New 2015 Campagnolo Front Derailleur

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Calnago
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by Calnago

What I'm doing is thinking, and testing, and not just blindly drinking the Kool-Aide. I would bet that if I were to ride (with my campy mechanical) alongside someone else with their EPS, and if there were someone with us in a car or motoscooter calling out random shift patterns which encompassed everything from single cog shifts to simultaneous front rear shifts involving as many cogs as they felt fit to call out, that I would be able to get that gear quicker than the guy with EPS the vast majority of the time.
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LionelB
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by LionelB

highdraw wrote:He isn't over thinking it Lionel. Many agree including me. So what if EPS has fractionally better shifting in front. Its a balance sheet of pro and cons that make up a groupset selection. I don't like electrical shifting either. Nibali just won the TdF on mechanical Super Record. Front shifting was apparently good enough for him over 2000 miles of racing against the top racers in the world...some of whom were on EPS.


I have 6 bikes with campy R or SR mechanical and love it.

I have only one bike with SR EPS. Whoever says that small to big ring front shifting is equal on both never tried it. It is significantly better. It obviously won't win you any race and is a luxury that is in no way "needed".

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Permon
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by Permon

I run mechanicals and rode EPS few times..... I agree with Calnago....I do not see a significant difference.
Maybe I am a skilfull person who knows how to throw the FD up/down :wink: I am a tall and stong guy, my hands are large/long fingers....maybe it plays a role :?: I am able to throw the shift lever so quick and strong, therefore I DO NOT SEE EPS BEING SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER.
Really, I do not undertand those people who say the EPS is much better in front shifting. I dont feel it that way.....and finally the EPS front der is soo big and ugly :noidea:

Harmitc
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by Harmitc

Hi Permon, thanks for your info' a few posts earlier regarding EPS updates. Do you work for Campagnolo or a Campagnolo dealer? It's just that before I purchase an EPS groupset I want to be sure that I'am getting the latest version and not just the 2014 V2 and a 4 arm crank. There's so much vague info floating around!!

Permon
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by Permon

...no no, I do not work for Campa :D An insider told me the info about EPS changes.....
I do have the same issue like YOu.....I am about to purchase EPS, so I was making sure there will not be a new version a week after I buy it :evil:
Anyway, the information about the changes for 2016 is only a doubt from the "insider", nothing confirmed. :smartass:

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by Butcher

@Calnago EPS is not the solution for everything/everyone. Having owned 2 Campagnolo 11 mechanical systems and 3 EPS systems, I can say the best thing hands down that the mechanical version will never be better at, is the ease of shifting and the accuracy of the shift.

Same situation with the moto calling out shifts, try it at the end 4 hours in a hilly ride, where you are so exhausted you cannot ride anymore. There is no way you'll ever beat an electric shift.

Mechanical beats electric with simultaneously front and rear shifting and that is about it. Rarely, I will make a unintentional shift with the EPS system because it is much easier to shift. So the nod would go to the mechanical system for that issue since that would never happen.

You don't have to drink the Koolaid, that is ok. Electric may not be the answer for you either. But it is here and will only get better. As with the failure on the road, both systems can fail. At least, I can choose which gear I can ride home it, but the mechanical version, the choices are limited. Both are bullet proof and that would not be a game changer for me.

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by 5 8 5

There was a rumour that the next version of Record / SR would have the same cabling and connectors as Chorus because it was cheaper to produce but also more robust.

Harmitc
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by Harmitc

Thanks for the post Permon. I've heard two stories one is as you say, change to front mech. Second involved further changes to align with new Chrous in certain details. As both are just rumor, I'am going to wait till the end of September when I can talk to a Campagnolo factory representative before I purchase the group. I've ridden Campagnolo mechanical groups for over 30 years. Thought it was about time I tried something new!

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Calnago
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by Calnago

I certainly didn't mean to start a mechanical vs electric war. We can all choose whichever system we like at this point. I happen to prefer mechanical, but my bikes are perfectly tuned and run and shift every bit as good as an EPS system, and I would argue better. That's all. Plus I think aesthetically it looks a lot better and cleaner. And I can fix anything on it myself. I feel the new 2015 Campy Mechanical is going to the best groupset out at the moment, period.

Butcher wrote:@Calnago EPS is not the solution for everything/everyone. Having owned 2 Campagnolo 11 mechanical systems and 3 EPS systems, I can say the best thing hands down that the mechanical version will never be better at, is the ease of shifting and the accuracy of the shift.

Agreed, you push a button, done. And I much prefer Campy's approach to this over Shimano's. There is at least a little bit of tactile feel. I like that. Last winter on a cold wet day I rode a friend's Di2 system. I had substantial gloves on. It was difficult to feel and get a sense of my shifting due to the sensitivity of the buttons. The accuracy of the shift on a mechanical system is a function of how well it's tuned. On my bikes that's a no brainer. However, here's where I concede that a properly set up electric system is going to, in most cases, shift better most of the time for most people. And that's because most people's mechanical systems always seem to need at least of bit of tweaking in my eyes. So yes, EPS will probably shift more accurately for most people because it is less finicky that way


Butcher wrote:Same situation with the moto calling out shifts, try it at the end 4 hours in a hilly ride, where you are so exhausted you cannot ride anymore. There is no way you'll ever beat an electric shift.

Well, I guess we'll just disagree on that one. I have never found that. If you are that exhausted I would say that due to how easy it is to push the buttons and shift, it is actually also easier to misshift by mistake. But to date this has never been an issue for me one way or another. I'm faster with mechanical and more accurate over all shifting condtions.


Butcher wrote:Mechanical beats electric with simultaneously front and rear shifting and that is about it. Rarely, I will make a unintentional shift with the EPS system because it is much easier to shift. So the nod would go to the mechanical system for that issue since that would never happen.

I do this a lot. An awful lot. I don't think I ever shift the front rings without simultaneously shifting the rear. For this reason alone I would choose mechanical over electric.


Butcher wrote:You don't have to drink the Koolaid, that is ok. Electric may not be the answer for you either. But it is here and will only get better. As with the failure on the road, both systems can fail. At least, I can choose which gear I can ride home it, but the mechanical version, the choices are limited. Both are bullet proof and that would not be a game changer for me.

I agree that it can only get better. I also agree that any system 'can' fail. But barring crashes, there are more ride ending things that could go wrong with an electric system on the road. I'm talking about bikes that start off their ride in a very good state of mechanical repair. For instance, two bikes in the morning given a thorough inspection to make sure everything is in good working order. Cables in good condition, no loose bolts, brakes properly adjusted, basic stuff. They both look perfect. I can leave with confidence on my mechanical system that virtually anything that could go wrong would have or should have been caught in that inspection, because you can see it. If a cable needs replacing, you can see it. With electric, you can't see it before hand. It is just going to stop working. And suppose you do miss something in the inspection and a mechanical shift cable for whatever reason does in fact break (in all my years of cycling this has never happened, it is more likely that a cable will begin to fray first giving you have plenty of opportunity to repair it before it breaks). You get home and you put in another one. $10 and you're done... go ride. With electric, when a component stops working, it's likely going to be sudden and final. You're most likely going to need a new one, and that's only after you figure out where the problem is in the circuitry which can be a frustrating process in itself, unless of course you've got the shop diagnostics computer etc., just like modern cars (well, not as complex, but you get the drift). Hopefully your component will 1) be readily available somewhere and 2) be compatible with whatever version of your electrical system you are running.


So... yes, I have a preference. At this stage I will choose mechanical all day long. That is not to say I won't go electric down the road some day. I am watching. And I am trying it out. If I believed electric was the way to go for me, I would run out this morning and get it. That's not to knock anyone who likes it. Good for them. It's a bicycle. Mine is mechanical. I like it that way.
Last edited by Calnago on Fri Sep 12, 2014 8:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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LionelB
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by LionelB

If I had only one bike or even only two bikes they would be mechanical.

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Calnago
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by Calnago

Yup, and if I was commuting to work all winter I'd have a bike with disc brakes. And fenders, etc. And if I was doing cyclocross, I can see a well sealed electrical system having the advantage over a mud caked cable system. And for sure a tt bike is better with electric. But for the road riding I do, and the bikes I have... meh, on electric.
It's all good :beerchug:
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wilwil
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by wilwil

I have two bikes with mechanical record 2009/10. One has a 39-53 the other 34-50. The 39-53 is on a steel bike without a seperate hanger and is clamp on at the front. The steel bike shifts like EPS it is very precise front and back. The carbon bike with compact isn't so good and constantly needs tweaking. I just think its a shame to have to introduce batteries to a machine that is mechanically so pure.

Permon
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by Permon

graeme_f_k wrote:We can confirm absolutely (because we have tried it ...) that 2015 shifters are not compatible with pre 2015 mechs, F or R.

We can also confirm that 2015 hoods are differently lugged on the reverse side to pre-2015 hoods and they are not interchangeable.


Graeme, how do You explain this picture?
1) those are 2015 shifters with 2014 FD and RD or
2) 2015 hood on 2014 shifter bodies

Both cases denied by You earlier :shock:
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highdraw

by highdraw

Permon,
How can you tell by that pic? Resolution doesn't seem high enough to determine design level of derailleurs and shifters.

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Richt1978
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by Richt1978

Even at the low res the front mech clearly has a metal cage - looks like Super Record RS and the hoods you can see the white logos of the 2015 hoods when you zoom in.

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