Road Cycling - Campy vs Shimano

I have been test riding some new bikes and discovered that I really like the Campy shifters MUCH better than the Shimano. All of the bikes I had been test riding were equipped with Shimano Ultegra and worked fine, but then I test rode a bike that had Campy Centaur(new name for Daytona) and really liked it.

It just seemed to make more sense to have the shifters seperate from the brake, and I like using my thumb.

Thanks again to all that gave me feedback. My original thread got many views and constructive replies. My last post on the old thread has my ultimate conclusion, I am very pleased!:)

congratulations on choosing the Calfee!!!! Have you bought it yet??? I am a Campy/FONDRIEST man myself. It's not that Shimano is not any good, I just like Campy better. If you haven't already bought the bike yet, you should look into upgrading to Chorus or Record. You won't be disappointed. You should at least replace the Centaur shifters with Record Ergos for your Calfee. Once again congrats!!!

thanks cane, no I haven't bought it yet. I will look into the upgrade before I do.

Originally posted by cane
..... you should look into upgrading to Chorus or Record. You won't be disappointed. You should at least replace the Centaur shifters Yeah,second the chorus shifters.Centaur BB bites too,but cuz of the 111mm spindle, you would have to go with the record triple BB to match the spidle length.

Campy is quite different from Shimano, both have their strenghts and weaknesses, however the thing I like the most about campy is that most (if not all) parts can be taken completely apart and totally rebuilt, and you can buy any specific part for campy. For example, a friend gave me 8 spd ergo shifter/brakes, I found the correct cog upgrade for 9 spd, and with a pretty simple manual the ergo levers were easliy upgraded. (and a lbs wanted $50 for the job!)

Originally posted by mikemets5 It just seemed to make more sense to have the shifters seperate from the brake, and I like using my thumb.

I've ridden both Campy Ergo and Shimano STI but I have ridden Shimano more and to be honest, I prefer STI (currently). I've never had any problems with mis-braking/mis-shifting because of the placement of the shift levers. I did have a little problem with Campy Ergo because I wasn't as used to it. I think in due time, either system would work fine for me once I got used to instinctively finding the controls. That said, I'm currently contemplating switching over to Campy Record not because of the Ergo shifters or anything but because I'd like the 10sp group. I currently run a 12-27 9sp rear cassette and while I like the range, I always seem to be hunting between 15 and 17 so I'd probably do well to get a 16. With a Campy 10sp rear cluster, I could still have the spread and the finer tuned gears. My only issue now is hub-compatibility. I think the FTS-L hubs on my Mavic Ksyriums SSC (2001 model) will take a Campy 10sp cassette but I'm not sure.

A lot of it is what you're used to. I had SHimano STI on my 'cross bike for a while, but I did have the brakeing/shifting problem. I think that has a lot more to do with the way I modulate speed offroad and the nature of the courses than any design flaw. Shimano makes good stuff. It's preference.

hey Mike
Calfee is a great choice. I agree with those who say "upgrade to Record or Chorus". I have Record on my De Rosa and it rocks. If you don't mind spending a little more, you might also consider ordering a custom wheelset as well. How 'bout Campagnolo Eurus or Mavic Ksyriums?

I haven't ridden any of the high-end groups, and for that matter, probably wont. I was curious about the low-end. Is the xenon better then sora (aside from those crummy hood-mounted shifters)

Has anyone tried one of those converter cassettes? I really like the way Shimano shifts over Campy. It just seems smoother to me. I've been looking at these (http://www.velomax.com/site/WheelsMFG/Campy10.htm) primarily because I have a Shimano compatible wheelset but also because being able to still use Shimano cogs in a 10sp setup appeals to me from a shifting smoothness standpoint.

A few companies make Campy cassettes that fit on Shimano Wheelsets... Even mavic makes one for some of their wheels. No reason it should not work just as well.

Originally posted by cane
congratulations on choosing the Calfee!!!! Have you bought it yet??? I am a Campy/FONDRIEST man myself. It's not that Shimano is not any good, I just like Campy better. If you haven't already bought the bike yet, you should look into upgrading to Chorus or Record. You won't be disappointed. You should at least replace the Centaur shifters with Record Ergos for your Calfee. Once again congrats!!!

:rolleyes:

Mike, Centaur is excellent stuff....ride your bike and enjoy it, you don't need to upgrade anything to Chorus or Record at this point.

Khuon,
You don't have to go to 10sp to get a 16. How often do you use your 12? If you could do with a 13, you could just get a 13-23, take off the 23 and put on your 27. I actually run a home brewed 14-15-16-17-18-19-21-24-28 or a stock 14-25 most of the time.
FWIW,
Raymond

Originally posted by H20.1


:rolleyes:

Mike, Centaur is excellent stuff....ride your bike and enjoy it, you don't need to upgrade anything to Chorus or Record at this point.

Mike Shimano Sora is exellent stuff...ride your bike and enjoy it, you don't need a bike equipped with anything like Centaur at this point. Yeah, getting power windows on your next new car is a HUGE waste of money too.

On the other hand, if you grow into it ...

Throughout my life, and the many expensive hobbies I have embarked on, I was always faced with the choice of entry level and replace it if I kept on, or better grade stuff to enjoy and keep me happy for several years.

It was the same with cycling. And the answer, in almost every case (boats were the decided exception), was go for the better stuff. In the long run it always pays.

BTW - I have Centaur, and except for the aesthetic satisfaction factor, see no reason ever to go to Chorus or Record. But I am not a racer, so that could be a factor if you are going that way.

Enjoy it!

Cheers...Gary

P.S. Go Proton. ;)

About how many miles should I expext before the Centaur stuff would wear out and I would be faced with what model to get for replacement

No idea on miles, but more than I would worry about, I think. Except as pointed out earlier, the BB. I am considering an upgrade there myself.

BTW re the Ergo/STI differences. Is it true that one can only shift a single cog up or down with STI? I know you can go up three, and down as much as the whole range with one touch on the Ergo.

Cheers...Gary

Here is some sage advice...

Chorus and record are nicer, better-shifting groups than Centaur, in the same way that Dura Ace is nicer and better-shifting than Ultegra. In normal use, you'll probably find that there is, however, no functional difference between Chorus/Record shifting and Centaur, and the Centaur bits will probably last many, many years without any more than normal wear -- so we're probably talking 75,000+ km before you'd actually have to replace components like derailleurs and shifters.

It's worth nothing that neither Ultegra nor Centaur are anything to sneer at. They're just not the very top.

Centaur shifters do have a nasty habit of getting a little scuffy after a couple of years, and the finish is subject to oxidation. This takes the form of a little blackening on the brake levers. I don't know if that worries you.

The advice is this... if you have the money to spend and you want the best of everything, go for Chorus or Record. If you want a good, solid, raceable, efficient group that may not be the very best, go with Centaur. Save your upgrade money and spend it on upgrades that will have a real impact on performance -- like wheels.

Further to that, the Chorus/Record Ergolevers have cartridge bearings on the rotational axis, where the Centaur uses a bushing.

If you look at the exploded views of the levers, you will see that all but about two of the parts are identical part numbers (other than stuff like the carbon bits) between the models. You can buy the different parts, and upgrade the levers to Chorus/Record internal spec yourself if you want to when and if you think they need upgrading.

Cheers...Gary

Originally posted by cane


Mike Shimano Sora is exellent stuff...ride your bike and enjoy it, you don't need a bike equipped with anything like Centaur at this point. Yeah, getting power windows on your next new car is a HUGE waste of money too.

No, Shimano Sora is garbage. Centaur is very high quality. And your little parody just makes you look even more the elitist snob that Im guessing you are.

Am I a gearsnob?? Yes, and proudly so. Lower grade components serve a useful and wonderful purpose for people on a budget, and for those who might not take cycling quite as seriously as others do. Mikemets5 seems like he's getting into cycling pretty hardcore, and he seems to be in a financially stable position to spend a little bit of extra money on some upgrades. In fact, he has expressed an interest in doing so. With my little parody, I was trying to illustrate the point that buying a high caliber frame like a Calfee and outfitting it with Campy Centaur components is kinda like buying a Dodge Viper and putting a Dodge Neon engine in it.

Originally posted by H20.1
No, Shimano Sora is garbage. Centaur is very high quality. And your little parody just makes you look even more the elitist snob that Im guessing you are.

come on now, lets keep this to a nice dicussion rather then attack someone's views. really it all depends on what riding a person is going to do, if they are going to race then they will want and perhaps need dura ace or whatever... but if someone is satisified with the way their ride is with lower end components, who is to say that is wrong?

It's pure BS when people say that putting Sora/Centaur/105 on a Calfee is like putting a Neon's enging in a Viper. They might as well say that slow riders/recreational riders are not deserving of Dura-Ace/Record because they never put the components to good/proper use.

Shimano is good but less sexy than a campy:)

Originally posted by cane
Am I a gearsnob?? Yes, and proudly so. Lower grade components serve a useful and wonderful purpose for people on a budget, and for those who might not take cycling quite as seriously as others do. Mikemets5 seems like he's getting into cycling pretty hardcore, and he seems to be in a financially stable position to spend a little bit of extra money on some upgrades. In fact, he has expressed an interest in doing so. With my little parody, I was trying to illustrate the point that buying a high caliber frame like a Calfee and outfitting it with Campy Centaur components is kinda like buying a Dodge Viper and putting a Dodge Neon engine in it.

Neon engine in a viper? You think thats a realistic comparison? Youve got to be kidding. Its rare to meet someone with your attitude, but its always amusing.

You could also go back and read Mikemet's original post. He is moving from a HYBRID to his first roadbike in some 20yrs. This qualifies as 'hardcore' to you? LOL

Guys... let's try to keep this civil... and can we please try to keep the dicsussion focused on bikes, and not automotive technology?

This is insane.Did not the original poster already say he had decided on Centaur? If he should happen to wear out or need to replace some parts,why not chorus if he has the bucks? Nothing wrong with Centaur on a Calfee. I would rather have a quality frame with 7 speed RSX and dotubes than a POA frame with record.Try to get your heads in the right place folks.........:rolleyes:

Thanks all,

I have decided to go with the Calfee Luna Pro with a Campy Chorus grouppo

Just still undecided about the double vs the triple. I will decide today and order this baby!

Originally posted by pokey
This is insane.Did not the original poster already say he had decided on Centaur? If he should happen to wear out or need to replace some parts,why not chorus if he has the bucks? Nothing wrong with Centaur on a Calfee. I would rather have a quality frame with 7 speed RSX and dotubes than a POA frame with record.Try to get your heads in the right place folks.........:rolleyes:

Exactly!

Calfee Luna Pro with Campy Chorus. Sounds like a very nice, quality bike.

Originally posted by Toothpick
Calfee Luna Pro with Campy Chorus. Sounds like a very nice, quality bike.

AGREED