Campag snobbery makes me want to smoke crack...

24

Comments

  • pliptrot
    pliptrot Posts: 582
    Wise words indeed. OLR1 gets the prize for best post of the week, in fact for far longer......
  • juggler
    juggler Posts: 262
    The price diffential seems to be getting bigger. Shimano Da groupset is around £600 while Campagnolo Record is about £900... i'd expect to be getting a better product if i was spending 50% more..... also can the price of the campag cassettes be justified at £150 in comparison to the Shimano at approx £85....
  • aracer
    aracer Posts: 1,649
    I'm surprised nobody's yet mentioned the principle difference between the two. Shimano comes on every bike you can buy in most normal bike shops, and which anybody can buy without really having to know anything about bikes. You have to make a particular effort to get a bike with Campag on it - therefore making a statement that you know something about bikes. I mean even a Trek would be cool with Record on it.

    :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    Although I am a Campag man, I would not be put off from buying the bike I wanted because it had Shimano on it. They all work and work perfectly. I use Campag because I build my bikes up myself and changing to another make of groupset would not make any sense as I would not be able to downgrade componants from my best bike to the winter hack over time. i think Campag looks better with the concealed cable so that is a bonus, except when it comes to the time to replace them when it is a pain in the butt.

    You pays your money, etc.
  • acorn_user
    acorn_user Posts: 1,137
    Well, Record is more money than Dura Ace atm*. But Centaur is/was less than Ultegra.

    Thinking back to those Euclid levers, a lot of contemporary Suntour and Shimano levers were like that too. It was Dia Compe that did the compact levers first iirc of course :)

    As far as cross with Shimano, this is a great idea. Until you install STI levers. Shimano bar end shifters are great. But I spent a little too long picking mud out of my friends levers when he binned it on a fast corner. Campagnolo cassettes might be expensive, but at least Ergo levers are affordable.

    *There are rumours that the Dura Ace carbon chainset is going to be crazy expensive..
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    If there was any real advantage that one had over the other don't you think all
    the "pro's" would be using it and it alone? Makes for a good argument, blog, or
    whatever, but in reality the whole idea of one better than the other goes
    nowhere.

    Dennis Noward
  • olr1
    olr1 Posts: 2,674
    "Makes for a good argument, blog, or
    whatever, but in reality the whole idea of one better than the other goes
    nowhere. "

    Exactly Dennis.

    It is the quintissential cycling arguement, almost what the internet was invented for; two opposing viewpoints, both utterly convinced of the others lunacy.

    Looking forwards to the day when SRAM makes it a three way bash........... :lol:
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  • HarryB
    HarryB Posts: 197
    dennisn wrote:
    If there was any real advantage that one had over the other don't you think all
    the "pro's" would be using it and it alone? Makes for a good argument, blog, or
    whatever, but in reality the whole idea of one better than the other goes
    nowhere.

    Dennis Noward

    Hey, wouldn't it be great if it worked that way. Then we'd be able to base our buying decisions on what the professionals were using.

    How it really works is the pro's ride what they are given. What they are given depends on sponsorship deals, and what groupset the bike providers want to put on the bikes. The riders have very little say if any on any of the bits and bobs they use.
  • Ste_S
    Ste_S Posts: 1,173
    olr1 wrote:
    "Makes for a good argument, blog, or
    whatever, but in reality the whole idea of one better than the other goes
    nowhere. "

    Exactly Dennis.

    It is the quintissential cycling arguement, almost what the internet was invented for; two opposing viewpoints, both utterly convinced of the others lunacy.

    Looking forwards to the day when SRAM makes it a three way bash........... :lol:

    FSA for a four way when they get around to releasing it.
  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    Any fule economist will tell you: one tool for one job. Brake lever that also shifts gears?

    No ta.
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • campagsarge
    campagsarge Posts: 434
    And lets not forget the electronic offering from Campagnolo either.

    I have used Campagnolo products for years and I have never had any problems with them at all, which is why I continue to use their groupsets on my two bikes. I don't know if it is better than Shimano as I have not used Shimano products for years - although I have hired a road bike out in the Alps with Shimano once. I found the shifting very smooth but did find their STI levers lacking - the Sora ones with a little plastic lever for the thumb shifter...

    ...okay, I know Campag do the same in a fashion but the Sora lever is just a little plastic thing.

    I also don't like the use of materials in the Campag Xenon and Mirage (pre 07) levers and I don't like the way Campag have dropped the multishifting mech in Ergo lever below Chorus and Record (although one prominent Italian sprinter preferred this kind of mech in his Record lever I think).

    I like Campagnolo products as they work and have not failed me and thus I have developed a good deal of brand loyalty to their products and I am sure many Shimano users feel the same way.
  • pjm-84
    pjm-84 Posts: 819
    I have Campag Record 2004 on my training bike ( frame breakages = cheap original frame) and Dura Ace on my Trek 5.5.

    I like both systems. The Campag levers are sublime but the change is a little clunky compared to the Dura Ace. The trimming on the front derailleur is also a plus. Brakes are good on both. Dura Ace crank is ultra stiff compared to the taper bb on the Campy.

    One benefit on the Campy is as of yet I haven't had to change a chainset ring. Disadvantages - front brake works loose on the pivot and needs to be tighten every so often. (Must have a look at this), the carbon front derailleur is a little weak and I have broken two of these and currently run with Chorus

    So in summary you pays your money and you take your choice.

    Tempted to put the Campag group set on my Trek just to be different!
    Paul
  • wildmoustache
    wildmoustache Posts: 4,010
    juggler wrote:
    The price diffential seems to be getting bigger. Shimano Da groupset is around £600 while Campagnolo Record is about £900... i'd expect to be getting a better product if i was spending 50% more..... also can the price of the campag cassettes be justified at £150 in comparison to the Shimano at approx £85....

    the correct comparator for DA is really chorus as they are very similar in weight terms and chorus is really no different from record functionally. It just weighs more.

    Chorus and DA are similarly priced and weigh about the same. Record and Red are in a class above (not functionally, but in weight terms). Agree on the cost of campag cassettes though, which is ridiculous.
  • campagsarge
    campagsarge Posts: 434
    You seen the price of the SRAM Force and SRAM Force Red shifters? Not much change out of £400 for the Red shifters.
  • Ste_S
    Ste_S Posts: 1,173
    I'd imagine it must be ace being Campagnolo, they get to shovel any old stuff onto an adoring consumer base and they'll lap it up.

    They should get around to make a corkscrew

    Oh, wait...
  • carlstone
    carlstone Posts: 602
    If I could afford it I would:

    - ride campagnolo on an Italian frame
    - drive an italian car (lamborghini)
    - wear Italian clothes
    - etc
    - etc

    I love their design and am a sucker for names. However I can't afford it (and my head generally rules my heart), so I do:

    - ride shimano (Ultegra and XT) on Planet X (Yorkshire, shudder :twisted: ) and Bill Nickson frames (Chinese origin probably)
    - drive a German car
    - wear high street brands (again Chinese origin probably)
    - etc
    - etc

    My life isn't crap bacause of this and wouldn't be very much better if I could afford the Italian gear. I would just like to be able to afford it. This kind of snobbery just makes me chuckle. :lol:
  • Ste_S
    Ste_S Posts: 1,173
    carlstone wrote:
    If I could afford it I would:

    - ride campagnolo on an Italian frame
    - drive an german car (lamborghini)
    - wear Italian clothes
    - etc
    - etc

    I love their design and am a sucker for names. However I can't afford it (and my head generally rules my heart), so I do:

    - ride shimano (Ultegra and XT) on Planet X (Yorkshire, shudder :twisted: ) and Bill Nickson frames (Chinese origin probably)
    - drive a German car
    - wear high street brands (again Chinese origin probably)
    - etc
    - etc

    My life isn't crap bacause of this and wouldn't be very much better if I could afford the Italian gear. I would just like to be able to afford it. This kind of snobbery just makes me chuckle. :lol:
  • campagsarge
    campagsarge Posts: 434
    carlstone wrote:
    on Planet X (Yorkshire, shudder :twisted: )

    Easy fella :lol: The Houses of Lancaster v York - now that was a rivalry! Mind you, I did ride a Ribble for the best part of ten years - and it was red!
  • carlstone
    carlstone Posts: 602
    "Easy fella The Houses of Lancaster v York - now that was a rivalry! Mind you, I did ride a Ribble for the best part of ten years - and it was red!"

    This made me chortle :lol: :

    http://www.on-one.co.uk/index.php?modul ... ANN_id=553
  • campagsarge
    campagsarge Posts: 434
    :lol:

    Is: "We're from Yorkshire - and you're in big trouble", a statement in itself?

    I think Todmorden play in the Lancs cricket league which I suspect does not go down well in some parts.
  • carlstone
    carlstone Posts: 602
    Tod', crickey, Burnley is getting a bit too Dingle for some Lancastrians :lol: . Round these parts, you've got the Lancashire/Yorkshire rivalry, compounded by the old mill town rivalries and don't get me started on the Blackburn/Burnley football rivalries (not being a massive football fan myself).

    It's all very 'local'. I've even heard it mentioned that the 'League of Gentlemen' was based on Darwen and being an ex-resident I can see where they got the inspiration :shock: .

    Ps. sorry for straying about 2000 miles off topic :oops:
  • Mark Alexander
    Mark Alexander Posts: 2,277
    I have both, My first was Campag and my Carbon Felt is Shimano, I find going up the grars (smaller) is easier on Campag off the line but Shimano Ultegra is bettr going down th gears. (larger) Both ar good but I prfer the Campag for the cables or lack thereof
    http://twitter.com/mgalex
    www.ogmorevalleywheelers.co.uk

    10TT 24:36 25TT: 57:59 50TT: 2:08:11, 100TT: 4:30:05 12hr 204.... unfinished business
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    I think plenty of people have used or are using both brands (myself included), and recognise the advantages and disadvantages of both without ever developing an emotional attachment to either. It's a groupset after all.
  • Ste_S
    Ste_S Posts: 1,173
    APIII wrote:
    I think plenty of people have used or are using both brands (myself included), and recognise the advantages and disadvantages of both without ever developing an emotional attachment to either. It's a groupset after all.

    You haven't got the hang of Campag vs Shimano threads yet have you ? :wink:
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,091
    Sorry, I swore ages ago that I'd never start a Campag vs Shimano thread! I just wanted to get accross the point that when a view is expressed so vehemently either way it makes you want to go the other!
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    Ste_S wrote:
    APIII wrote:
    I think plenty of people have used or are using both brands (myself included), and recognise the advantages and disadvantages of both without ever developing an emotional attachment to either. It's a groupset after all.

    You haven't got the hang of Campag vs Shimano threads yet have you ? :wink:

    Sorry, been down the pub for lunch and now I'm in a carefree world of my own. I'm sure I''ve argued in favour of one or other in the past,depending on my mood, but I can't be a*sed this afternoon! :wink:
  • noggincp
    noggincp Posts: 1,881
    campagsarge wrote:
    ...okay, I know Campag do the same in a fashion but the Sora lever is just a little plastic thing.

    I have this on my Spesh Allez road bike

    which is 7000 miles and 5 winters old this year

    That lever/button has NEVER failed- works like clockwork every time and smoothe as a baby's bum


    my 2p worth :oops:
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  • The Mechanic
    The Mechanic Posts: 1,277
    Campag snobbery sounds like everyone blowing smoke out of their crack


    :roll:
    I have only two things to say to that; Bo***cks
  • wildmoustache
    wildmoustache Posts: 4,010
    I've got german hands, italian clothes, and dutch derailleurs. it works as a combo.

    on the sora thumblever ... it's fine, mildly annoying but fine. it's annoying because it's not reachable in the drops. campag wins on in the drop gear change contest IMO
  • wildmoustache
    wildmoustache Posts: 4,010
    I've got german hands, italian clothes, and dutch derailleurs. it works as a combo.

    on the sora thumblever ... it's fine, mildly annoying but fine. it's annoying because it's not reachable in the drops. campag wins on in the drop gear change contest IMO

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