hueyhoolihan

come'on... Campy sold more than 150 gruppos in 2010.

flatlander_48

The tendancy is that the pricing curves are sawtooths. They are list for a while and then the price slides as time goes on. They are cheapest just before the next iteration is introduced and the cycle starts again. Right now Texas Cycle Sport has S/R EPS at $4360 and Di2 9070 at $2700. Frankly, I don't know what has happened in recent times. A couple of years ago when I was tracking prices every 2-3 weeks, I did see S/R EPS below $3000 (~$2700-$2800). All of the prices I've mentioned a full drivetrain kits, not conversions. Anyway, TCS often has decent pricing.

Overseas, it is different. Ribble has S/R EPS at about $3200, so it all depends upon where you look.

I would have to wonder if the elevated Campagnolo prices in current times has anything to do with the Italian economy. The way things have been coming and going lately, it's hard to say.

flatlander_48

I think most people have no idea of the relative sizes of the companies. It isn't comparable at all. There probably aren't many businesses with that kind of size difference where there is direct competition. Folks look at the 2 companies as though they were financial equals, but that is no where near the reality. It's a difference of better than 13:1...

redfooj

the name sounds exotic

Fox Farm

I bought my Chorus from Ribble at greatly reduced prices. Of course, this assumes that you pay no VAT.
With the falling Euro prices and strength of the US dollar, Campy should be getting cheaper to purchase in the US.

ColnagoC40

I ride both Dura Ace and Campy Super Record mechanical group sets. I could never get the Campy to shift as precise as the Dura Ace, but it shifts good enough. On the Campy, have to replace rubber hoods now and then, on the Dura Ace I had to replace a right side control lever once. I think Dura Ace cables are better.

One has to look at the finish on the Campy though, compared to powder coated stuff on Dura Ace. The Campy definitely will have higher production costs, or be more expensive to make.

headloss 

Doubt it... Distributer pricing always reflects price at time of import. Any falling value happening now won't exactly affect pricing in the short term. If the Euro stays weak, we'll see good prices next year!

Leinster

Ribble are a UK dealer; he's talking about buying direct from Europe, not through a US distributor. Assuming Ribble honour pricing at day-of-payment's exchange rate, you should be able to get stuff from them 10% cheaper today than 6 months ago. Not a big deal on a $20 chain, but significant on a $1200 groupset.

Stucky

Not if you're Eye-talian. My last name sounds more exoctic than Camp-en-yolo....

Fox Farm

Yes, I bought from Ribble when living in the US. And yes, it is the current exchange rate that I was referring to, as buy it now, 2015 at dollar to Euro, or Pound, rates.

redfooj

a tad bit sexier than SRAM, no matter where you were born

gioscinelli 

Campagnolo has always been held in the highest esteem as a quality manufacture and staying on the European Continent and not fleeing to the Far East for cheaper labor. Most to blame are the distributors, who are the middleman, they control the prices. As for functionality, Campagnolo is hands down the best, for engineering, and visual appeal. Ergo shifting is precise, has multiple up shifts and down shifts and that fabulous "click-shift"!

Monkey D.Luffy

Exclusivity = more money + being unique factor. Whether the technical advantage is there is up to preference. If money is not an issue, then the SR would probably be a good thing to have.

JohnDThompson 

Pretty much true, although in the late 80s they did outsource their dropouts -- formerly made by Technocili in Italy -- to Taiwan. And today much of the production is using low-cost labor in Romania.

Industry Insider: Valentino Campagnolo interview

dolande

Yes I know I'm 8 month late but complaining for a less that 8% difference between DA and record.!!!!!

Alias530

DA = SR though, not Record. Price gap is much bigger when properly compared.

Campag4life

I have built and ridden DA9000. SR? No. Campy Centaur >>> DA9000.

Alias530

Well maybe if someone better at building were to build it you'd realize that DA = SR.

Drivetrains that perform poorly because they're poorly adjusted don't count as "poorly performing drivetrains".

Drew Eckhardt 

DA = Athena with a Record titanium/steel cassette. 1 cog smaller per lever actuation, aluminum cranks. For most of the last few decades Chorus with a Record cassette was the appropriate comparison because Shimano doesn't splurge for titanium hardware and carbon fiber, although that dropped to 10 speed Mirage = 10 speed DA for 2009-2010 when Athena and above were 11 cogs and even Centaur/Veloce got Ultrashift mechanisms.

Ridelots24

In my own experience...I found that Campy cogs and rings last longer than my previous DA/ultegra sets..
therefore, if i'm spending a little more, it will be same cost over time/usage than shimano
i converted to Campy in ~08', so Shimano may have improved since.
main reason I converted to Campy was ergonomics of hoods., but now sold on durability.
only my touring bike is shimano 105, and that's to allow for best chance finding spare parts on a journey.

SevenTwentyNine

Back from the dead, rise up my child and walk the earth again!

... FSA Wireless > Campagnolo EPS < Shimano Di2 > SRAM Wireless ... trolololololol

waters60

Hard to complain about price when a Chorus group from '92 works almost as well as the day I bought it, with tens of thousands of miles. I had no trouble spending the money on a '15 Chorus group, as it will also last many years. Spread out over 23 years my '92 Chorus group is a hell of a value. I can think of very few other things in today's throwaway world that last that long.

rousseau

As a Campy fanboy who's never really ridden Shimano, I can't make an objective comparison, but this list hits all the right notes in my own experience.

Trsnrtr

I have a Specialized Roubaix Pro with 2014 Record and a Giant Propel with 2015 Ultegra. Both shift very well but I prefer the Campy.

FWIW, I get my Campy bits from Velomine.com

halfspeed

You can't pinky shift Shimano from the tops.