Which is better?

dennisn
dennisn Posts: 10,601
edited August 2008 in Workshop
Thinking about upgrading my 9 speed. Which would be better Campy 11 speed
or Dura-Ace electronic? What experiences have you riders had with these systems? I hear D-A shifts really quickly and was wondering if this would give me the edge I need
in racing. Or should I go Campy, I mean, that extra gear has got win written all over it,
right?

Dennis Noward

Comments

  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    Stop stirring it up, Mr. N!
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    LangerDan wrote:
    Stop stirring it up, Mr. N!

    You guys never let me have any fun. :lol::lol:

    Dennis Noward
  • aracer
    aracer Posts: 1,649
    When I compared the two, I found that DA electronic definitely made me faster, since I saved all that energy I usually use up having to push those levers to drag the chain from one gear to another via the clumsy old-fashioned mechanical system Campy is still using. Unfortunately I sometimes found I didn't quite have the right gear, and had to leave my optimum 85 to 95 rpm cadence range. That's not a problem with Campag 11-speed, where you always seem to have just the right gear. I'd suggest you should make your decision depending on whether you have really weak fingers, or have a problem with varying your leg speed.

    Personally I'm waiting for the J-Tek Shiftmate which will match the DA electronic shifters with a Campag rear mech and 11-speed cassette so I can have both the effortless shifting and enough gears - I hear it's only a few weeks away from release.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Luddite.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    jashburnham wrote:
    Luddite.

    You're probably right. Being from the U.S. I had to look up Luddite. Interesting group
    of people. Do they still exist? In any case maybe upgrade was a poor of words. What I
    really meant was downgrade. It's back to down tube shifters for me(get rid of all that
    handlebar clutter). Throw away all those cassettes(too many loose parts) and get myself
    a descent 6 speed freewheel setup(they never come loose) and who needs all those gears anyway? Hell, I can buy 3 or 4 really good steel frames for the price of one CF.
    In all seriousness, I was out doing a long "tour" one weekend with my "old"(really old)
    steely with a 6 speed, toe clips , wood soled shoes, etc. and it seemed that the most
    looked at and commented about bike was mine. Not my friends Colnago carbon, Record
    10 speed. The wooden soled shoes also caused quite a stir, especially when I told them
    that tests proved wood to be superior the carbon in many ways and that it was the material of the future(and green with a very small carbon "footprint" - get it?).
    I think there were quite a few people who just couldn't believe, even after seeing them,
    that cycling shoes used to have wooden soles.

    Dennis Noward

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