Originally Posted by stevegor

Back in the day when I was new to serious cycling I would get asked stuff like, "What block are you running, a 12/21?" I would ignorantly nod my head and mutter, "Yep", and when they started talking about gear inches I would fall to the ground, curl up into a fetal position and whimper.

What intrigues me is that while Campy is sensational, not all things mechanical that come out of Italy are, sure Lambos, Ferraris etc are amazing, but they are so finicky and bad tempered at times. Japanese products on the other hand, may not be as glamorous but have a long record of reliability and durability. German products like the Rohloff IGA are a technological marvel, but is there a German derailleur set up?