Originally Posted by ottodog
So what I'm asking for opinions of people that have used both, what you prefer, and why.
Thankfully, I have actually taken some time to properly capture my thoughts on this with a Web page:
http://home.att.net/~thetandemlink/stivsergo.html
The top 10 reasons I prefer Ergo to STI is the last article on the page but, in short, I backed into Campagnolo out of necessity not desire. However, once I used the Ergo design I was hooked. Being somewhat anal, I like component groups and as such it only makes sense to me to have Campy derailleurs and brakes to go along with my Campy shifters, thus my conversion was nearly complete. Headset, cranks, and hubs end up being a bit eclectic because Campy doesn't make tandem-specific versions, thus Chris King, daVinci, and Phil Wood were given the nod as "the best" for my tandem needs, including aesthetics. Of couse, once I adopted Campy on the tandem it set the stage for my 1/2 bike conversion. Thus, today, our road bike livery is flush with Campy because I just happen to find Ergo more to my liking.
What's not mentioned is perhaps part of that "die-hard following" and in many cases it's probably a combination of things:
- little bit of vanity,
- the history and tradition associated with Tullio Campagnolo and his contributions to cycling,
- the old-world / traditional approach to design where function sometimes follows form,
- an appreciation for that special something (sex appeal) that you find in Italian design and engineering e.g., Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Alfa Romero, Bugatti, MV Agusta, Aprilla, Ducati....
Shimano's history is also quite rich, but it's heritage has a domestic / utilitarian foundation in cycling, not a racing pedigree in the traditional "romantic" European tradition. While there is probably no real question in anyone's mind that Shimano's components are certainly the most well-engineered, the degree of perfection that has been achived and some of the "innovations" have taken the sex-appeal and some of the romantic character out of cycling.
Case in point: Which of the following word groups instills a sence of cycling as an art or history...
A. Trek / Shimano / Bontrager / OCLV
B. Colnago / Campagnolo / Cinelli / Columbus
C. Cannondale / Shimano / Coda / 6061-T6
D. DeRosa / Campagnolo / 3TTT / Dedacciai
So, at least for me, I represent a Campy user who chooses Campy because it just works better for me. That it happens to have all that sex appeal going for it is nice, but it's not something I longed for.