Reviews — Jtek Shiftmate (Campagnolo/Shimano mix)

I spent a lot of time researching methods for mixing Campagnolo ERGO shifters with a Shimano drivetrain and there are a number of well tested ways to accomplish this (e.g.see this document). Although my original setup did shift fine, I started to notice when I switched to riding my hybrid that the shifting was quieter and quicker. Although the diference between Shimano and Campagnolo cog spacing is only .21m, over the 9sp cassette that adds up to 1.68mm so even when I dialed-in the rear derailleur perfectly in the middle of the cassette, there was more noise near the ends of the cassette.

I only recently found a device called the ShiftMate from Jtek and decided to give it a try. After installing it, I noticed how much easier it was to adjust the rear derailleur and on my first ride the difference was immediate and noticable. Shifting was quieter and crisper. Although my previous setup did work fine, to me the improvement was worth the $40. This is a picture of it installed on my Romulus. Notice that it requires much less cable loop as well just like the Avid Rollamajig on my hybrid.