Campagnolo - Any point?

[ustabe]

Ya need either EPS or Di2...Serious? It's about bikes ya know, toys.

Demoed some bikes with Di2 at Breckenridge a few weeks ago. Feh, couldn't remember which lever to push. Then I tried a Foil with Red-22. One lever for each hand, one click or two. I was ready for it.

I'll post when and how my Force finally craps the bed, I promise.

And I won't whine or complain. I'll concede the last laugh.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Demoed some bikes with Di2 at Breckenridge a few weeks ago. Feh, couldn't remember which lever to push. Then I tried a Foil with Red-22. One lever for each hand, one click or two. I was ready for it.

I'll post when and how my Force finally craps the bed, I promise.

E P S-2 levers like it should be, less connectors..more functional..like getting a nice watch rather than a Seiko or Citizen, gotta look for it. There aren't Audi dealers on every block like Toyota dealers either.

 

[winkybiker]

I don't run 11 speed and have intention of converting 16 bikes.

Sounds like you're working for your bikes, man. Simplify.....

 

[ustabe]

E P S-2 levers like it should be, less connectors..more functional..like getting a nice watch rather than a Seiko or Citizen, gotta look for it. There aren't Audi dealers on every block like Toyota dealers either.

I'm sure. Maybe if my Cummins Diesel stock splits. After I put my daughter through college, pay off the house, trade my 11 year-old Mazda, and take my wife on a vacation. Bike bling is pretty low on the list.

How the market has changed. I ordered my first full Campagnolo kit, Super Record, from Performance, for my Gios. That was my main bike until 2007.

For a decade I'd been riding Record cobbled from a crashed Raleigh International. I'd been a Campy-only kind of guy until a bud showed up with a new Colnogo fitted with Dura-Ace. Didn't make me want to switch, but I had to say it wasn't bad. That was around '83.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

I'm sure. Maybe if my Cummins Diesel stock splits. After I put my daughter through college, pay off the house, trade my 11 year-old Mazda, and take my wife on a vacation. Bike bling is pretty low on the list.

How the market has changed. I ordered my first full Campagnolo kit, Super Record, from Performance, for my Gios. That was my main bike until 2007.

For a decade I'd been riding Record cobbled from a crashed Raleigh International. I'd been a Campy-only kind of guy until a bud showed up with a new Colnogo fitted with Dura-Ace. Didn't make me want to switch, but I had to say it wasn't bad. That was around '83.

DA9000 same $ as Record
Record EPS same $ as DA Di2
Athena EPS same $ as ultegra Di2

Chorus more money than 6800 but not by much. Athena aluminum less $.

Yep, I know..1985 Ciocc with Nuovo Record was $750..

 

[King Boonen]

Sounds like yer doin' an Aplus job so far. Nice looking bike, too.

I wanted to add one point in the convo. It's been said, but not directly. You probably don't need the difference you'd get by going Campy, or upgrading to a nicer gruppo at this point.

The fancy stuff is real nice when you are riding 5-10K miles per year, or more, or yer racing. Until you've got loads of experience, and until you are pushing your existing setup to the limits, you won't notice a lot of the differences talked about here. 105 is good gear. It'll work.

So, when you start trying to beat everyone to the finish on the group ride, or hang with the first guys to the top of the climbs, so long as what you've got is comfortable, you've got yourself a good ride. You start trying to hang with the local strong men and fast boys, then a missed shift will hurt, and you'll want to upgrade.

My commuting bike isn't even 10 speed, not to notice that the cogs and the rear derailleur don't match (different groupsets). Meh, it works ok. It messes up in the top gears on a regular basis, but since I'm not in a hurry, no biggy.

Cheers fella, I'm loving being back on the road at the moment. And laughing at the disapproving looks for wearing 5:10s

105 is working brilliant for me so far, shifts well even under power, no missed shifts and a lovely smooth action. Hoods fit my hands too.

The bike is fantastic, it's much more than I need to commute but I can only afford to run one road bike at the moment. If I can get some money together over the next few months I'll probably put together a really cheap single speed for commuting, but for now I'll be running this.

First proper road ride with a make will be this week. I'm fine in terms of power from mountain biking but I'm guessing stamina may be a bit of an issue. I'll also be in flats and MTB shorts but I'm not buying bibs until I can afford some decent ones. They'll only get used for proper road riding so I don't see the point in having cheap ones.

 

[42x16ss]

Ya need either EPS or Di2...Serious? It's about bikes ya know, toys.

Bah! Still running 9s Record on my TT and it's still running great too

Some guy gave me a ribbing at Busselton 1/2 IM for it earlier this year - until I passed him on my way to a 2:05 bike split...

I'd do some unmentionable things for a chance to get my hands on some Record EPS though...

 

[purcell]

Bah! Still running 9s Record on my TT and it's still running great too

Some guy gave me a ribbing at Busselton 1/2 IM for it earlier this year - until I passed him on my way to a 2:05 bike split...

I have one bike with Chorus 9speed, bought the parts to convert it to 10 speed about 4 years ago. Still in the drawer. The 9 speed won't die and it's crisp. So I keep running 9speed on the DeRosa.

 

[42x16ss]

I have one bike with Chorus 9speed, bought the parts to convert it to 10 speed about 4 years ago. Still in the drawer. The 9 speed won't die and it's crisp. So I keep running 9speed on the DeRosa.

I have to say that it's as good a groupset as any I've owned. As good or better than the Dura Ace 7900 on my Super Six, even after I put on some Jagwire housings.

 

[purcell]

I have to say that it's as good a groupset as any I've owned. As good or better than the Dura Ace 7900 on my Super Six, even after I put on some Jagwire housings.

Yup,

I have a couple of older DT shifters and the rest are all 10 speed Ergo, old style. centaur, Chorus and Record.

Really good stuff, will outlast me, all of it. The irony is when 11 speed came out I stocked up on NOS 10 speed shifters, old style. Just so I would always have it. Don't think I will ever break into the stash as the stuff just doesn't wear out.

 

[Hawkwood]

Yup,

I have a couple of older DT shifters and the rest are all 10 speed Ergo, old style. centaur, Chorus and Record.

Really good stuff, will outlast me, all of it. The irony is when 11 speed came out I stocked up on NOS 10 speed shifters, old style. Just so I would always have it. Don't think I will ever break into the stash as the stuff just doesn't wear out.

I've used various combinations of Athena, Centaur, Chorus and Record gear since 1997, it's lasted so long that I've had to invent dubious excuses for replacing it with newer equipment.

 

[stutue]

http://inspire-ipcmedia-com.s3-eu-w...ites/2/2014/06/RE-2015-guarnitura-630x419.jpg

Radical new design from Campagnolo

 

[stutue]

Radical new design from Campagnolo

 

[42x16ss]

Not sure if I like it, but I haven't had a chance to see it first hand yet.

 

[stutue]

I was being a bit mischevious. Point is Campag have aped the Shimano design and gone 4 arm.

The Campag effort is aesthetically pleasing but apart from DA all the Shimano 4 arms look really odd.

For sheer ease of maintenance I'd still pick HT2 over PT/UT.

 

[pastronef]

I think about this almost every time the UAE-team wins. and especially after today's Strade Bianche win. the mistake Campagnolo made not to try EVERYTHING to keep UAE-Team 2 years ago is probably the nail in Campagnolo's coffin

 

[macbindle]

The nail in Campagnolo's coffin is that Shimano is just too good, too big, and Campagnolo cannot compete on anything, not price, not build quality, not innovation, not function.

For decades, Italian products held a sort of cachet that was exploited to death in the marketing, that somehow they contained a bit of the 'soul of cycling'.

New entrants into cycling will not have a clue what that was about, and that in itself is a clear indication why Csmpag is all but gone.

 

[danielovichdk2]

I have had 3 campy super records, one being EPS v3.

The electric was bollocks, fell apart within 6 years and no possible fixes. The mechanicals is the best I have ever owned.

But today I probably not buy an electronic. I would buy a mechanical super record and enjoy the simplicity and durability. Over the years of having ridden both and with all the small issues along the line - not to mention charging your *** gear group - its ridiculous. Standards change, no upgrade options, specialised mechanics, etc.

 

[Oldermanish]

I would go for Campy as long as you do not mind the small shifting levers next to your thumb.

Those little devils are magic in an out of the saddle sprint. Start small gear and accelerate to big much faster than someone can do it in old DA. Electronic shifting should all be perfect for anyone than makes it.
I still ride the cabled SR and have no failures. All of my friends that use Shimano wireless have had to call for a ride home. All of them. Especially my wife....(who again, mercifully never reads anything here).

 

[Oldermanish]

The nail in Campagnolo's coffin is that Shimano is just too good, too big, and Campagnolo cannot compete on anything, not price, not build quality, not innovation, not function.

For decades, Italian products held a sort of cachet that was exploited to death in the marketing, that somehow they contained a bit of the 'soul of cycling'.

New entrants into cycling will not have a clue what that was about, and that in itself is a clear indication why Csmpag is all but gone.

Sounds like a generalized assessment of consumer opinions after they've spent the money on Shimano.

There was never any mechanical DA that was close to Record or Super Record. I still have several sets of each and only one brand (sponsored by them) left me on the shoulder of 2 big races: DA mechanical. Adding insult to injury; they could never back it up with replacements in less than 3 months. That's why I still have a "spare" set.
Finished my last seasons with Campy and had no complaints other than fine tuning shifting once in awhile.

 

[Cookster15]

Sounds like a generalized assessment of consumer opinions after they've spent the money on Shimano.

There was never any mechanical DA that was close to Record or Super Record. I still have several sets of each and only one brand (sponsored by them) left me on the shoulder of 2 big races: DA mechanical. Adding insult to injury; they could never back it up with replacements in less than 3 months. That's why I still have a "spare" set.
Finished my last seasons with Campy and had no complaints other than fine tuning shifting once in awhile.

I say you were simply lucky (or unlucky with your DA failure). My experience with DA (since 1995) is the opposite. Before then I used Campy Chorus. Campy has a price premium hard to justify when DA does the job as good and in my case reliably. Likewise I am surprised to read about problems with replacements. Japan usually beats Italy for that kind of thing.

 

[Bolder]

Aesthetics. Campy only since 1999. I'll die on that hill.