Campy or Shimano Converts

i went from shimano to campag....

i like the ability to adjust the front ring setting (there are 3 clicks per ring) and the extra
shifts dont bother me

but i cant get used to the shifter shape. they just dont suit my hands.....

as always try before buy

panda

"rrgmrg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This is not a troll, nor am I intending on opening up the endless debate

on

Quoted message said:

Shimano vs. Campy. Both are very fine groupos.

I have ridden Dura Ace for years and have been for the most part very pleased. However, I am
preparing to purchase my dream lifetime bike (Vortex) and have been considering making the move
from Dura Ace to

Record.

Quoted message said:

At this price level, I don't want to have any regrets.

Why switch you ask ? Better looking hardware (love those carbon

shifters -

Quoted message said:

I consider bikes part art so no lectures please, aesthetics are important

to

Quoted message said:

me), more replaceable parts, potential for a 29 when I get fat and old, general impression from my
reading that Campy will last a bit longer, ability to jump several gears with a single shift,
and I suppose simply

for

Quoted message said:

something a bit different.

I would like to hear some thoughts from a few riders who have made the switch to Campy after
having ridden Shimano for some time (or even Campy riders that may have converted to Shimano). Any
regrets ?

I'll hang up and listen, thanks.

Randy

<lots snipped>

Quoted message said:

I would like to hear some thoughts from a few riders who have made the switch to Campy after
having ridden Shimano for some time (or even Campy riders that may have converted to Shimano). Any
regrets ?

I'll hang up and listen, thanks.

Randy

Randy,

I started with the old Shimano 600EX (which I thought was quite nice, actually) with DT shifters and
eventually upgraded to Dura-Ace, which I've used for the last 10 yrs or so. I had a Mavic group (it
was a partial group) and a Suntour Superbe Pro group in there as well, so I've used a lot of stuff.

I recently bought a new custom Havnoonian for my 40th birthday and decided to try Record for the
first time. I had never even shifted Campy before, but I was really peeved after having to replace 2
right hand STI shifters because the damned things just STOP WORKING (rant over ;>😉.

All I can say is, is that I am thrilled with Record. I love the way it looks and the fact that you
can shift down the entire cassette by just holding the shift button down (and I love the sound that
the return spring makes....I know, that's too weird, no?....but one of the things I love about
cycling are the sounds...) Another great thing is how easily it installs. I always go to my
framebuilder's shop and help build out my new bikes (kind of a bonding thing) and it was easy to
build w/Campy. (I actually got to watch the whole frame being tig-welded, too, which was totally
cool.) I was also very surprised that I have more usable gears. I don't know if it was as a result
of fat chainstays on my old frame, but I always got a lot of chain noise in the small sprockets on
my old bike w/Dura Ace. With my new bike I could actually cross-chain if I really wanted to and
there's no chain "dingle." The chain runs quietly and smoothly across the entire gear range (I use
the Connex chain connector w/Campy chain.) From time to time, I still mis-shift thinking I am using
Dura-Ace (old habits die real hard), but I suspect this will go away as I rack up more miles on the
new bike (the weather quickly went to [censored] here near Philly shortly after I took delivery, so I only
put about 500 miles on it so far.) Finally, I took to heart some of the gurus on this NG's opinions
about the serviceability of Record. I hope that in the event of shifter failure, that I will be able
to service the shifters without having to replace them.

One thing that I do miss on the Shimano group is the shape of the grips. I think that the Dura Ace
hoods are slightly more confortable than the Record hoods because they provide a larger platform for
your hands. If we are to believe the pictures we've seen of Lance and the new 11 speed group (I
think the new Shimano levers are hideous looking), the shape issue might not matter anymore
depending on what Shimano did with the shape of the hoods. Also, Record cassettes are very
expensive, so if the wear factor becomes an issue, I may up buying Chorus cassettes.

Anyway, I chose a 39 x 52 with a 13-26 cassette, which gives me a fantastic range. I like it much
better than the available Shimano cassette option. It's basically a straight bolock from 13 to 19
with a 21, 23 and a 26 at the back end. I won't have to swap cassettes anymore when I travel to
hillier climes because the range is great. And here at home, I find this setup allows me to stay
in gears closer to the center of the cassette. I think I was always slightly overgeared. I had
previously changed my Dura Ace to a 39x53 with a 12x25 cassette, which was a bit better, but
after running some calculations, the 52 seemed like a better choice for me than the 53. Also, I
never used the 12 and ended up having to swap cassettes if we traveled to Montana or Canada or
Colorado to ride.

Hope you find this info helpful, Cat

Just assume that both brands work fine and will last. I agree with aesthetics and have both Record
and Mirage that are both black plastic. They work the same too. I think you need to ride Ergo to
make certain that your hands like it.

I'd recommend getting 9sp instead of 10. A 13/28 is available and you can also use a wider range of
Shimano compatible hubs and cassettes that are less costly as well.

rrgmrg said:

Why switch you ask ? Better looking hardware (love those carbon shifters - I consider bikes part
art so no lectures please, aesthetics are important to
me), more replaceable parts, potential for a 29 when I get fat and old, general impression from my
reading that Campy will last a bit longer, ability to jump several gears with a single shift,
and I suppose simply for something a bit different.

Last year I switched from a Trek/Dura Ace to a Seven/Record. Here's my comparison of the two
gruppos. Note that my comments on Record apply equally well to Chorus.

Record: Biggest advantage over Dura Ace is the shifting. Not that Dura Ace isn't good, it's REAL
good. It's just that Record is better. It's faster, more positive, and more precise where Dura Ace
has a bit of a mushy feeling in comparison. Upshifting in particular is superior because the Record
rear derailleur moves as soon as you press the shift button. With Dura Ace you have to move the
lever and then have it return before the shift happens. Plus being able to shift more than one gear
at a time. I smile every time I upshift. I don't like the Campy cassette choices. I used to use a
12-27 for really big climbs. Now I have a 13-26 and I miss the 12 cog a lot. To get a 12 I'd have to
go to a 12-25, which isn't low enough for me in the mountains around here (WA). I do like the
aesthetics of the hidden cables.

Dura Ace: I like the feel of the lever hoods better. It's not just the shape but the way that the
hoods are connected to the bar. The Dura Ace hoods come off the bar at a slight upwards angle but
with the brake lever itself still vertical. With Record, the hoods are more or less flush with the
bar. If you try to move the hoods upward a bit, then the brake lever gets too far from the bar to
use easily in the drops. In fact, last year I noticed that some of the Campy riders in the Tour De
France had their hoods mounted so high that there was no way they could possibly brake with their
hands in the drops. A tradeoff, I guess.

These are the main issues with me. I don't think there's that much of a difference with the other
components - brakes, crank, etc. - for the non-racing rider. I do think Shimano's crank technology
is superior, although the impact on the average rider is probably nil. Overall, I'll take Campy and
would do so again mainly because of the shifting since you do so much of it when riding. But there
is no clearcut winner here. It's all great stuff. In fact, I just put a pair of the new Dura Ace
pedals on my bike.

Finally, try to go for ride on a Campy-equiped bike before you buy.

James

"rrgmrg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I would like to hear some thoughts from a few riders who have made the switch to Campy after
having ridden Shimano for some time (or even Campy riders that may have converted to Shimano). Any
regrets ?

I'll hang up and listen, thanks.

Randy

Cat Dailey <[email hidden]> wrote:
: hoods because they provide a larger platform for your hands. If we are to believe the pictures
: we've seen of Lance and the new 11 speed group (I think the new Shimano levers are hideous
: looking), the shape issue might not matter anymore depending on what Shimano did with the shape of
: the hoods.

Can you give a link to any pictures of this?

Arhtur

--
Arthur Clune clune.orgclune.orgOpen ↗ Power is delightful. Absolute power is absolutely delightful -
Lord Lester

I had ridden Shimano for many years (since they replaced Sun Tour and various other smaller
manufacturers as essentially the only thing one could buy other than Campy). This includes
600/Ultegra and Dura Ace.

I went with Campy Chorus last year on the new Habanero. Got tired of wearing out Shimano STI
mechanisms and there being no way to repair/overhaul/maintain 'em.

The experience has been positive. The shifting has been fine, neither better nor worse than
correctly functional Shimano. I still have sporadic issues going from one bike to the other where
I'll simply upshift when I want to downshift or vice-versa, because of the completely different
methods of actuating the shifts. Happily it doesn't happen *that* often, so I can laugh about it.

I used to be quite contemptuous of Campy stuff, but now I guess the cleated shoe is on the other
foot, and I regard Shimano with the same esteem as, say, Microsoft or Osama Bin Laden.

Art

This is going to sound gauche, but I'd really rather have the Campy shifters (with der.) and Shimano
everything else. I like the shifting of the Campy levers, but the S guys have as good or better
stuff everywhere else for less $$.

"rrgmrg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This is not a troll, nor am I intending on opening up the endless debate

on

Quoted message said:

Shimano vs. Campy. Both are very fine groupos.

I have ridden Dura Ace for years and have been for the most part very pleased. However, I am
preparing to purchase my dream lifetime bike (Vortex) and have been considering making the move
from Dura Ace to

Record.

Quoted message said:

At this price level, I don't want to have any regrets.

Why switch you ask ? Better looking hardware (love those carbon

shifters -

Quoted message said:

I consider bikes part art so no lectures please, aesthetics are important

to

Quoted message said:

me), more replaceable parts, potential for a 29 when I get fat and old, general impression from my
reading that Campy will last a bit longer, ability to jump several gears with a single shift,
and I suppose simply

for

Quoted message said:

something a bit different.

I would like to hear some thoughts from a few riders who have made the switch to Campy after
having ridden Shimano for some time (or even Campy riders that may have converted to Shimano). Any
regrets ?

I'll hang up and listen, thanks.

Randy

In article said:

This is going to sound gauche, but I'd really rather have the Campy shifters (with der.) and
Shimano everything else. I like the shifting of the Campy levers, but the S guys have as good or
better stuff everywhere else for less $$

That depends on how you draw a comparison between the groups. Personally I would take Chorus as
roughtly equivalent to DA, and Record barely a hair better, a little prettier and lighter. Quality
difference between DA and Ultegra is much greater than the gap between Chorus and Record. I think
Chorus is far above Ultegra quality and Centaur quite close to Ultegra, depending on which parts
you're talking about. A Centaur bike with a Chorus crank, BB, and hubset is a nice way to adjust
Centaur quality up a little.

--Paul

Cat Dailey said:

hoods because they provide a larger platform for your hands. If we are to believe the pictures
we've seen of Lance and the new 11 speed group

Huh? Whazzat? Okay, I'm awake now. . .

Ted Bennett

The pictures are available in the article in Sports Illustrated (Athlete of the Year issue).

Cat

"Arthur Clune" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Cat Dailey <[email hidden]> wrote:
: hoods because they provide a larger platform for your hands. If we are

to

Quoted message said:

: believe the pictures we've seen of Lance and the new 11 speed group (I

think

Quoted message said:

: the new Shimano levers are hideous looking), the shape issue might not matter anymore depending
: on what Shimano did with the shape of the

hoods.

Quoted message said:

Can you give a link to any pictures of this?

Arhtur

--
Arthur Clune clune.orgclune.orgOpen ↗ Power is delightful. Absolute power is absolutely delightful -
Lord Lester

More than one cog per shift on the back; less than one ring per click on the front.

"rrgmrg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This is not a troll, nor am I intending on opening up the endless debate

on

Quoted message said:

Shimano vs. Campy. Both are very fine groupos.

I have ridden Dura Ace for years and have been for the most part very pleased. However, I am
preparing to purchase my dream lifetime bike (Vortex) and have been considering making the move
from Dura Ace to

Record.

Quoted message said:

At this price level, I don't want to have any regrets.

Why switch you ask ? Better looking hardware (love those carbon

shifters -

Quoted message said:

I consider bikes part art so no lectures please, aesthetics are important

to

Quoted message said:

me), more replaceable parts, potential for a 29 when I get fat and old, general impression from my
reading that Campy will last a bit longer, ability to jump several gears with a single shift,
and I suppose simply

for

Quoted message said:

something a bit different.

I would like to hear some thoughts from a few riders who have made the switch to Campy after
having ridden Shimano for some time (or even Campy riders that may have converted to Shimano). Any
regrets ?

I'll hang up and listen, thanks.

Randy

"Mike S." <mikeshaw2@coxDOTnet> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This is going to sound gauche, but I'd really rather have the Campy

shifters

Quoted message said:

(with der.) and Shimano everything else. I like the shifting of the Campy levers, but the S guys
have as good or better stuff everywhere else for

less

Quoted message said:

$$.

Huh. Shimano costs me more at every quality level.

--
Andrew Muzi yellowjersey.orgyellowjersey.orgOpen ↗ Open every day since 1 April 1971

Quoted message said:

That depends on how you draw a comparison between the groups. Personally I would take Chorus as
roughtly equivalent to DA, and Record barely a hair better, a little prettier and lighter.

I agree

Quoted message said:

Quality difference between DA and Ultegra is much greater than the gap between Chorus and Record.

Agree with the first part of the statement (DA vs Ultegra). I don't think there's ANY difference in
the quality between Record and Chorus, Record just has more C/F and Ti that makes it lighter.

OTOH, I love the C/F in the Record group for it's cool factor (particularly the optional C/F
crank). Waiting for C/F brake calipers to be introduced and then I'll try to sneak the $1K+
"upgrade" past the boss.

R / John

You can solf your problem just by using Campy shifters and rear-derailleur (you have to match these)
and combine it with Shimano cassette, body and hub. This just with a convertionset of spacers. It
works fantastic on my bike. branfordbike.comcog12.htmlOpen ↗

"rrgmrg" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This is not a troll, nor am I intending on opening up the endless debate

on

Quoted message said:

Shimano vs. Campy. Both are very fine groupos.

I have ridden Dura Ace for years and have been for the most part very pleased. However, I am
preparing to purchase my dream lifetime bike (Vortex) and have been considering making the move
from Dura Ace to

Record.

Quoted message said:

At this price level, I don't want to have any regrets.

Why switch you ask ? Better looking hardware (love those carbon

shifters -

Quoted message said:

I consider bikes part art so no lectures please, aesthetics are important

to

Quoted message said:

me), more replaceable parts, potential for a 29 when I get fat and old, general impression from my
reading that Campy will last a bit longer, ability to jump several gears with a single shift,
and I suppose simply

for

Quoted message said:

something a bit different.

I would like to hear some thoughts from a few riders who have made the switch to Campy after
having ridden Shimano for some time (or even Campy riders that may have converted to Shimano). Any
regrets ?

I'll hang up and listen, thanks.

Randy

I bought a bike with Shimano STI for racing in '92. It was nice, but I didn't really like how the
STI levers worked- I didn't like having the brake lever move. I switched to Campy because I
preferred the way the shifting is set up. I've had two iteration of Campy ergo and find the latest
levers the most comfortable I have ever ridden in 30+ years.

IMHO the main reason to choose between Campy and Shimano is which brifter you prefer.

Allan Leedy said:

More than one cog per shift on the back; less than one ring per click on the front.

Nice description of Dura Ace, what about Record? ;-)

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net home.earthlink.net~jeverett3Open ↗

"Cat Dailey" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<lots snipped>

Quoted message said:

I would like to hear some thoughts from a few riders who have made the switch to Campy after
having ridden Shimano for some time (or even Campy riders that may have converted to Shimano).
Any regrets ?

I'll hang up and listen, thanks.

Randy

Randy,

I started with the old Shimano 600EX (which I thought was quite nice, actually) with DT shifters
and eventually upgraded to Dura-Ace, which I've used for the last 10 yrs or so. I had a Mavic
group (it was a partial group) and a Suntour Superbe Pro group in there as well, so I've used a

lot

Quoted message said:

of stuff.

I recently bought a new custom Havnoonian for my 40th birthday and decided to try Record for the
first time. I had never even shifted Campy before, but I was really peeved after having to replace
2 right hand STI shifters because the damned things just STOP WORKING (rant over ;>😉.

All I can say is, is that I am thrilled with Record. I love the way it looks and the fact that you
can shift down the entire cassette by just holding the shift button down (and I love the sound
that the return spring makes....I know, that's too weird, no?....but one of the things I love

about

Quoted message said:

cycling are the sounds...) Another great thing is how easily it

installs.

Quoted message said:

I always go to my framebuilder's shop and help build out my new bikes

(kind

Quoted message said:

of a bonding thing) and it was easy to build w/Campy. (I actually got to watch the whole frame
being tig-welded, too, which was totally cool.) I was also very surprised that I have more
usable gears. I don't know if it was as a result of fat chainstays on my old frame, but I always
got a lot

of

Quoted message said:

chain noise in the small sprockets on my old bike w/Dura Ace. With my new bike I could actually
cross-chain if I really wanted to and there's no

chain

Quoted message said:

"dingle." The chain runs quietly and smoothly across the entire gear

range

Quoted message said:

(I use the Connex chain connector w/Campy chain.) From time to time, I still mis-shift thinking I
am using Dura-Ace (old habits die real hard),

but

Quoted message said:

I suspect this will go away as I rack up more miles on the new bike (the weather quickly went to
[censored] here near Philly shortly after I took

delivery,

Quoted message said:

so I only put about 500 miles on it so far.) Finally, I took to heart

some

Quoted message said:

of the gurus on this NG's opinions about the serviceability of Record. I hope that in the event of
shifter failure, that I will be able to service the shifters without having to replace them.

One thing that I do miss on the Shimano group is the shape of the grips.

I

Quoted message said:

think that the Dura Ace hoods are slightly more confortable than the

Record

Quoted message said:

hoods because they provide a larger platform for your hands. If we are to believe the pictures
we've seen of Lance and the new 11 speed group (I

think

Quoted message said:

the new Shimano levers are hideous looking), the shape issue might not matter anymore depending on
what Shimano did with the shape of the hoods. Also, Record cassettes are very expensive, so if the
wear factor becomes

an

Quoted message said:

issue, I may up buying Chorus cassettes.

You can make the Record hoods more broad (larger platform) by putting a piece of steerlint (kurk) in
lengthdirection (parallel with the steer) at both sites of the tube, under the rubber of the hood.
After that put the steerlint back again, and it is getting more confortable.

Quoted message said:

Anyway, I chose a 39 x 52 with a 13-26 cassette, which gives me a

fantastic

Quoted message said:

range. I like it much better than the available Shimano cassette option. It's basically a straight
bolock from 13 to 19 with a 21, 23 and a 26 at

the

Quoted message said:

back end. I won't have to swap cassettes anymore when I travel to hillier climes because the range
is great. And here at home, I find this setup allows me to stay in gears closer to the center of
the cassette. I think

I

Quoted message said:

was always slightly overgeared. I had previously changed my Dura Ace to a 39x53 with a 12x25
cassette, which was a bit better, but after running

some

Quoted message said:

calculations, the 52 seemed like a better choice for me than the 53.

Also,

Quoted message said:

I never used the 12 and ended up having to swap cassettes if we traveled

to

Quoted message said:

Montana or Canada or Colorado to ride.

Hope you find this info helpful, Cat

John Everett said:

Allan Leedy said:

More than one cog per shift on the back; less than one ring per click on the front.

Nice description of Dura Ace, what about Record? ;-)

Heck, that description applies to the entire Campy line.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | It is a scientifically proven fact that a mid life crisis can _`\(,_ | only be cured by
something racy and Italian. Bianchis and (_)/ (_) | Colnagos are a lot cheaper than Maserattis
and Ferraris. -- Glenn Davies

First, the "carbon shifters", if you're talking about the Ergo controls, are not readily apparent,
and I believe Chorus has them as well. The black lever is nothing but fake carbon fiber tape over
aluminum. (The bodies ARE carbon fiber, as is the pretty outer plate of the R.derail.)

My Shimano experience is limited to 105 triple, both 8 and 9 speed. I like it all right, but there
are a number of things I prefer about the Campy (last year of Athena) on my favorite bike. Most of
those concern the ability to trim the front, and the increased number of hand positions from which
one can shift due to the shift lever being completely independant from the brake lever. If you do
your own work, the hubs for Record through Daytona/Centaur are a dream to work on!

"rrgmrg" <[email hidden]> wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

This is not a troll, nor am I intending on opening up the endless debate on Shimano vs. Campy.
Both are very fine groupos.

I have ridden Dura Ace for years and have been for the most part very pleased. However, I am
preparing to purchase my dream lifetime bike (Vortex) and have been considering making the move
from Dura Ace to Record. At this price level, I don't want to have any regrets.

Why switch you ask ? Better looking hardware (love those carbon shifters - I consider bikes part
art so no lectures please, aesthetics are important to me), more replaceable parts, potential for
a 29 when I get fat and old, general impression from my reading that Campy will last a bit longer,
ability to jump several gears with a single shift, and I suppose simply for something a bit
different.