The Ideal / Ultimate Campy Equipped Bike!

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

Quoted message said:

Ok , I am ready to build up a new Campagnolo equipped bike. Im leaning
toward Centaur (Record / Chorus above my budget). I also like the idea
of a steel lugged frame. I'm interested in any advice or ideas for the
ultimate bike! Thanks! Evan.

I think you'd better clarify what you mean when you say "ultimate". I won't be the only one to
ask, "What is the bike for?".

You might consider other cranks than the Centaur. They have a different BB with a longer and imho
unsightly axle. The new Century finish is nice looking, though. You can run Shimano cranks with
an otherwise Campy drivetrain.

Kirby.

Quoted message said:

I think you'd better clarify what you mean when you say "ultimate". I won't be the only one to
ask, "What is the bike for?".

I ride mostly for fitness & fun. I average 150 miles per week. I am
just an enthusiast. I own one modern carbon/aluminum shimano bike. All
my older bikes are campy steel. I want a new campy bike.

I have argued bitterly over this past year or so with Peter C. about
his blind allegiance to Campagnolo. I admire his spirit! The world
needs more people like him. Bikes are his passion.
I have come full circle in this debate over Campy vs. Shimano thanks
to him.
As a true fan of the bicycle i have know choice but to admit that
Campagnolo is
what i should be riding on. It's like being baptized.

(Evan Evans) said:

I ride mostly for fitness & fun. I average 150 miles per week. I am
just an enthusiast. I own one modern carbon/aluminum shimano bike. All
my older bikes are campy steel. I want a new campy bike.

In my opinion, Campy has made a serious mistake by splitting the super
record grouppo into 2 sub-grouppos : Record and Chorus.

If you look at the pricing, Nuovo Record stuff used to be the #1
seller on mid-to-high end bikes. Today, that distinction is held by
Ultegra, which is truly mass-market high-end stuff.

The price equivalent of Ultegra is Centaur. Therefore, Centaur holds
the same place in campy's line as Nuovo Record once did.

This means that campy has 2 "elite" groups - chorus and record. I've
heard rumors that many pro's are riding chorus this year because record
is considered "overkill".

I know campy likes to say that Chorus == Dura Ace, but I don't believe
in that marketing dreck. Obviously, if Chorus == Dura Ace, why bother
introducing a Record grouppo if Chorus / Dura Ace is all that is
needed to win the Tour De France ??

====

campy parts are getting to be worse than GM cars in the 1980's.
Chevrolet Citation == Buick Skylark == Olds Omega == Pontiac Phoenix.
Campy Record == Campy Chorus == Campy Centaur == Campy Veloce

i wish that campy would kill a grouppo and concentrate on adding
definition and style to some of their products. 6 grouppos is
about 2 grouppos too many.

====

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

So, you want the "ultimate" Campy equipped bike? That means Record
with all the carbon bits and bobs. Frame choice is up to you- I'd
think a Sachs or a Bilenky, possibly a Moon. If I was doing this
locally, I'd go for a Kvale.

gevans-<< dern carbon/aluminum shimano bike. All
my older bikes are campy steel. I want a new campy bike. >><BR><BR>

Waterford is a good choice as is Merckx, now that he is offering an MXLeader
for a short time. Richard Sachs makes beautiful framesets as does Columbine.

Mondonico is another choice of a really nice, classic Italian, lugged steel
frameset. made by Antonio and his son. Pegoretti has another, altho it hasn't
arrived in the US yet.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

gillies-<< I know campy likes to say that Chorus == Dura Ace, but I don't
believe
in that marketing dreck. Obviously, if Chorus == Dura Ace, why bother
introducing a Record grouppo if Chorus / Dura Ace is all that is
needed to win the Tour De France ??

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

What is needed to wuin the TdF or any other race is good legs and reliable
equipment, followed by a team of wrenches and a van full of spare parts.
Hamilton could win using ultegra or Centaur or even Veloce.

Ya know a stainless steel Rolex tells time just like a gold/stainless or the
18k gold model, but those top two 'sell'.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Hi Evan, I am undertaking a similar project at the moment as you wish
to do.

Since I gather you haven't gotten a frame yet, and personally prefer a
steel lugged frame, there is certainly many to choose from.

If price was no object, I'd be contacting someone like Richard Sachs,
Waterford, or Rivendell. Mind you though, if price is a consideration,
and your wishing to build the "Ultimate", things will begin to get
quite pricey, particularly when the frame alone can run you $2,000+.

You're not going to have the "Ultimate" going into a Centaur, or lower
grouppo, but you would have a nice bike. there's nothing wrong at all
with most of the Centaur stuff like Derailleur/levers/seat post, etc.

My advice for a really nice Bike, would be to first find yourself an
older NOS frame. Frames that come to mind would be Schwinn Paramount,
Basso, Masi, Pegoretti, Pogliaghi, Colnago, Guerciotti, etc etc.

A very sweet steel frame would be a Vintage, few years old, NOS
Colnago Classic/Crystal/Master Light with Chrome lugs/forks. These
can be found in the $600-$800 range off ebay, and they are a beautiful
steel lugeed frame in my opinion.

Same with many of the components. There's tons of Campy stuff
auctioned every day there, and you can afford Campy Chorus/Record if
you have the patience to look, and know what you're looking for.

New 2003 Campy Chorus Double Cranks are typically selling around the
$100 mark on ebay, and this is not a lot really.

I myself have picked up some really sweet parts. Example: Brand new
Record 10-speed front Derailleur 28.6mm Clamp, $26.00.

Start with the frame first, This will be the very most important part
of your "build up". Know exactly what size frame you will need. Many
of the Colnagos run just a tad "Small" Most sellers will list basic
frame dimensions on thier auctions, and if they are not that thorough,
ask them.

Then from there, you will know exactly what parts you will need. If
you choose to use modern Campy Components, make sure you get a frame
that will be compatible, things such as 130mm rear dropout spacing,
and if it's an Italian frame, you will most likely will need a Bottom
Bracket with Italian threading, not English. Mark

[email hidden] (Evan Evans) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Ok , I am ready to build up a new Campagnolo equipped bike. Im leaning
toward Centaur (Record / Chorus above my budget). I also like the idea
of a steel lugged frame. I'm interested in any advice or ideas for the
ultimate bike! Thanks! Evan.

"Qui si parla Campagnolo " <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ya know a stainless steel Rolex tells time just like a gold/stainless or the
18k gold model, but those top two 'sell'.

To replay an old joke, do you know how to tell a genuine Rolex from a cheap far
eastern imitation? The latter tells the correct time.

Evan Evans said:

Ok , I am ready to build up a new Campagnolo equipped bike. Im leaning
toward Centaur (Record / Chorus above my budget). I also like the idea
of a steel lugged frame. I'm interested in any advice or ideas for the
ultimate bike! Thanks! Evan.

fwiw, I just finished my first build on a steel lugged frame (Rivendell)
with a mix of Campy and Shimano components based on Sheldon Brown's
"Shimangolo" for a bit over $2k. The nice thing about a mix is that it
is a better value than full-Campy. Here's the link to the site with the
bike and components:

http://home.earthlink.net/~rivromulus/

Good luck, Brett.

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