One of the most often-asked questions we hear is "Should I build my next bike with Record or Dura-Ace?" A dream bike certainly deserves one or the other, and choosing between them has gotten tougher over the years as each gruppo has become lighter and more mechanically precise. In the debate of the salient points of distinction -- the ergonomics of the shift levers; the action by which you shift; the aesthetics of carbon vs. aluminum -- one important item usually gets overlooked: Campagnolo Ergopower shift levers are re-buildable. Shimano STI shift levers are not. While this doesn't make Campy better than Shimano, it does allow you to spend just a bit of time and money in order to make your two-or-three-seasons-old Ergopower lever feel literally like new.

What constitutes an Ergopower lever overhaul? Well, for starters you need to know this: You only need to overhaul your right lever. The left one requires virtually no upkeep over time since it gets so much less use than the right, amongst other reasons. In overhauling the right lever, we replace the core internals that actuate when you shift: the index gear, the 2 index springs, and the index spring carrier. By replacing these moving parts, it gives your lever the snappy crispness it had when it was new. It's a miraculous procedure in terms of how different it'll make your lever shift.

How do you know when you need a lever overhaul? Perhaps it's important to understand what the overhaul accomplishes: It does NOT fix mis-shifting caused by a maladjusted rear derailleur, a bent rear derailleur hanger, or the continued use of old cable & housing. Rather, you need to send us your lever if it loses the distinctive "clicks" that separate one gear from the next. The most common symptom is having to overshift by one gear and then shift downward once in order to get into a specific gear, i.e. in wanting to shift from your 16 to your 17, you must go from 16 to 18, then down to 17. If you were to attempt going directly from 16 to 17, you'd feel a mushy response in your lever instead of the clean click you'd feel in a new lever. Experience tells us that this mushiness is most evident on upshifts (16 to 17) than downshifts (17 to 16).

If you'd like to send us your lever for an overhaul, please snip your rear derailleur and brake cables. (If you'd like to reuse these cables, remember to snip them at their very ends.) Then loosen the fixing bolts that hold the cables in place, unwrap your bar tape, then remove the cables. Once you've done that, remove the lever from your handlebar. (If you need a refresher on the entry points of your cables and the placement of the fixing bolt for the lever, you can click here to see the Campy instructional manual for Ergopower levers.)

Our goal is to make the logistics of overhauling your Ergopower lever as quick and simple as possible for you. In order to initiate the process, please proceed by adding an overhaul to your cart here. At the end of the purchase process, you will be given an order number. With this order number in hand, please ship your lever to:

Competitive Cyclist
Attn: Service Dept.
Order # XXXXX
2222 Cantrell Road
Little Rock, AR 72202

We will perform the overhaul and ship your lever back to you via UPS Ground within 2 business days of receiving it. You will receive an automated email from us with your UPS tracking # on the evening we ship your lever back to you. For an appropriately increased shipping cost, we can accommodate requests for expedited shipping (i.e. UPS Next Day Air or 2nd Day Air). Please include such requests in writing when you ship your lever to us.

Please ship your lever to us using a trackable method (UPS, FedEx, DHL, or USPS Certified Mail). Also, include your full contact information, your order number, and any special instructions or requests in this shipment.