Campagnolo - still the bees knees?

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davec
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by davec

Smooth track


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dadoflam08
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by dadoflam08

Imaking20 wrote:What if I want to sprint from the drops?

;)


the real question for those of us who are old and inflexible is "what if I want to shift from the tops?" :D
nothing beats the Campy pinky shift from the tops on a sunny day feeling!
I run both mechanical SR and Di2 - both are excellent - but looking to move on the Di2 as I miss the responsiveness and flexibility of Campy - it can be buttery smooth and subtle or aggressive and quick - just depends on your mood. Di2 cant match that aspect.

I tried Red and moved it on. The front shift was awful and I was throwing chains all the time. DA 7900 just didn't have any style and didn't seem to really hit the usual Shimano quality. Must say I am very impressed (from a distance) with DA 9000 mechanical - have no doubt it is at least the equal of Campy SR for speed and precision - but in the end my heart is now locked with Campy.
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Imaking20
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by Imaking20

New RED?

I finally got to spend some time on a new SR group and I think placebo has taken a major influence in the lives of many Campagnolo owners. Shifting was heavy, the rear was not as quick as RED, and the drivetrain was certainly not quieter than new red (or DA) I'd say it's a fair bit louder actually. The material on the hoods is much firmer than new RED as well. I will say that shifting from the drops wasn't nearly as big of an issue as I expected. But I didn't care for having to reach my thumb up and back to shift in the hoods. As I mentioned in here, the double dump is something I was very much looking forward to - and it's cool With the added force needed to get these shifters moving though I found myself very easily skipping too many gears in a sprint which was a mess. Obviously this is something you adjust to with time.

I'll say that over the last couple of weeks I nearly ordered a SR and Record group to swap a couple of bikes. I went to demo the group more as a formality as I expected it to be the best thing since sliced bread. I'm glad I didn't order groups already!


While we're talking about the holy grail of groups - how about Nibali yesterday? Wait, that wasn't SRAM that dropped the chain? Hmm..

http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/05/ ... sl4_286202
(slide 9 for a giggle)

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ultimobici
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by ultimobici

Imaking20 wrote:New RED?

I finally got to spend some time on a new SR group and I think placebo has taken a major influence in the lives of many Campagnolo owners. Shifting was heavy, the rear was not as quick as RED, and the drivetrain was certainly not quieter than new red (or DA) I'd say it's a fair bit louder actually. The material on the hoods is much firmer than new RED as well. I will say that shifting from the drops wasn't nearly as big of an issue as I expected. But I didn't care for having to reach my thumb up and back to shift in the hoods. As I mentioned in here, the double dump is something I was very much looking forward to - and it's cool With the added force needed to get these shifters moving though I found myself very easily skipping too many gears in a sprint which was a mess. Obviously this is something you adjust to with time.

I'll say that over the last couple of weeks I nearly ordered a SR and Record group to swap a couple of bikes. I went to demo the group more as a formality as I expected it to be the best thing since sliced bread. I'm glad I didn't order groups already!


While we're talking about the holy grail of groups - how about Nibali yesterday? Wait, that wasn't SRAM that dropped the chain? Hmm..

http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/05/ ... sl4_286202" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(slide 9 for a giggle)
Sounds like you rode a couple of bikes that were either out of adjustment or poorly built in the first place. Having had all 3 brands' kit as well as seeing plenty of each built daily, I'm sure that the noise from Red is still greater than Campag 11 & Shimano 10 or 11. As for shifting requiring more force, that is what makes me question the install. Campag 11 is light shifting but has a more tactile feel than Shimano and if installed properly is certainly lighter than Red.

Wingnut
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by Wingnut

ultimobici wrote: Campag 11 is light shifting but has a more tactile feel than Shimano and if installed properly is certainly lighter than Red.


When I was a teenager in the late 80's I was always told at my local shop that Shimano was 'functional' and Campagnolo had 'feel'...

Imaking20
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by Imaking20

Well I would be happy for that experience to have been a fluke! My wife still wants Campy and I don't want one bike, out of 5, running a drivetrain that's not compatible with anything else.

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de zwarten
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by de zwarten

Imaking20 wrote: My wife still wants Campy


enough said! Wife is always right :D

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Calnago
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by Calnago

Imaking20 wrote:... and I don't want one bike, out of 5, running a drivetrain that's not compatible with anything else.


:noidea: So what's the problem, switch the other 4.

Seriously though, I can certainly understand the one gruppo family concept. You're in a tough spot. I say get her the campy, it's what she wants. She will be happy and you will get to tinker with it first hand. My girlfriend still runs Campy 10 spd with an FSA crank (ugh!) while I'm on 11 spd on all my road bikes. The crank on her bike is the biggest issue, but at least the wheels are compatible.
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Imaking20
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by Imaking20

I'm definitely not opposed to converting her bike - as was mentioned, that means I get tinker time :)

The problem is that to even make that much of a commitment, I need to be more impressed than I was... that's disappointing to say after riding a brand new $14k bike :doh:

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Calnago
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by Calnago

Remember, it's not about impressing you, SHE is the one who wants it. Between a rock and a hard place, I know. However, I do tend to agree with another poster that if your experience on the $14K Campy bike was that bad I would be inclined to think it wasn't set up very well. I can't stand it if a top end group is set up poorly on a fine bike, and that happens way too often in my opinion. I've seen people who just spent a load on a bike with Campy 11spd and they say "Holy crap, this is the best thing ever", when in fact it's making noise and shifting poorly. It's that "I just spent a load and damnit it's the best cuz that's what I read on the internet" syndrome. Any of the groups work very well when set up right. But that is the key, getting it set up right. Last week, a friend just received a demo "as new" Cannondale Evo set up with Dura Ace 9000 mechanical. This thing should shift like 'butta'. But he asked if I could look at it, just to make sure. Well, I did, and it was shifting like crap, especially at the front. Being primarily a Campy guy, and having never worked on the new 9000 mechanical stuff before, I did a little research and read the tech manuals, the dealer manuals, forums, everything I could to educate myself on it. And sure enough, the front derailleur had been set up not just poorly, but incorrectly. I spent a long time fiddling with it and learning about the ON/Off position of the cable routing up front, and got it right. In this case, it wasn't the group, it was the setup, supposedly done by the shop mechanic who probably didn't take the time to really educate himself on the nuances of the new 9000 stuff. They're all good... just pick one. As long as it's Campy :beerchug:

Cuz it really is the "bees knees". Yes, still.
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Imaking20
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by Imaking20

I'll drink to that!

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sugarkane
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by sugarkane

I had a little bike swap with a mate the other day, he has a felt with SRAM red.. He was gob smacked at how good my Sr shifts.. He was like ' wow the rear shifting is amazing!' I'm like 'try the front...' He nearly wet him self..
Set up properly it's totally the bees knees. I'm using THM cranks, praxis rings and AiCAN cables and its as good as a mech gruppo could be.
I reckon a lot of the performance gains made with the new 9000 series stuff is the cable System. And the AiCAN cables bring similar gains to my mixed gruppo. 1/4 turn of the cranks to get the front up. Full power shifting outa the saddle front and back. And light fast rear shifts even with my 29-11 super cassette.. Yea it's every bit as good as it looks.

Tricky1
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by Tricky1

This obviously is a subjective topic, but had to weigh in here. For the last 30 years I've ridden Campy gruppos as they function great, look beautiful and make me want to ride. They're just a work of art IMO. Shimano is quality stuff as well and is a consideration with each new frame purchase, but Sram, while it may work well, just looks butt-ugly and cheap to me. It pains me to see a beautiful frame/wheels on a Sram group. Not trying to cause any hard feelings to those on Sram, but I just know what I like! Who knows what Sram may put out in the future, maybe they can covert me?..(but they've got their work cut out).

uraqt
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by uraqt

For the last 30 years I have only ridden 2 campy groups, Nuovo Record and v10. I could still be on the Nuovo Record but 'progress" caught up with my old age knees. : )

C

mjduct
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by mjduct

Imaking20 wrote:Well I would be happy for that experience to have been a fluke! My wife still wants Campy and I don't want one bike, out of 5, running a drivetrain that's not compatible with anything else.



simple solution: switch over all your other inferior bikes

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