Interesting about Campy parts not being available on the road—I hadn't thought about that. I based the idea on (1) having a Veloce groupset on an old Bianchi that's never given me trouble and feels great and (2) the flimsy feel of the Shimano Tiagra group on the stock bikes I tried (like the Volpe). I like the Shimano 105 shifters/levers a bit more, but I still prefer the Campy feel.

Is Shimano the only choice? Should I also look at SRAM, or is their stuff also unavailable in remote spots?

Also, it looks like some Campy shifters (which is the main part I care about) are compatible with some Shimano cassettes and derailleurs (http://www.cxmagazine.com/shimano-ca...-compatibility). Is that advisable?