Campagnolo mechanical 2015 (Mix & Match)

[Butcher]

Check Campagnolo's website, from my understanding, 2015 components are suppose to be not compatible with the older version. Cranksets and brakes are the exception.

[octav]

Thanks, I see now. Also found some people who checked this. So I will need to stick with pre 2015 Ergopower to work with my SR rear derailleur.

[rosuch]

Shop for sales and get SR groupset. Amazing performance. I find the best Campy prices on the web from the UK.

[9x12man]

For anyone interested I thought I would revive this thread with an update of what I think of Campagnolo mechanical 2015. I purchased Chorus 2015. For comparison I run SR 2014 on my other bike.

Chorus 2015 (things I have noticed)

• RD gear changes are very quiet. I even looked down a couple of times as it was so quiet.
• RD gear changes are quick and precise (but to be honest that is probably more to do with it being well setup).
• RD is beautifully put together.
• FD shifting is a marked improvement over previous generations.
• I like the Chainset so much more in real life. I actually prefer it.
• Ergo shifters give a more responsive click (but maybe that is Chorus vs SR in general). Personal preference as to whether that is a positive or not.
• Ergo grips are an improvement over pre-2015 groupos (to my hands).
• No discernible difference in braking performance.

Summary
I found the 2015 Chorus to be as good, or slightly better than 2014 SR. But. If you have a previous generation Chorus / Record or Super Record group, I would have a hard time recommending an upgrade. That's not a negative about the new group set, its just that the previous gen mechanical groups are also fantastic. The 2015 group is better, but I personally wouldn't be able to justify the cost (although I appreciate that it is a personal decision). If I was choosing a new mechanical groupo, I would buy Chorus 2015 over anything else. In fact I would buy it over any electronic group too. The entire groupset cost me approx. £700 - so if you are on a budget (which almost everyone is) the money could be put towards better wheels / frame. If I was feeling flush, I might upgrade the RD or Ergo's (but purely from an aesthetic point of view).

Lastly. Having brought Chorus 2015 I would have a hard time justifying the £400 or £700 additional cost of buying Record or Super Record 2015. It is that good and seems to be a real sweet spot of price / quality.

I hope my comments are useful to someone out there.

[dj97223]

Helpful review. Thanks.

[phollingswo]

Thanks for the review! I’ve got the same groupset sat in a box at home, and some 2015 Campagnolo Bora One 50 Tubular’s desperately awaiting my Canyon frame (HURRY UP) to arrive. Cannot wait to try it all out.

I agree that I prefer the look of the new 4 arm, particularly on more modern frame shapes. Still think it looks weird on more classic round tubes.

[sawyer]

Yes - new chainset is much better on modern frames ... agreed

Question - do pre 2015 FDs work with 2015 ergos?

I'm not interested in whether Campagnolo say it works or not, and whether it voids a warranty etc ... I am interested in real world experience. Also, while I want decent front shifting I'm not hugely concerned about it being perfect

[morrisond]

I was at NAHBS and Campy had a booth there with Identical Bikes running 2015 SR EPS and 2015 SR Mechanical on trainers.

I hopped back and forth about six times.

The rear on the Mechanical actually seemed to shift quicker - very slick.

The front Mechanical was slightly slower - we're talking less than 10%.

Both shifted the front great under load. Definitely better than 2014 Chorus/SR, a worthwhile upgrade just for that.

Mechanical felt a lot nicer and it was nice not hearing the motors wizzing.

If you think you are going to lose a race because your front took .1 of a second longer to shift then EPS is the right choice.

I would guess you would more than make that up in taking your competitor by surprise by using Mechanical and making a shift and them not hearing and getting a jump on them. SR Mechanical - The Stealth drivetrain.

Just my opinion.

[Dogmatic13]

@morrisond great feedback. I am actually deciding between 2014 Record EPS V1 or 2015 Record Mechanical, and my LBS (a Campy pro shop) keeps on telling me to go 2015 Mech. I have di2 on one bike hence the preference to go electronic but you're not the first real world review I've seen that says new Campy is that good

[morrisond]

I had 9070 on a bike and kept it for about 2 weeks - there is no feedback.

At the same time I had the new Ultegra Mechanical on another bike - it worked just as good and I preferred it over Di2 as there was feedback.

Just my personal preference.

2015 Campy Mechanical is as good as new Shimano Mechanical (Dura Ace/ Ultegra).

I voted with my wallet - my new Speedvagen Rugged Road Disc has 9000 with Hydraulic Discs and my new Argonaut Road has 2015 SR, if Campy had Discs available both would have been SR.

Going Electronic on either would barely have budged the overall cost of either.

So far I'm underwhelmed by Discs - I like the really low lever travel of a good caliper brake - I haven't tried my 2015 SR with the New Bora's as I'm waiting for the wheels.

At NAHBS the Campy guy strongly hinted they will have Discs at Euro/Interbike.

[numbers505]

I finally broke down moved up to 11 speed. I was running record fd and rd with centaur ergo levers. Maybe it is just my imagination or wishful thinking but it feels so much smoother and quieter now.

[kgt]

It is smoother and quieter actually. IME at least.

[baldeagle]

This thread really interests me.
Im about to build up a Bianchi Sempre Pro so it deserves campy Super Record is very expensive and chorus is meant to be very good. Like someone else said earlier I still want that SR bling though.

Can you get good deals on the mix groupset or am I just going to end up paying extra?

I'm thinking:

Shifters: Super Record
Front deraileur: Chorus
Rear deraileur: Super Record
Chainset: Super Record 52/36
Brakes: Chorus dual pivot
Cassette: Chorus 11-29

What would your options be now that the 2015 groupsets have been out for a while now.
And are there any good deals out there? I am in no major rush but would like to get the bike built by the end of March. So I could buy a few bits now and then the other bits later.

[outnumbered]

I looked at the weight comparison between all the components, and the difference between Chorus and SR is pretty minimal, apart from cassette and to a lesser extent, the chainset. But look at the price comparison and it is crazy... You're paying twice the price for some red&white lettering (and some slightly more exotic materials in places, but how much performance difference?)

So I went for full Chorus, and feel good about optimising my spend, and not at all worried about the plain white letters

[boysa]

Chorus: Workingman's Campy

(or those who race but pay for their own gear)