We spend a lot of words trying to explain something that just "is," I guess.

Maybe I can condense it with a slight example: Electronic shifting.
Campagnolo worked hard to make the shifters feel like cable-pull shifters, but softer.
You know you shifted, not just because the chain moved, but because you felt it in your hands.
It was not just about moving a chain, it was about riding a bike.

That, and Campagnolo still makes shiny stuff.

Robbie has this one nailed for me.

For me, it's all about riding the bike.

I prefer riding my road bikes nowadays with Campagnolo systems as they just flat out work and feel right.

The rest is just a history lesson.

So cool. More time to aim.

Si!

Beautiful.

I'm a noob on fine componentry but have recently overhauled a Nishiki International with very nice sugino, SR, Suntour and Shimano stuff on it. I'm also overhauling my Raleigh Pro Mk IV with proper Campy Nuovo Record stuff on it. I have to admit the Campy components are very well designed, thought out and made. Ex; The brakes are pretty similar to the Dia Comps on the Nishiki but there are numerous details (finish, stampings, thread machining) that you do see upon close inspection and side by side comparison. The NR RD is a nice bit-o-clockwork. Will I notice the difference on the road? Donno but I'll feel good inside.

I regret not purchasing one for my own personal collection back in 86. Beautiful tool set. Has both excellent form and function.

The big difference between old and new campy for me is the old stuff just worked (for the most part), was very easy to look at, and had a great utility factor (like being able to use fewer tools instead of more). The last part went out the window with 11 speed. Maybe I'm out of touch with the modern view of component beauty, but given campy still produces shiny bits, they know we're out there. What I really want is something that's dead nuts on reliable, rebuildable, works with a chain I can find at any LBS, looks great on hand made steel, and needs a handful of reasonably priced tools to work on. It wasn't too long ago that you could still find silver bits of record quality with cranks that didn't require a special gear puller to remove, and a chain/cassette you could get a whole season of riding out of. Getting my love involves producing great race stuff AND great training stuff. Better yet, one in the same (which the old stuff really was).

These days when I think of a utility (not racy change your chain every 1k with a $100+ special tool) group it's a mix of Sugino, Ultegra, SRAM and Campy. Campy really ought to rethink things a bit since they really could produce something of great beauty that would just plain work without all the add ons to the admission price. Maybe that's the difference between the current gen of Campy management and the old gen, not sure, but somewhere they lost their way. Since they have some challenge dominating the younger market (as evidenced at race day when everyone is riding everything but campy), maybe they should rethink a bit.

"Will I notice the difference on the road? Donno but I'll feel good inside."


You'll notice you will have to be be spot on with your shifts, or suffer the dreaded chain chatter. It likes to be shifted "precisely".,,,,BD

^ That ^ would do it all in your shop.

And this would do it all on the road.

Maybe that's why I'm not moving past my old Chorus alloy ten speed groupsets.

Well said though CM.

The only one I am ready to part with my money for is Athena.

But then I see a nice used Chorus groupset and change my mind.

Chorus and Record 10 speed groupsets are just too good of a deal to pass on.

I wish they were still offered the top end 10s stuff from the big UK discount online retailers as full group sets. Give me R10 brifters pushing through a shiny aluminum UT compact double crankset, with an alu 12/30 GS rear, alu record brakes, and a SRAM link style chain. I'd be in heaven.

Yes but I have it on good authority he used nothing but Campy on his bikes.

If we include Picasso in a list of revered Italian (sounding) names, should we also include Barelli and Magura? How about Toei?

Not Sheffield, of course. English, don't you know...

Has chain life changed that much with 11 spd? The 10 spd chain seems to give much longer use than other brands.
I must admit that as an old guy there is a good bit of "Halo effect" for me. As an early teen, I dreamed of owning a beautiful NR equipped bike when riding my Huret Alvit deraillered Raleigh and have enjoyed the beauty, durability, serviceability, and ride feel of every Campagnolo equipped bicycle I have acquired since (5 now including the 90ish Terry I bought "for my wife.")

I guess I'm sort of odd (no surprise there)...I came of age during the late c-record ere - a few years after the switch to shimano had begun. It was well accepted that Campy was a dinosaur and Shimatour was the future. You rarely saw campy then, outside of catalogues - even Colnagos were being sold with Shimano groups in the shops.

I grew up believing Shimano was better - and only learned otherwise by using more stuff and borrowing some bikes with Campy. I had a bias against Campy - and their superior performance and value won me over. It wasn't until I caught the vintage bug hanging out here that I got into the older stuff - and fell in love. It was campy ergo that made me a convert.

While it is a pretty big file, this pretty much nails it:

https://www.campyonly.com/shorts/2004/The_Cult.pdf

"When Technology Becomes Emotion". Indeed.

DD

Chrome Moly is on to something with the 11 speed craze. I have my reservations about it as well and quite frankly would never run it as I see no need for it. Honestly what does it do that an 8, 9 or 10 speed set up doesn't do?

I must add my Campy components have easily out lasted by a decade and tens of thousands of miles any of the Suntour and Shimano stuff I have owned.

It shifts a little more smoothly and the stories about limited durability are exaggerated...the hoods are also the nicest shape yet. 7spd was prominent when I started riding - and back then everyone said 8sp was fragile and unnecessary. Then they said it about 9...and 10. In 10 more years they'll say it about 12.

Because it is progress. What does an 8 do over a 7? A 6 over a 5? And on and on until fixed gear then back to BC balancing on a log stuck to a stone wheel.

I will agree that as we move forward the amount of impact the latest and greatest decreases and therefore decreases the innovation. The incremental steps get smaller and smaller. An infinite speed with automatic transmission based on power is not that far in the future.

And the beauty is, if you don't want it, you don't have to get it. All of the innovations of the past are now available on ebay.

And recently, in terms of vintage stuff, I am tired of Campagnolo so now I am looking at Italian pistas from the mid-50s and earlier. There I can escape Campagnolo. Although I missed out on a cambio corsa Olympia because I am too cheap. I do regret not getting that piece of Campagnolo.

My beef with 11 speed isn't function, or even form (though longevity of a 11 speed chain plate and rivet vs an 8 speed probably is somewhat less). It is the lack of ease with which you can perform emergency fixes of the chain afield. Even the quick links offered for 11 speed are disposable, and a bit difficult to remove. Then there is the matter of cost. A reliable and reasonably performing 8/9 speed chain can be found for under $20 at most shops and will get along swimmingly with most 8/9 setups. Getting the proper campy chain for 11 speed is probably going to run you over $40 and finding a properly performing campy chain is not something a typical out state mom and pop LBS might even carry (much less for 40 bones). Sure they might have something that would work less well than the campy chain, but then you're left with an underperforming setup for $40 plus that disposable link (which isn't even a campy part).

Consider it minor griping, but it's just one of what's becoming several things we didn't have to worry about not all that long ago. Other examples of things that needn't be as they are:

• Special lockrings for 11 vs 12/13.
• Disposable brifters on the bottom end of the campy lineup instead of rebuildable deeper into the line (of course SRAM and shimano are disposable across the line, so again just another minor thing we now have to worry about)
• PT crank removal "process" vs using the same tool for lockring and BB removal
• Single pivot rear brakes only on the top stuff, is single pivot really a "new technology" that they can't offer it on their 10s groups?
• Lack of real FD trim on all but the top end stuff (meaning if it gets off a bit afield, then mess with barrels while riding or stop/fix, vs on the fly).

All of the big mfr's are as guilty as campy in many of the above regards (I shudder to think of hydraulic brakes and "rechargeable shifting"). I guess my point is that with the youth end being so SRAM/Shimano focused, campy could offer really high quality and reliable groups that fix all of the above gripes, with great performance, whilst looking stunning, but they have decided not to. Everyone's a racer now, apparently nobody's just a rider. We used to have it all.

Yes!! Very nice!

.....and I may still be pedaling around the old folks' home with my 10 speed Chorus muttering silliness about "the good old days."

I like 7. Grant who?

What I don't see mentioned about Campagnolo is negligible depreciation or increase in value or more bang for the buck! The others are like "Bitcoin", virtual value, than poof when it's time to sell. As Campagnolo parts increase, so does it's resale value, so your not stuck holding a fist full of CF or ALU.