No fighting, but Shimano or Campag?

[2Loose]

I am planning on getting a more road oriented machine next year and there seem to be lots of bikes available with Campagnolo groupsets but I have no experience of them.

I have always always had Shimano since the eighties (well, excepting one Suntour clad bike) and Campag always struck me back then as a bit, well, a bit stuck up...more for the purists of the time anyway

The general feeling I have of many discussions on here seem to be saying that if I go with Shimano, try and get Tiagra or better if possible, due to e.g. Sora being less comfortable on the hoods than the more pricey groupo's.

I know nothing of Campag sets, apart from the freewheel's are 'nicely noisy!'

Can anyone offer constructive advice on their stuff?
Are they all comfy, or is there one set to try and avoid for any reason?
I can believe that they are all good, but why are some better than others...

I am no racer, I just want reliable and comfortable over anything else.

 

[Fab Foodie]

If you make a search, you'll find all the arguments!

 

[2Loose]

Thanks for that FF, all I can find on Campag is that Xenon & Mirage are non-current, which surprises me because a lot of new models have them.

What I'd really like is a ShimanoCampag vague comparison of the market they are going for... and this is probably completely out, but for example;

Dura Ace <-> Chorus, full on racers etc.
105<->Centaur, beginner competitive club cyclists.
Sora <-> Veloce, non-competitive but reliable and functional.

That sort of thing...if you can point me in the right direction, that would be great?

EDIT: Spoke too soon, found this; http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=37661&highlight=veloce+tiagra

 

[HLaB]

There's been plenty of discussion on this. I've got both but I prefer the campi but other people differ. I like to ride on the tops of my flat profile bars and can easily flick the thumb shifters. I find this particularly useful in managing gears (I change up when standing and down when sitting) and at the crest of a hill to rapidly shiftup. I also find my campi hoods more comfortable and rarely get numb fingers, I quite often do with my shimano hoods, but maybe thats something to do with bike set up both my bikes with Shimano have 40cm bars whereas the carbon campi bike has 42cm

 

[jay clock]

I just got a new bike and looked at Campag - not sure of the model but high up the range. Three things pushed me to Shimano Ultegra

1 The look and finish. Shimano looks like a piece of polished engineering, the Campag version looked a bit grotty.... The rubber hoods on the Campag looked really cheap with a rubber moulding line up the middle

2 The change down button was very similar to Shimano Sora and I don't like that system

3 Most importantly the Campag seemed clunky and rough. Even the LBS seemed to agree they were less smooth.....

 

[raindog]

Campag every time. The cable runs on the bars are neater too.

 

[Farky]

I've always run shimano until recently when I went for a bike with campag! At entry level (centaur compared to 105) it just seems that bit smoother and the leavers in particular seem so much better!!

Having said that, I was at the cycle show yesterday and those electric dura ace are something else!!

 

[alecstilleyedye]

a lbs who stocks both (and so has no axe to grind either way) says that at each level, there's little to choose between the two systems. and he's a pro cyclist.

 

[wafflycat]

As Uncle Albert advises, just say ShimaNO!

 

[amnesia]

Is it worth bringing SRAM into this discussion ?

I have SRAM on two of my bikes and it is durable, functional, and looks good.

 

[marinyork]

After getting a campag fitted bike I really like how non-smooth and machine gun like changing gear is, it is almost funny. Spit - change gear - spit - change gear. I've kept the shimano SPD-Rs though so some shimano survives.

 

[MacB]

I'd consider choice, supply lines and parts availability and have read a lot of criticism about Campag over this. The claims seem to be that they have:-

ceased doing wider range cassettes thus alienating the touring and mtb markets

quality control can be poorer than Shimano and SRAM

some bike shops have ceased stocking Campag due to lack of demand

Being relatively new to cycling I've been struck by the lack of interchangeability of components. This is especially true around indexed shifting and cassette fittings. SRAM, the new boy on the scene, has made sure their cassettes are compatible with Shimano not Campag. That, IMO, is a pretty damning indictment. Though SRAM have also increased the range of incompatibles with its own version of indexed shifting.

Hopefully some engineering bod will come up with indexed shifters, brake levers and deraillers where the amount of cable pull is adjustable. Thus allowing a full mix of components, though it would still mean a choice of Campag wheels versus Shimano or SRAM. There's one version on the market but it's limited and gets poor reviews. Get a decent version out there, that undercuts the big players, and I reckon they'd all suddenly find the ability to get compatible.

Much prefer the cable routing for Campag though, I think SRAM have taken this on board as well.

 

[yello]

Difficult one to answer objectively. My preference is Campa but it is only that, preference. Shimano works just as well. I'm sure SRAM does to but I've never ridden it.

I'm surprised to read there are supply problems on Campa spares though, that's not been my experience. Shimano is more common in the LBSs, that's true, but that's not to say Campa is unavailable!

There's something about Campa shifting that I prefer, especially on the front mech. I find trimming is much smoother & easier on Campa. That said, one of my Veloce shifters needs a bit of TLC at the moment!

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I've got both (Ultegra on one and Veloce on t'other) and they both work really well.
I prefer the campag shifters with the thumb shifter and the hoods seem a tad comfier though, that said both are ok by me.

 

[GrasB]

Every time I've used campag parts I've always liked the positive mechanical feel they give; you change gear you KNOW the gear has just changed, when you gently touch the brakes you KNOW when the pad has touched the rim... The smoothness & neutrality that Shimano parts give can be nice but some times you just don't know if what you asked for happened.

With that said I go for Shimano & SRAM purely because of parts availability. I know, in an emergency, I can walk into most shops around me & buy a chain ring, cassette, bottom bracket or shifter & walk out the shop with it, with campag it may or may not be a special order part.