Dan333SP

^ ^ Anyone know where I can get some slick Santa Cruz stickers for my beater bike?

rjones28 

It'll look gritty by the end of the street.

rjones28 

Sounds like a hassle. Use a Sharpie.

Leinster

Aberroadie & Fitch, $30 a roll.

Doug28450

That could work.

andr0id

I voted yes because Campy makes great stuff.

However, you should learn to work on your bike yourself if you want it done right. Most shops are totally unfamiliar with Campy stuff and it is just enough different from Shimano and SRAM that they screw it up.

Or you have go to the really expensive place like Mellow Johnnies where they charge you a first born child for a tune up.

jjjj

I voted yes.

I switched from Ultegra to Campy, 11 years ago. Shimano worked great then and is even better now. Everyone has it. It is bullet proof. So, when I bought my new bike 2 years ago what did I buy?

Well I demoed Shimano. I liked it a lot. I tried to love it, but in the end I bought Campy. There is no logic to this. Campy just speaks to my heart. It is expensive and somewhat inconvenient. Parts have to be ordered.

Even my bike shop guy loves to work on it.

So if you are looking for value Shimano. If you think you might buy into the Campy is art concept (I Obviously did), then take the plunge. But beware it is addictive.

American Euchre

I'd love to hear more from this perspective. What is it precisely that sets campy apart?

I have extremely limited experience with campy, limited to a single test ride. I believe chorus carbon, relatively recent ('14 I believe). The freewheel was EXTREMELY loud (I assume it was a campy free hub), and the rear shifting mech was so stiff I couldn't move it!

jjjj

Well, I will try to answer your question. Shifting to me is very tied to the biking experience. Same with cars: manual transmissions.

Probably like most people my modern road bikes started out as Shimano. It worked great but I never really liked the brake and shifter being incorporated. So I tried a Campy Chorus 10. It seemed fine so I bought a bike with it. Well over time I really began to love the shifting. I think I particularly like upshifting/downshifting being done by the thumb and the finger. I think this just seems more balanced. I also like the the feel of the shifters. you mentioned them being stiff. I have never got his sensation. In fact I think Campy does an excellent job balancing the tactile feel.

The one area I believe Campy has a real advantaqe over Shimano is in the ergonomics of the hoods.



Overall I would say that Campy seems more mechanical to me. Like an automatic watch or a manual transmission car. Shimano seems like a quartz watch or an automatic transmission car. Works perfect, but has no soul.

By the way prior to buying my last bike I rented a Ultegra equipped bike on a week long vacation. It worked flawlessly. But after the week I decided to stay with Campy. Like I said I tried hard to like it. It is just not for me. Recently I spent a day on Dura Ace DI2. It really works absolutely perfectly. Best shifting ever. I am still not buying it. It also has no soul or feel.

Some things to know about me. I am an engineer by trade. When my biking friends ask what they should buy, I always direct them to Shimano because it is the best value and bike shops are most familiar with it. I could care less about the name. I mean who cares what the person next to you thinks about your bike when you are hammering at 20 plus MPH. I do care about the riding experience and what excites me. Shifting is a big part of this experience.

I doubt this helped you much. As an engineer it pains me to say this, but Campy just feels better to me.

I guess in summary if you own Shimano and you like it I would suggest you stay with it. If it does not excite you give Campy a try. Campy does seem to have a rock solid brand loyalty, so I thinks others feel the same way as me.

American Euchre

That's definitely a helpful response.

The difficulty for me in any further evaluation of campy componentry is that I don't have access to it. I can't readily test ride a bike with campy stuff. I think it might be worth it to rent a bike with campy but most such bikes are in the $7K+ range it seems, so perhaps a rental might cost a lot more than I'd like to pay.

The manual vs automatic transmission analogy does make sense, however..

I feel like my 10 speed tiagra has that manual transmission feel: the lever throw is relatively long, has a fair amount of resistance and the derailleur springs are not so tight that shifts are totally effortless. Changing gears requires just a little bit of muscle to complete.

And the shifts have a satisfyingly noisy thunk to them.

This is all in comparison to ultegra 6800, the smoothest shifting I've tried. I think 6800, while still utilizing the brake lever as shift lever, is less objectionable since lever throw is so short. Of course, with di2, the role of brake lever as shifter is completely eliminated.

Even though 6800 is a lot smoother and quieter than my tiagra, I really do like tiagra shifting since it is so mechanically engaging, requires more physical input and gives back a lot more tactile data.

Which is to say, I may very well like campy equipment a lot; that is, if it were not for the sticker price shock!

redfooj

Yeh
But what would pepe do

Dan333SP

We all need to take a moment out of our mornings and consider this. Thanks for bringing it up.

jjjj

I understand your difficulty. When I said I tried Campy what that actually entailed was not a test ride at a bike shop. I actually asked a stranger about his grouppo. He was really cool let me ride it and shift it about 25 yards. One shift in his sight. He was very generous and had been riding campy a while. He had Campy Record.

I did not really know if I would like it in 5 minutes, so it was risky.

From my experience (my 2010 cross bike) Tiagra feels muddy when compared to Ultegra or even todays 105 (my daughters bike). Same is true for most Campy grouppos although my experience is mostly in the Chorus.

If you would like my advice I think I would tell you to get Ultegra DI2. Electronic shifting is very very very hard to beat. If you get it you will love it. Sort of like if you have never driven a manual transmission car, you would not understand why anyone would want one.

That being said I am considered buying a new frame. The frame I really want is not available as a frameset. My guys have offered me a fantastic deal on a complete bike with DI2. I just can not do it because I like my Chorus more than even DI2.

Good Luck

Reynolds 

If you have to ask...

fietsbob

Much more likely to get repairs on the road using more common Shimano components..

but staying home , you choose.. What Impresses your buddies? Overspending!


Performance is the output from the bloke on the saddle ..

Asia is where manufacturing costs less Shimano uses several Asian companies, Sram does , too .

Campagnolo opened up Romanian factories to lower manufacturing & Labor costs.

redfooj

be sure to do it facing qibla

fietsbob

I spend the money on the wine bottle not the opener, but if you are just a millionaire I expect you need to impress your billionaire Peers.

mister

About a year ago, I switched from Ultegra to SRAM Force and really liked the SRAM. I've never used Campy before. I've always thought Campy was a bit ostentatious. Ultegra and Dura-Ace are fantastic for what they are, but everyone has them. I like that SRAM is different and a bit of an underdog in the road cycling side of things.

redfooj

pffft. thats like trying to impress private jet owners with your upgraded domestic first class tickets.

this is a wine opener:

Stucky

As far as actually riding goes: It doesn't matter. Pretty much anything from the lowest Walmart-level junk to the most expensive groupset will be able to accomplish the task of moving the chain a few fraqctions of an inch to switch gears. The main differences between the groupsets are aesthetics and image.

Personally, I'd like to try Campy, just because I never have- but I wouldn't buy it new/pay a lot for it. (Actually, I'd like to return to downtube shifters....)

We've been taught to obsess over differences between components and bikes, but really...a bike is a bike. In the final analysis, it just comes down to what you personally like, and really, there's no reason to be too fussy, as it just doesn't make much difference. Try new things when it's convenient to do so, and be satisfied with what you have, because in the end, it's more about your muscles, heart and lungs, than it is about the name on any part of your bike.

gioscinelli 

Go for Campy! There's nothing else like it. Mechanical Campagnolo version shifts the best. Shimano shifts lag, Sram is like DT, feel as you shift and Campagnolo it's click and shift with bonus of going up or down the cassette in one shift. All of my bike are Campagnolo, except my Peugeot PX10.

PepeM

What do the pros use?

Doge

Shimano, mostly. A primary reason is support (race support) and they have skilled employee mechanics there ready to help and follow cars at most races. For that alone, if involved in the higher levels of racing it is a clear choice. It also works great.

DMC707

I started out riding shimano, -- switched to CAMPY (in 1994) - then switched back to Shimano in 2002 as the light action was addictive- Then i went through a long sad dry spell where i lost my way -- when i came back in '14 it was on a shimano equipped bike, and all my mtbs are shimano -- but i recently started gravitating towards Campy again

Doge

To re-answer correctly I guess we have to know why. I expect this was a for reaction thread. But there are differences, and depending on what you want it for - there are different selections.

I've had at least a couple bikes with each brand. Here is my view...

SRAM
-Lightest - generally
-Interesting shifting
-Innovative new stuff
-Change sub components year to year, so not as interchangeable
-Race support in USA 2nd to Shimano

Shimano
-Best working
-Best support
-2nd lightest
-2nd best materials

Campy
-Best finish
-Most durable/best material
-Lowest USA support
-Least likely to change as often and make parts incompatible from year to year


If you are a racer in competitive categories - Shimano - but then you know that, so I assume you aren't.

If you are a rec rider:
-And like cool new technology - SRAM
-And like sturdy, reliable, long lasting well finished parts - Campy.

If it wasn't for our relationship with Shimano as a 50+ guy - Campy would be my selection. But as we are about racing - Shimano it is.