Gears. Campy wheel, Shimano drive. Drowning in info-advice?!

Practical advice required...

Just been having a discussion spinning off from my post wanting to find some STIs (8, or possibly my mind is migrating to 9 speed) for a scratch build which I'm working backwards through really, all dependant on what I can find available at the right price... However it has been drawn to my attention that my rear wheel, Bianchi, Bianchi hub, which came to me second hand with a used Miche Primato 12-26T 9 Speed Cassette, is probably Campy. I intend to change the cassette, but was planning on (working back from the levers) some older Shimano running gear which I am currently sourcing. 8, maybe 9 speed, with flight deck levers if possible.

At first I thought: does the cassette matter if the number of sprockets is the same? Then I found out about spacing differences. So can one not get a set of sprockets that can be shifted with Shimano gear, but fit a campy hub?

Then I thought: can I adapt/swap out the freehub (body?) to fit a shimano cassette? However there seem to be some on the net designed for this but seem needlessly expensive, and I am confused, can one not simply just screw in a Shimano freehub, or is the thread different or something? I am a noob so my simplistic thought is probably missing the blindingly obvious technicalities that you are all familiar with, hence the question...

I am reading a lot on the net about this and am sort of floundering.

I still wonder if a cassette that fits the campy hub can be made to work with Shimano mechs...

Another solution is to scrap the rear wheel and use it for something else, but it took me ages to find my wheels...

If anyone has any ideas as to what mechs/speed will work the best if I have to do mods and mix/match also let me know. I'm aiming for 8 or 9 speed.

Cheers.

Campagnolo 7 and 8 have the same spacing as Shimano 7.
Why not use Campagnolo 8 speed Ergos. They are better made than Shimano shifters as well.

Interesting. I'm actually just looking into campag stuff.....even more new to me!

Campag/Shimano compatability?

you can buy spacer kits for either freehub from most of the larger mail order sites

hamster":23gemcx8 said:

Campagnolo 7 and 8 have the same spacing as Shimano 7.
Why not use Campagnolo 8 speed Ergos. They are better made than Shimano shifters as well.

Click to expand...

but if his current wheels have campag 9 speed cassette, then the splining arrangement on campag 8 speed is totally different

Strikes me that cost is a factor. Respacing isn't cheap.
Check what your current cassette is meant for and buy shifters to match.
Go to the CTc site and check out Shimergo

pigman":2d4l9h7v said:

hamster":2d4l9h7v said:

Campagnolo 7 and 8 have the same spacing as Shimano 7.
Why not use Campagnolo 8 speed Ergos. They are better made than Shimano shifters as well.

Click to expand...

but if his current wheels have campag 9 speed cassette, then the splining arrangement on campag 8 speed is totally different

Click to expand...

True, but with a Shimano wheel you simply run a 7 speed cassette, and Campag 8 mech and shifter.
If it's a Campag 9 wheel you run an 8 speed cassette made from 9 speed cogs and 8 speed spacers. I absolutely agree that the worst thing to do is fit 8 speed cogs onto a 9 speed Campag hub - it fits but chews up the freehub body.

What it looks like I might be doing is using the Bianchi for the single speed I originally bought it for, and getting a different rear wheel with a 9 speed shimano cassette....

Sounds quite faffy..