developing cracks?

If anyone knows who campag's head honcho is in the uk I would be very happy to have this discussion with that person.

Thanks

Rich

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Flying Scot | 9 years ago
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I hate to say it, but it looks like you've a picture 10 scenario, the torque is irrelevant, the curve of those bars is distorting the shifter as you tighten down, I would have to say that I dont think they are compatable

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crikey | 9 years ago
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I didn't want to say that; he's already crying...

//rideyourbike.com/images/repairstandards/ergopower.jpg)

Bit rubbish that design if you can't put them where you want!

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crikey | 9 years ago
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My first port of call would be the Campagnolo dealer you bought them from, then when they inevitably fob you off, I'd be talking to the UK Campagnolo importer.

It looks very much like the combination of that bar and that lever is stressing the lower part of the lever body such that it breaks, which is something that they should be made aware of, and should sort out for you.

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big mick replied to crikey | 9 years ago
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crikey wrote:

My first port of call would be the Campagnolo dealer you bought them from, then when they inevitably fob you off, I'd be talking to the UK Campagnolo importer.

It looks very much like the combination of that bar and that lever is stressing the lower part of the lever body such that it breaks, which is something that they should be made aware of, and should sort out for you.

Just buy Shimano-job done.After all it is the 21 first century  103

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