Fantastic Bike! The Campagnolo Drivetrain is a 10 speed and the seat is upgraded to a Stella Italia in 2001.
The first thing that impressed me about this bike was the ride. I am sensitive to road buzz. I tried other steel and Aluminum bikes. However the ride on this bike is smooth as butter. The second thing that I noticed is the fork is a STRAIGHT blade. The bike really handled different than the other bikes I tested. Very responsive. I have just purchased other bikes for my kids. All had Shimano components, as did my old bike. This bike has Campagnolo Daytona Components, which shifts faster, smoother and more precise than anything I have ever experienced.
Be sure your dealer properly fits you. It will make a big difference on how comfortable the bike is. If the bike doesn't fit you will not want to ride it. But that goes for any bike. Also, if you were thinking of putting a bike rack on this bike, you will notice the frame does not have holes to accept one. You will have to settle for a tiny bag under the seat or butcher the bike's good looks with a rack that attaches to the seat post stem.
A lot of people say "it's not the bike, it's the engine." That may be true. But since purchasing this bike I ride more and my average speed (for trips over 10 miles) has gone up 6 mph. So a great bike DOES make a difference.
My final thoughts are this: This is a remarkable bike. An affordable, raceable and very rideable road bike. It may not be as light as a Merlin or Lightspeed Ti bike. But it's not $5000.00 - $6000.00 either. It doesn't have name recognition, but it is a great bike worthy of upgrading any component that does not suit you. If you are thinking of a bike in this price range, I urge you check out the components on the bikes you are considering. Then take each bike out for a test ride. I test rode a lot of bikes. This one bike spoke to me. And it gets better with every ride.
Strengths:
Great components which include: Campagnolo Drivetrain, Columbus Steel frame, Sabre Carbon straight blade Fork, Mavic Rims, Vittoria Tires, ITM Stem and Handlebars, Stella Italia XO saddle and the bike is beautiful, IMHO
Weaknesses:
Finding one