foul smell

I switched back to Shimano Dura Ace after riding a Chorus bike for a while. I didn't find anything wrong with the shifting but the deal killer for me was the feel of the hoods. When I am out of the saddle climbing I position my hands on the shifter hoods. The Campy hoods feel small and "not right" I don't have big hands (size med gloves) but it didn't feel as comfortable as Shimano units. It is a shame as I liked everything else about Campy. The ability to dump the cassette was pretty neat as well when I came up to a red light all of a sudden and want to get ready for the green. Anyone feel the same way?

kwrides

Did you already sell the Chorus group?

I switched from Campag to Shimano and am thinking about going back to Campag.

Waldo

I feel the opposite way-I prefer the feel of the Campy (and SRAM, gotta be a company guy) hoods relative to the 10 speed Shimano setup (not to mention, the aesthetics).

smoke

just the opposite. i greatly preferred the feel of campy, but couldn't reach the thumb paddle with my small thumbs, so i went with shimano. i have since upgraded to SRAM red; the best of both worlds. unless you don't like the feel of campy grips

dekindy

I had Shimano 600 until I got my Shimano Ultegra recently. I like Shimano Ultegra but my small hands fit better on the Shimano 600 and Campagnolo hoods. I have never shifted Campy or SRAM but I definitely like the size of the hoods better. But I am getting used to the Ultegra and as other responders like the Ultegra hoods best on climbs.

shakeNbake

I would if I had the money.

Pharmr

I love my Ultegra hoods...they are soooo comfortable for me....coming from Sora/Tiagra it was like night and day.

phoenix

I’ve ridden an Ultegra bike and currently am riding a Campy 10spd Record bike. I much prefer the feel of the Campy stuff to the Shimano. I have size large to xl hands and find the smaller Campy hoods feel better to me. The Shimano hoods felt excessively large at times, and I also felt I had to move my hands a lot to find the comfortable hand position when on the hoods. I”m also a fan of the thumb shifting with the Campy stuff.

Tequila Joe

I have the same opinions of the OP.

I have both and prefer the ergonomics & shifting philosphy of Shimano.
Its not anything that will make me dump the Record group and switch to the other. It just personal prefference.

DRLski

I switched to Campy from Shimano because of the the hoods alone, the smaller fit felt better to me, the Shimano shifters felt "oversized" too me and unnatural.

ManBearPig

Haven't owned Campy but earlier in my cycling "career" I tended to admire how the Campy hoods went horizontal from the bars, rather than the deep dip that the Shimano made. However, the latest incarnation of 10-speed Shimano DA hoods have a pretty flat transition and a nice, high design almost like a gun grip that you can grab full-fisted almost. That gives me a sense of security when riding on the hoods.

As a side note, I am currently a 1/2 step down from DA to Ultegra SL on my current rig and the hoods don't seem the same -- slightly fatter and shorter. Though it could be in my head...maybe they are identical, haven't looked closely.

55/Rad

I look at the current Shimano 10 speed brifters and think "bulky". They feel that way to me as well. I'm not tossing them though.

55/Rad

zacster

The little I've used Shimano, I much prefer the feel of Campy hoods on my bike. And I find the shifting easier too. I'm in a computrainer class and I'm the only one with campy, and I'm the only one that can do the fast shifts.

kevinmcdade

Yep, got rid of my Campy stuff because I hated the hoods. Loved everything else about it but the hoods were the deal breakers. I have Shimano on my road bikes and am thinking about putting SRAM on my next build. I love the look and feel of the SRAM hoods!!!

phoenix

Yeah, thats another thing I really like about Campy, it shifts fast and precise. Shimano feels a little sloppy overall to me, not as fast or precise.


Agreed, I would strongly consider the SRAM groupo on my next build. Next best thing to Campy in my opinion.

ride26fast

i have very large hands (xxl gloves) and prefer my campy hoods over my old shimano ones, i tried the sram double tap ones but didnt like it all that much

Surferbruce

DA hoods are indeed thinner than Ultegra/Ultegra SL. Still prefer campy though.

BHBiker

looks like its all personal with groupsets/hoods.... then again in cycling...mostly its all personal preference:-)

cs1

I have very small hands and have no problem shifting my Daytona brifters. With Campy the inital positioning of the brifters makes all the difference later on. Mount them too hign and small handed riders will have a tough time shifting. If you do most of your riding while in the drops, then lower them a little. It's that simple. You should have tried it before you switched.

Tim

daodedick

I like how the Campy looks, but when in the hand, nothing feels as nice as the Shimanos. The curve of the hoods perfectly cradles my hands. Also, for hard braking on the hoods, I don't feel as if I'm going to slide forward off the bike.

Stallionforce

Same here, Campy hoods fit my hands way better; I prefer the thumb trigger shifting; I prefer sweeping the cassette if I get caught in the wrong gear (who can think when they're at 115% LTHR?); I love the front derailleur shift on Campy versus the clunky front derailleur shift on the Shimano; and I love the hidden cables.

That said, Shimano's rear derailleur shifting is buttery when you finally get it dialed in. Still, that ka-chunk of the Campy rear derailleur is fun too.

Ah, to me, it's like comparing Mercedes to BMW: both are excellent and do their job.

And when it comes right down to it, yeah there are the practical reasons above for my preference of Campy; but, in the end, it comes down to aesthetics. And I especially hate the jumbled cables in the front, the gawky brake hoods and the horrible, horrible look of the DA cranks/rings. They've made it better but it used to be a pie plate.

teamcompi

campy feels good to me

Psimet2001 

I ride both. Campy hoods have a more classic feel. Reminds me of the "good 'ol days". But that said I prefer the Shimano hoods. I have large (wide) hands. Maybe that has something to do with it.

NRRider

I had the same feeling with my Veloce hoods. Felt like my hands were going to slip off. Been riding Dura Ace since then and haven't looked back, sort of. I'm slowly being lulled into trying out Campy again, at a higher level (Chorus or Record), just to give it another shot.

Soil_Sampler

Depends on the bend of your bars and how you have the shifters positioned on the hooks.
If you have a smooth even and level transition from bars to hoods, they are butter.