I think it has something to do with the springs range (how far it is compressed).
That little spring in the right shifter pod on Campy ergos has to wind up quite a ways to get to the "big sprocket" position. This part has a much greater range than any spring on a classic bike. The springs in the brakes or derailleurs on classic bikes only flex thru 30 degrees or so and that is distributed thru a coil with 3 or 4 turns on it.
But that little ergo spring really has a hard life, and storing a bike with the lever in the relaxed position will really help it out.
===================================================== Mark Petry 206.618.9642 Beautiful Bainbridge Island, WA mpetry@bainbridgeisland.net ===================================================== "Each receives a bag of tools, a shapeless mass, and book of rules. And each must fashion, ere life is flown, a stumbling block or a stepping stone"
R. L. Sharpe, 1890 =====================================================
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-admin@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-admin@bikelist.org]On Behalf Of Mark Poore Sent: Monday, November 26, 2001 7:01 PM To: LouDeeter@aol.com; classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR]Storing Spring Loaded Devices
Many years ago, too many to recall, a mechanic told me by putting the chain in the little little combo it would take the tension off both the rear derailleur springs as well as the front derailleur spring. Storing the bike this way will also relax the tension on the cables as well and you will find they won't stretch nearly as fast. This is a bigger benefit on index shifting bikes.
>From: LouDeeter@aol.com
>To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>Subject: [CR]Storing Spring Loaded Devices
>Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2001 13:23:39 EST
>
>I can't imagine that relaxing the spring would make much of a difference.
>In this month's Bicycling Magazine, they also recommended storing in the
>small ring front and small cog rear to relieve the rear derailleur spring.
>I've never paid much attention to it. I do store my tubular tires without
>air and in a dry place, but that's about the only thing that I do anything
>special for storage. Lou Deeter, Orlando FL