Campy Cult (and other observations)....
08-24-08, 07:31 PM
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Campy Cult (and other observations)....
This ought to be a lively thread.
I have been watching the posts on this forum for the past month and listening to my locals talk and it seems nothing brings as much animation as the Campy/Shimano/SRAM debate.
And for the record, i have ridden all three component groupos and think they are all great in their own ways. I have one DA and one Campy Centaur bike and have likes and dislikes on each, but neither makes me a better rider than the other. I think some guy named Lance Armstong one time said something like "It's not about the Bike".....he MAY have even written a book to that affect........
It seems to me that there is FAR MORE bashing of Shimano from Campy and SRAM users than there is from Shimano against the others. Why is that? Why do the followers of these manufacturers find it so necessary to bash the other companies rather than just let the components speak for themselves? When i took my first job with a major international accounting firm, the first thing we were taught was that there was no quicker way to be fired than by running down your competition - we were to let our work do the talking, and we did.
I got to reading old magazines and came accross a 2004 article entitled "The Cult". It was written with a positive spin on Campy and essentially repeated what i say in the third paragraph above, but they list the 6 factors associated with cults.
a. Leaders are perceived as being chosen by God, history or some supernatural force (i.e., Tullio Campagnolo).
b. Disciples invest thier leaders with unshakable authority and refure to question or doubt sacred doctrine or ideology.
c. The group presents its vision to neophytes as inviting and challenging.
d. Disciples become pshychologically dependent on the group for existence.
e. Purity demands that an Us vs. Them mentality is developed (hmmmmmm).
f. Dispensing of existence: There is only the group; outsiders are evil.
Im not making any value judgements here. Just posting what i read. I find it interesting. Like i say, i love Campy and would recommend it to anyone - the same as I would DA or SRAM Red - ..... but i wouldnt make them drink grape koolaid before doing so.
Anyhoo, just sitting here bored between the olympics and college football and thought i would get a lively conversation going..........you know you HAVE to say SOMEthing........
Later.
I have been watching the posts on this forum for the past month and listening to my locals talk and it seems nothing brings as much animation as the Campy/Shimano/SRAM debate.
And for the record, i have ridden all three component groupos and think they are all great in their own ways. I have one DA and one Campy Centaur bike and have likes and dislikes on each, but neither makes me a better rider than the other. I think some guy named Lance Armstong one time said something like "It's not about the Bike".....he MAY have even written a book to that affect........
It seems to me that there is FAR MORE bashing of Shimano from Campy and SRAM users than there is from Shimano against the others. Why is that? Why do the followers of these manufacturers find it so necessary to bash the other companies rather than just let the components speak for themselves? When i took my first job with a major international accounting firm, the first thing we were taught was that there was no quicker way to be fired than by running down your competition - we were to let our work do the talking, and we did.
I got to reading old magazines and came accross a 2004 article entitled "The Cult". It was written with a positive spin on Campy and essentially repeated what i say in the third paragraph above, but they list the 6 factors associated with cults.
a. Leaders are perceived as being chosen by God, history or some supernatural force (i.e., Tullio Campagnolo).
b. Disciples invest thier leaders with unshakable authority and refure to question or doubt sacred doctrine or ideology.
c. The group presents its vision to neophytes as inviting and challenging.
d. Disciples become pshychologically dependent on the group for existence.
e. Purity demands that an Us vs. Them mentality is developed (hmmmmmm).
f. Dispensing of existence: There is only the group; outsiders are evil.
Im not making any value judgements here. Just posting what i read. I find it interesting. Like i say, i love Campy and would recommend it to anyone - the same as I would DA or SRAM Red - ..... but i wouldnt make them drink grape koolaid before doing so.
Anyhoo, just sitting here bored between the olympics and college football and thought i would get a lively conversation going..........you know you HAVE to say SOMEthing........
Later.
08-24-08, 07:35 PM
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I thought this was going to be a thread about Campy's new CULT (Ceramic Ultimate Level Technology) bearings. Color me disappointed.
08-24-08, 07:37 PM
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Shimano is about profit, Campagnolo is about prophet.
Never truer words written.
I believe in Campagnolo.
Never truer words written.
I believe in Campagnolo.
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Ten tenths.
Ten tenths.
Last edited by BananaTugger; 08-24-08 at 07:41 PM.
08-24-08, 07:41 PM
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Sounds like the followers of big O for president.
This ought to be a lively thread.
I have been watching the posts on this forum for the past month and listening to my locals talk and it seems nothing brings as much animation as the Campy/Shimano/SRAM debate.
And for the record, i have ridden all three component groupos and think they are all great in their own ways. I have one DA and one Campy Centaur bike and have likes and dislikes on each, but neither makes me a better rider than the other. I think some guy named Lance Armstong one time said something like "It's not about the Bike".....he MAY have even written a book to that affect........
It seems to me that there is FAR MORE bashing of Shimano from Campy and SRAM users than there is from Shimano against the others. Why is that? Why do the followers of these manufacturers find it so necessary to bash the other companies rather than just let the components speak for themselves? When i took my first job with a major international accounting firm, the first thing we were taught was that there was no quicker way to be fired than by running down your competition - we were to let our work do the talking, and we did.
I got to reading old magazines and came accross a 2004 article entitled "The Cult". It was written with a positive spin on Campy and essentially repeated what i say in the third paragraph above, but they list the 6 factors associated with cults.
a. Leaders are perceived as being chosen by God, history or some supernatural force (i.e., Tullio Campagnolo).
b. Disciples invest thier leaders with unshakable authority and refure to question or doubt sacred doctrine or ideology.
c. The group presents its vision to neophytes as inviting and challenging.
d. Disciples become pshychologically dependent on the group for existence.
e. Purity demands that an Us vs. Them mentality is developed (hmmmmmm).
f. Dispensing of existence: There is only the group; outsiders are evil.
Im not making any value judgements here. Just posting what i read. I find it interesting. Like i say, i love Campy and would recommend it to anyone - the same as I would DA or SRAM Red - ..... but i wouldnt make them drink grape koolaid before doing so.
Anyhoo, just sitting here bored between the olympics and college football and thought i would get a lively conversation going..........you know you HAVE to say SOMEthing........
Later.
I have been watching the posts on this forum for the past month and listening to my locals talk and it seems nothing brings as much animation as the Campy/Shimano/SRAM debate.
And for the record, i have ridden all three component groupos and think they are all great in their own ways. I have one DA and one Campy Centaur bike and have likes and dislikes on each, but neither makes me a better rider than the other. I think some guy named Lance Armstong one time said something like "It's not about the Bike".....he MAY have even written a book to that affect........
It seems to me that there is FAR MORE bashing of Shimano from Campy and SRAM users than there is from Shimano against the others. Why is that? Why do the followers of these manufacturers find it so necessary to bash the other companies rather than just let the components speak for themselves? When i took my first job with a major international accounting firm, the first thing we were taught was that there was no quicker way to be fired than by running down your competition - we were to let our work do the talking, and we did.
I got to reading old magazines and came accross a 2004 article entitled "The Cult". It was written with a positive spin on Campy and essentially repeated what i say in the third paragraph above, but they list the 6 factors associated with cults.
a. Leaders are perceived as being chosen by God, history or some supernatural force (i.e., Tullio Campagnolo).
b. Disciples invest thier leaders with unshakable authority and refure to question or doubt sacred doctrine or ideology.
c. The group presents its vision to neophytes as inviting and challenging.
d. Disciples become pshychologically dependent on the group for existence.
e. Purity demands that an Us vs. Them mentality is developed (hmmmmmm).
f. Dispensing of existence: There is only the group; outsiders are evil.
Im not making any value judgements here. Just posting what i read. I find it interesting. Like i say, i love Campy and would recommend it to anyone - the same as I would DA or SRAM Red - ..... but i wouldnt make them drink grape koolaid before doing so.
Anyhoo, just sitting here bored between the olympics and college football and thought i would get a lively conversation going..........you know you HAVE to say SOMEthing........
Later.
08-24-08, 07:43 PM
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And for the record, i have ridden all three component groupos and think they are all great in their own ways. I have one DA and one Campy Centaur bike and have likes and dislikes on each, but neither makes me a better rider than the other. I think some guy named Lance Armstong one time said something like "It's not about the Bike".....he MAY have even written a book to that affect........
08-24-08, 07:46 PM
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Either spell it in English, "groupset", or spell it correctly in Italian, which would be "gruppo". Stop mixing them together please. Trying to be cool by using Italian is kind of offset by misspelling it.
08-24-08, 08:06 PM
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Shimano is about profit, Campagnolo is about prophet.
Rouleur Issue #1
08-24-08, 08:12 PM
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Some don't know what they want. Those people get SRAM.
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Ten tenths.
Ten tenths.
08-24-08, 08:13 PM
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To me Shimano just gets it wrong all the time. The ergos suck for me personally, I hate the fact that the brake lever moves to shift, I despise the externally routed cable (which they finally have gotten rid on new DA), and while it is very smooth it is also sort of vague and cheap feeling IMO. I was really disappointed in the feel of the new DA...I was hoping for something solid and crisp and instead it felt like Tiagra (which for the money isn't bad, but when we're talking DA money I expect better).
I love Campy, I love the history and everything about them, but I especially love the ergos and the performance. I'm also a fan of Sram. I think they really hit the nail on the head in terms of ergos and features. I'll stick with Campy for now, but a Sram bike could certainly be in my future. They do it right. They also have great service which is a nice plus.
I love Campy, I love the history and everything about them, but I especially love the ergos and the performance. I'm also a fan of Sram. I think they really hit the nail on the head in terms of ergos and features. I'll stick with Campy for now, but a Sram bike could certainly be in my future. They do it right. They also have great service which is a nice plus.
08-24-08, 08:15 PM
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Two words: Pinky shift.
When I'm on the tops on a climb, nothing is quite as handy as that pinky downshift to the smaller cogs.
Campy has it. Shimano/SRAM don't.
When I'm on the tops on a climb, nothing is quite as handy as that pinky downshift to the smaller cogs.
Campy has it. Shimano/SRAM don't.
08-24-08, 08:21 PM
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I can't understad why people get so fired up about this topic. Let me start yet another thread about it.
Yeah, you must be bored.
Yeah, you must be bored.
08-24-08, 08:56 PM
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You have bored Bongo.
08-24-08, 09:08 PM
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I like the shifters on Campy better, and Campy can be rebuilt.
I have two friends that have Campy on one bike and Shimano on another. Both of these guys tell me that they like the Campy stuff better. One of them told me that Campy is quieter and shifters better. He did say that he was comparing 2007 Record to older 9 speed Dura Ace if that makes any difference.
I have nothing against Shimano and if I bought a bike that came with it, I would use it. But, if I am building a bike from the ground up, I would put Campy on it.
I have two friends that have Campy on one bike and Shimano on another. Both of these guys tell me that they like the Campy stuff better. One of them told me that Campy is quieter and shifters better. He did say that he was comparing 2007 Record to older 9 speed Dura Ace if that makes any difference.
I have nothing against Shimano and if I bought a bike that came with it, I would use it. But, if I am building a bike from the ground up, I would put Campy on it.
08-24-08, 09:11 PM
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Geeze people. Campys not better. Shimanos not better. Srams not better. They all work well and are just different. I've spent thousands of miles on each groupset. It all works.
08-24-08, 09:13 PM
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Both Campagnolo and Shimano work OK. But I prefer Campagnolo because:
Brake levers don't move to shift
Shift cables not exposed
Ergos more comfortable than STI
Brake levers don't move to shift
Shift cables not exposed
Ergos more comfortable than STI
08-24-08, 09:41 PM
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I don't like Shimano brake pads. I use KoolStop. What now?!
Oh wait...we were talking about gruppos.
Oh wait...we were talking about gruppos.
08-24-08, 10:00 PM
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I would take the opposite stance. They all piss me off for one reason or another. Wake me up when a groupset actually lives up to its own hype.
