CAMPAG DOWNGRADING

oldskoolkool

For 2009 Campag seem to be using the introduction of Super Record group to down grade the specs of Record and Chorus components and charge us more for the privilege of inferior spec.Look at the 2009 chorus Brake calipers and they seem to have lost the very polished look,the hidden pivot bolt and also the bearing pivots,its like they've just rebranded 2008 centaur calipers.Likewise the 2009 record calipers have lost their titanium bolts as if they,ve rebranded 2008 chorus calipers and painted them black.
So effectively 2009 Record calipers=2008 Chorus and 2009 Chorus=2008 Centaur.I think im gonna save myself some money and get 2008 stuff.
Just the usual corporate greed by Campag i suppose conning us into buying the latest stuff when its not as good as the outgoing,or forcing us into shelling out alot more money to get what we already have by going up the groupset ladder.

spen666

oldskoolkool wrote:

For 2009 Campag seem to be using the introduction of Super Record group to down grade the specs of Record and Chorus components and charge us more for the privilege of inferior spec.Look at the 2009 chorus Brake calipers and they seem to have lost the very polished look,the hidden pivot bolt and also the bearing pivots,its like they've just rebranded 2008 centaur calipers.Likewise the 2009 record calipers have lost their titanium bolts as if they,ve rebranded 2008 chorus calipers and painted them black.
So effectively 2009 Record calipers=2008 Chorus and 2009 Chorus=2008 Centaur.I think im gonna save myself some money and get 2008 stuff.
Just the usual corporate greed by Campag i suppose conning us into buying the latest stuff when its not as good as the outgoing,or forcing us into shelling out alot more money to get what we already have by going up the groupset ladder.

Are you such a "fashion tart" that you buy new kit simply because its new or do you buy it because you need it?

If the former, then you deserve all you get, if the latter, then there is no conning involved. If you are happy to pay the price, you get what you pay for

oldskoolkool

My main point was that if you buy 2009 record or chorus expecting to get an improved product over the 2008 stuff then your gonna be dissappointed and you're being conned by campag because they just recycling last years stuff from the groupset below.
Your paying for what you think is better than last years Chorus but you're actually getting the brakes from the model below,which to me is a bloody rip-off.
I wonder how many people have waited to buy 2009 Chorus rather than the outgoing product without realising some components are of a lower quality than 2008 chorus?

Slow Downcp

Surely '09 Chorus/Record is 11 speed, so it's not just '08 Centaur?
Also, ergos are completely redesigned

oldskoolkool

Yes it is 11speed now I agree but I was just looking at the calipers and my point being that Campag are charging more for 2009 Chorus and Record brake calipers than 2008 models when they are in fact inferior because they're basically the models below from the previousl year rebranded as the new models above in the range.

oldskoolkool

Take a look at pictures of 2008 Chorus and Centaur and compare with pictures of 2009 Chorus calipers.They've lost the ball bearings,they've lost the nice concealed pivot bolt heads,they've lost the large cable adjuster and the finsh is less polished on the 2009 Chorus....in fact it looks identical to the 2008 Centaur.
Which is my point from the start,they've rebaged 2008 Centaur calipers as 2009 Chorus and are charging us alot more for the privilege.If you wish to replace your 2008 Chorus calipers with a product of the same quality you have to fork out for 2009 Record.

spen666

oldskoolkool wrote:

Yes it is 11speed now I agree but I was just looking at the calipers and my point being that Campag are charging more for 2009 Chorus and Record brake calipers than 2008 models when they are in fact inferior because they're basically the models below from the previousl year rebranded as the new models above in the range.

well the solution is simple, don't buy new kit every year then or buy another make- don't be a slave to fashion for fashion's sake.

My loaf of bread costs more this week than last year, as do most prices

oldskoolkool

spen666 wrote:

oldskoolkool wrote:

Yes it is 11speed now I agree but I was just looking at the calipers and my point being that Campag are charging more for 2009 Chorus and Record brake calipers than 2008 models when they are in fact inferior because they're basically the models below from the previousl year rebranded as the new models above in the range.

well the solution is simple, don't buy new kit every year then or buy another make- don't be a slave to fashion for fashion's sake.

My loaf of bread costs more this week than last year, as do most prices[/qu


My point is not about buying thing because its fashionable,you may look at cycling that way but I don't.Im talking about buying a product of a certain quality or specification.Then the next year you have to buy the same item from the groupset above just to maintain the level of equipment that you have.Do you not understand that or something?Its not about natural price rises fo the same thing as you wrongly suggest with your price of bread reference.

spen666

oldskoolkool wrote:

spen666 wrote:

oldskoolkool wrote:

Yes it is 11speed now I agree but I was just looking at the calipers and my point being that Campag are charging more for 2009 Chorus and Record brake calipers than 2008 models when they are in fact inferior because they're basically the models below from the previousl year rebranded as the new models above in the range.

well the solution is simple, don't buy new kit every year then or buy another make- don't be a slave to fashion for fashion's sake.

My loaf of bread costs more this week than last year, as do most prices

My point is not about buying thing because its fashionable,you may look at cycling that way but I don't.Im talking about buying a product of a certain quality or specification.Then the next year you have to buy the same item from the groupset above just to maintain the level of equipment that you have.Do you not understand that or something?Its not about natural price rises fo the same thing as you wrongly suggest with your price of bread reference.

No you don't. Stop being a fashion muppet.

The level of equipment you have is NOT downgraded each year. Your groupset is the same on 31st December as on 1st January

You are just being a fashion victim

If you want to be stupid, expect to be ripped off.

Buy what you NEED- not just because they have given it a polish and called it an upgraded item

oldskoolkool

spen666 wrote:

oldskoolkool wrote:

spen666 wrote:

oldskoolkool wrote:

Yes it is 11speed now I agree but I was just looking at the calipers and my point being that Campag are charging more for 2009 Chorus and Record brake calipers than 2008 models when they are in fact inferior because they're basically the models below from the previousl year rebranded as the new models above in the range.

well the solution is simple, don't buy new kit every year then or buy another make- don't be a slave to fashion for fashion's sake.

My loaf of bread costs more this week than last year, as do most prices

My point is not about buying thing because its fashionable,you may look at cycling that way but I don't.Im talking about buying a product of a certain quality or specification.Then the next year you have to buy the same item from the groupset above just to maintain the level of equipment that you have.Do you not understand that or something?Its not about natural price rises fo the same thing as you wrongly suggest with your price of bread reference.

No you don't. Stop being a fashion muppet.

The level of equipment you have is NOT downgraded each year. Your groupset is the same on 31st December as on 1st January

You are just being a fashion victim

If you want to be stupid, expect to be ripped off.

Buy what you NEED- not just because they have given it a polish and called it an upgraded item

You obviously didn't read my first post properly and look into the facts of what I was saying.The 2009 Chorus and Record calipers HAVE been downgraded from their 2008 counterparts but your still paying the usual increase in price and that was the whole point of my rant.

whyamihere

What Spen's saying is that you can buy stuff once. You can buy the 2008 Record calipers, for example, now, and then use them for the next 20 years. You don't have to upgrade every year.

wildmoustache

The Record gruppo as a whole has probably improved though. Bearing in mind that it's 11 speed, has the new ergo shape (subjective, but obviously supposedly an improvement), and has ceramic bearings ... it's an improved groupset.

I haven't checked the specs on the callipers, though I believe they removed some Ti hardware when the Record skeletons were introduced as well.

They do have to try and make the most expensive group the lightest.

Would have been nice if they'd just called Super Record plain old Record.

Coyote

OldskoolKool - I get your point and you are right.

It's the calipers you are writing about, nothing else.

Price has gone up, spec has come down.

It is a very simple point you are making and nothing to do with fashion or what you might have bought some other time.

It's not the only simple thing in this thread though, is it!

STEFANOS4784

Just to throw it out there, have the weights changed at all?