Road Cycling - Campy ergo shifters...riding in the hoods

I test-rode a touring/commuting bike (03 Binachi San Remo) yesterday with campy ergo shifters, but I'm used to shimano STI shifters. I found that I could not stay in the hoods and shift the thumb trigger. This led me to shy away from the purchase, but I'm a little bummed since I like everything else about the bike.

This got me to thinking...It must have been me and not the components, because all you race guys have no problems with this. So here is my question for the campy riders: Do you have to get out of the hoods to hit the thumb trigger? If not, what is the trick? I might go back and try the bike again if I can figure out how to use them comfortably.

Its all a question of getting used to them. I use campy, and find that shimano feels
totally weird to me.
Give it some time and I bet you find them as comfortable as your shimano STIs.

Marty

I don't really understand the "thumb shifter" on Campy. Would someone please post a pic, and an explanation for my benefit?? ThanX!

OK, I press the thumb-shifter at the joint on my thumb, not with the end of my thumb. Maybe that would make a difference. I agree with Marty, Shimano shifters seem odd to me, too.

I have the 01 San Remo and I love the thumb shifter! I spend the majority of my time on the hoods and shift from there. In fact, I'm not sure I ever shifted from anywhere but there. Not true. I do sometimes shift using the thumb trigger while in the drops.

Oh, I've never used Shimano's STI, so I can't compare.

Give the bike another try. It's a great bike. Bianchi doesn't make the San Remo any longer. I saw an new one hanging in a local store for ~$900.

I test-rode a touring/commuting bike (03 Binachi San Remo) yesterday with campy ergo shifters, but I'm used to shimano STI shifters. I found that I could not stay in the hoods and shift the thumb trigger. This led me to shy away from the purchase, but I'm a little bummed since I like everything else about the bike.

This got me to thinking...It must have been me and not the components, because all you race guys have no problems with this. So here is my question for the campy riders: Do you have to get out of the hoods to hit the thumb trigger? If not, what is the trick? I might go back and try the bike again if I can figure out how to use them comfortably.

When I bought my Binachi Eros I also seriosly looked at a Klein with Shimano. Coming from friction downtube they both were a little weird.

With the Campy the whole brake lever doesn't move just the lever behind it to shift to the larger cog. The thumb lever shifts down to the smaller cog. Its real easy from the hoods just move the thumb. Its a little bit of reach (or more movement) from the drops. I also like the fact that the cables are "aero", wrapped under the tape. The cable coming out the side of the Shimano Brake/shifter just looks kinda odd to me.

I went from DA nine speed to Campy with my latest roadie bike and the adjustment was pretty straightforward. I don't have to move my hand much more to shift when I'm in the drops than I did with Shimano stuff. The biggest adjustment I had to make was getting the hoods positioned so that I didn't feel like my hand would slip over the top of the hood. In the end, I think they sit just a tiny bit higher on my bars than my Shimano stuff did. You'll adjust, so don't let that be the reason you don't get the bike.

Of course, there are those that never really like the feel of one of the two, so try to test ride a bunch of Campy bikes to get a real feel for them. If nothing else, it gives you a reason to test ride more bikes, right?

Maybe the bike you test rode was a bit large for you. You may have had to stretch to reach the hoods? If you're in an awkward position to begin with, those Ergo thumb triggers may feel awkward at first to activate.

I don't really understand the "thumb shifter" on Campy. Would someone please post a pic, and an explanation for my benefit?? ThanX!
Bac,

The campy set up has a thumb shifter on the inside aspect of the lever (see pic below).
On the left shifter, the lever (behind brake lever) shifts to big ring, the thumb shifter shifts
back to the small ring. Right shifter is similiar, thumb shifts down the cassette, lever shifts up.

Marty

I don't really understand the "thumb shifter" on Campy. Would someone please post a pic, and an explanation for my benefit?? ThanX!

Now I have one bike with Shimano and a new bike with Campy.. it will take me a a couple of rides to get use to the campy but I can shift just fine from the hoods or the drops..

notice the thumb thingy on the inside of the hood..
http://www.litman.com/bikes/new%20bike%20ergo.jpg

A lot of people compare the Campy Ergo shifter to the Shimano Sora. But the comparison between Campy Ergo and Shimano Sora shifters is pretty superficial I think They do have similar actions, but the Campy thumbshifter is positioned much closer to the rear end of the hoods such that pressing down on it is easy to do from the drops (you would need to have thumbs as long as your index finger to do this with Sora). When riding on the hood, shifting is likewise easy since they're positioned pretty high up on the hood. In fact, I find shifting on STI harder from the hoods becausethe brake lever is more of a stretch for me to push laterally.

A friend that I ride with uses Ergo shifters, and we recently compared them with my Sora STi's. OK so Campag Veloce and Shimano Sora are not exactly on a level playing field (especially for the wallet) but we both seem to have a similar level of usability, riding with hands on the drops or hoods - maybe I'm a mutant, but I never had a problem reaching the buttons :). The only real difference is that to shift multiple sprockets with the Sora STi, one must press and release the "thumb lever" for each gear change, whereas with the Ergo system, the button can be pressed in one action through multiple increments to step up the gears.

Cheers,

Ed

Bac,

The campy set up has a thumb shifter on the inside aspect of the lever (see pic below).
On the left shifter, the lever (behind brake lever) shifts to big ring, the thumb shifter shifts
back to the small ring. Right shifter is similiar, thumb shifts down the cassette, lever shifts up.

Marty

Hmmmm - that makes sense now! Hmmmm .... so is the rear deraileur a "rapid rise" type? Or (with one motion) can you shift through multiple gears both up AND down the cassette?

ThanX!

you can shift multiple gears both up and down cassette with the campy.
Multiple "clicks" gets you multiple shifts.

Marty