Shimano Ultegra Di2 vs Campagnolo Chorus Mechanical

[cmcdonnell]

It comes down to whether you want electronic shifting or not. I've tried DA Di2 and whilst it worked very well it did not do anything for me and solved a problem I did not have and created several of it's own. That said I'd happily ride it without hesitation. I just prefer a mechanical groupset possibly because I'm getting on a bit and have spent my whole life on Campag! If the electronic groupset was lighter and the charges lasted longer I may be interested. eTAP is getting there but I really do not like SRAM groupsets at all

[bremerradkurier]

I'm working on a new Pinarello F8 Road Race/ Crit bike build and I've got roughly a $1400 budget for a groupset.

Ultegra Di2 : 2407g
Campagnolo Chorus : 2120g + cables/housings

I'm all for that Campagnolo bling but I'm a terrible bike mechanic. I can never get "perfect" shifting when I index my 105 system. I'd like to be able to downshift during sprints confidently with a quality groupset while still making this bike build classy and light weight.

What are your thoughts between the two groupsets and what belongs on a Pinarello?

Buy from the UK and you'll be well under $1400 for either groupset even after adding 10% for customs duties.

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/campagnolo-chorus-11-speed-double-groupset/

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/shimano-ultegra-6870-di2-groupset/rp-prod118170

[eaglejackson]

I used Campy Chorus 10s and Record 11s for about 15 years total. I switched to Di2 4 years ago and would never dream of going back. I was constantly fiddling with cable tension to get the Campy mech to shift well. The Di2 has been a revelation at just how great a derailleur front and rear can shift. The front shifts perfectly every time, under load or not. No more worries about dropped chain or shifting the front at a "bad" time. I have both DA and Ultegra 11s Di2 now and love them. Ultegra is a great value for the level of performance. With my eyes closed I can't tell the difference between DA and Ultegra.

Yeah, you have to charge a battery. In return you get mind blowingly good shifting under all conditions. I'm a convert.

[Pan]

I reindexed my gears again and went on a hard group ride. Shifting was good, not perfect but predictable enough confidence to sprint up hills or down flats. It boosted my confidence to work with mechanical along with the chat.

I spoke and rode with guys that had Di2 Ultegra, DuraAce 9100, and 9100 Di2. I asked for their opinions and thoughts but and trailed behind them when I wasn't pulling.

DA-9100 Currently learning towards either Shimano Ultegra Di2 53/39 (11-32) or Mechanical DuraAce 9100 52/36 (11-30).

[BRM]

I used Campy Chorus 10s and Record 11s for about 15 years total. I switched to Di2 4 years ago and would never dream of going back. I was constantly fiddling with cable tension to get the Campy mech to shift well.

The majority of Campa users will not find themselves in your problem of constantly fiddling with cable tension.

You bring in 15 years of experience and point to things that campa is constantly fiddling and di2 is the bomb.
An overdone and unbalanced comment.
You may have your own opinion but please don't set people on the wrong foot.

[trimenc]

I am a "majority" campagnolo user and I agree with eaglejackson: I do find myself constantly fiddling with all my Campy group sets (minus my SR 10 speed on the CX bike) and I don't have to mess with my Shimano bikes nearly as much....which is why I put them on my wife's bikes! I don't mind tinkering, and she does....so it works out just fine. All of mine are mechanical and I have not made the jump to electronic yet, so take it for what it is worth.

[BRM]

Campagnolo parts don't degrade in very fast ways.
Cables are very good and don't stretch really much after the "break in" period.

Following logics, makes me curious what can behind this phenomenon where you constantly need to adjust and mess? . . . .

Maybe its your frameset?
Derailleurhanger alignment?
Derailleurhanger like butter?
The way you transport your bike and ruin the allignment?

[Pan]

One real issue that came up is, Campagnolo uses different rear free hubs. I wouldn't be able to use Campagnolo cassettes with my wheelsets (Zipp, Fulcrum, Mavic) which are more expensive than the groupsets in question by far.


It's confirmed that 10sp Shimano doesn't work with 10sp Campy according to a former weightweenie thread.
I've read literature stating Campy groupsets can work with Shimano/Sram cassettes. Some sites say there is noise. I'm unsure if Campy has derailleur clearance, Shimano DA has an 11-30 where as Campy's largest rear cassette is 11-29.

They say chains do matter, but I use off brand KMC SL 11 chains anyhow which should work with both.

I really wish manufacturers would just get a standard already.

[eaglejackson]

The majority of Campa users will not find themselves in your problem of constantly fiddling with cable tension.

You're speaking for a majority of Campy users? Have you spoken to a majority of them yourself to get their views?

I think not.

Undeniably your comment is overdone and unfounded.

Your experience with Campy mechanical may be different than mine. OK, that's fine. But no one here can speak for a majority of Campy users.

My experience with Campy mechanical -- on my bikes and my wife's -- was that it required frequent cable tension fiddling. The hangers were fine, etc etc etc.

Di2 shifts magnificently. I put it on my wife's bike too. She was resistant, but now that she has it, she absolutely loves it. Perfect shifts front and rear every time, no dropped chains. And no fiddling to make sure her bike is shifting well.

[shimmeD]

I don't fiddle with my Campag, in fact I don't even have adjusters (except at the rear der). Am I in the majority or minority?

[BRM]

@ eaglejackson
Eh, maybe I'm a much better informed person than you are?
Maybe I know the market much better than you can imagine?

I don't "speak" for the majority of campa users.
But I can perfectly scale in the common experience of the majority.

How can you constantly have problems with cable tension?
Define what you mean wiith "constantly", whats the interval exactly, and did you use Original cables?

What is your thought about the cause, where could this mysterious stretch come from?
Cable lenghts don't vary per day. What is according you the flaw in the system that you had these problems?

[AJS914]

If you are always fiddling with rear derailleur tension then you have drag in the cables. I struggled a bit when I went to 11 speed. Installing 8, 9, or 10 speed had always been flawless for me. What I discovered with Campy 11 speed is that you have to cut the cables perfectly and make sure to open up the holes and not create any drag in the system. I also suspect that routing cables through bars can be the source of drag. Those tight bends don't help. The bottom line is that if your rear derailleur tracks one day and then not the next, you have drag or binding in the cables. There's really no other place for slop in the system.

[vejnemojnen]

the frame has a lot do with it as well..

a cannondale of mine has full length outer cabling, ie.: derailleur cables run open from the head tube till the derailleur.

installed the cables, and never had to re-adjust it during the whole cycling season. then just a half turn on the fine adjuster.

whereas with an older frame, which uses concealed cabling, i had to re-adjust the gears after every 1k km-s or so..

[cmcdonnell]

I never need to adjust my SR or Chorus now but I did fond the 11 speed much harder to initially set up than the 10 and 8 speed Campagnolo systems I'd used previously. Once adjusted properly it has been perfect. I don't have any "on the fly" adjusters on my Bianchi and the ones on my litespeed are way too stiff to use anyways.

[Ste_S]

Also mystified by Campag mechanical users need to constantly fiddle.

Have Chorus 11 on one and Chorus 9 on another bike. They're not exactly rocket science to set up (even when you're using a vacuum cleaner to suck cables through an internally routed frame). Very occasionally give the rear mech adjuster a minor tweek to deal with cable stretch and that's about it. Re-cable once a year if I've ridden through a particularly mucky winter.