This page features questions and answers about your gruppos to add one more speed (8 to 9, and 9 to 10).   For questions about the new 10-speed gruppo, click here.

Q:  I have an eerily similar problem to your recumbent bike fan.  I recently converted over to Campy Ergo.  I have a Campy 9 speed hub with a Campy 8-speed Cassette shifted by a 9-speed and 8-speed Campy Ergo shifters.  The guys at Excel Sports Boulder said that the 9-speed derailleur should shift the 8-speed cassette with 8 speed shifters and 8 speed chain with no trouble, but I have the same problem as the recumbent guy.  I can get one end or the other of the cassette to quiet down , or I can settle the middle and it gets noisy at the ends. Sometimes it will shift up 2 or down 2 and it is direction dependant. I noticed that the derailleur moves nicely during actuation of the shifter but that the chain doesn't move.  Sometimes the cage will contact the chain and cause noise.  I am assuming that the problem is that the pulley wheels are 9 speed specific and the 8 speed chain is too wide for the outer range of the derailleur.  What do you think of this theory?  Which would be better: 1)  Go to a 9 speed chain; or 2) Go to 8 speed pulley wheels?
C-O:   If you are planning to use a 9 speed derailleur on an 8 speed system you will need to use the 9 speed chain due to the narrower pulley cages. An 8 speed chain will fit but it is wide enough that it will make contact and cause problems.  I have used the 9 speed derailleur on an 8 speed system before without problem. To me it sounds like something is binding somewhere, cables routing something like that. One problem I have seen many times is where the cables for the Ergopower were installed and taped to the bars before tension was put on the cables creating a possible gap at the contact point of cable into Ergopower. This will allow the cable to compress the space giving bad shifts.

Q:  I have an 1996 8spd Record setup and it's getting harder to find the cassettes I want, so I thinking of going to 9 speed.  Are all 8spd Ergo shifters upgradeable to 9spd?  And are they as reliable as factory built 9spd Ergos?
C-O:  The 8 speed Ergopower are upgradable to a 9 speed system by changing a couple of parts. That main index ratchet ( rear ) will do it and everything will work ( 99% ). To have it work 100% you will need to change the main ratchet ( rear ), front ratchet and main shaft.It works done both ways.

Q:  Can I use 8-speed cogs on a 9-speed hub?
C-O:  The 8 speed cogs will not fit the 9 speed body, there are different keyways and the 8 speed splines are too shallow and they will damage the aluminum freehub body.

Q: I have a Campy equipped Recumbent that I built from pieces parts.  I have a Phil Wood hub with a Campy 8-speed Cassette shifted by a 9-speed Triple derailleur ('98 Racing Triple) and shifted with 8-speed Campy Bar-Con shifters. Now, Campy says that the 9-speed derailleur should shift the 8-speed cassette with no trouble, but I seem to have a slight problem.  I can get one end or the other of the cassette to quiet down , or I can settle the middle and it gets noisy at the ends.  (how I'm running now)  Since I hardly use the 28 or the 12, it isn't that big a problem, but I think there should be better shifting.
C-O:  The 9 speed derailleurs will shift a n 8 speed system. The difference between them is that the lower pivot is 1.2mm longer for the extra gear. there are 2 things I can think of that might be doing this. Since you have re-assembled the cogs to build something else, the EXA Drive ramps are not meshing together correctly. There is a particular sequence these are to be in to shift correctly.  The other thing is the location of the derailleur drop out. If this is in a different angle than it was designed for it will not line up correctly which will not work properly. Sorry to say these are the only things I can think of off the top of my head. I have seen problems with "specialty bikes " in the past and a lot of it is from alignment of the frame components.