Originally Posted by
vwchad
Thank you for your opinion on the matter! First hand accounts using these groups is exactly what I was looking for.
My Cinelli is all Campagnolo Centaur except Veloce shifters and Miche cassette. I have never ridden Athena, but in comparison to Shimano 105 (5700), SRAM Rival and a crazy SRAM X9 flat bar build, nothing has come close to the mixed Centaur group (Oops, forgot Microshift 9 speed as well). Braking (with good pads) was pretty much uniform across 5700, Rival, and Centaur brakes (they are all excellent, IMO). Centaur has best front shifting of all the groups, followed by the X9 (believe it or not), and can be comfortably shifted with some load. Rear shifting is very positive: Shimano is clickity-pfft, SRAM is BANG, and Campagnolo is snap. I have never had an over or underdone rear shift, once it was tuned a titch after the build.
People say Shimano shifting is buttery. I do not want buttery. I want snappy. It is a whole different thing.
Of course, full disclosure, I almost exclusively ride a single speed anymore, so my insight may be tainted. 47x16 is way better than any 11 speed mumbo jumbo.
