How did Campy V Shimano start?

johnbirkby46213

Back in the late 1980's I learnt to Scuba dive and was (for the next 10 or so years) constantly amazed at the arguments that would rage about which training organisation was best.
In the last 5 or 6 years since I have started to get into cycling, I am equally amazed at the Campag V Shimano school of arguments. Not wishing to open up the quite pointless (in my view) controversy, can anyone tell me how or why it all started?

ellieb

the shimano people started it.

STEFANOS4784

Campag people can't admit they're wrong and Shimano is the best........

Dess1e

STEFANOS4784 wrote:

Campag people can't admit they're wrong and Shimano is the best........

Because they're not

STEFANOS4784

Dess1e wrote:

STEFANOS4784 wrote:

Campag people can't admit they're wrong and Shimano is the best........

Because they're not

Yes they are

Chris_Who

I have a Shimano-equipped bike but have a Campy jersey - I like to think of it as the equivalent of Joker's helmet from Full Metal Jacket

dennisn

ellieb wrote:

the shimano people started it.

Oh yeah. Well you take that back or I'll, I'll......

Dennis Noward

ColinJ

Don't hold your breath waiting for a sensible answer John...

nipon

campag wear in ,shimano wear out.

STEFANOS4784

Campagnogo!!!



I haven't been cycling long but i'm already sick of this argument :roll:

SCR Pedro

STEFANOS4784 wrote:

Campagnogo!!!



I haven't been cycling long but i'm already sick of this argument :roll:

+1. When will someone invent Shimagnolo components so we can put this arguement to rest?

Or you could buy SRAM.

Pedro

nwallace

PC or MAC (or Acorn)
Campag or Shimano (or SRAM/SACHS etc)
Ford or Vauxhall (or BMC or Rootes)
East Coast or West Coast (or Highlands, oh ok or Borders)
Southampton or Pompey
Springfield or Shelbeyville
Dundee or Dundee United
Manchester City or Manchester United
Liverpool or Everton
St Hellens or Wigan
Heriots or Watsons
Oxford or Cambridge
Whig or Tory
Hanovarian or Jacobite
McDonald or Campbel

dag_on_a_bike

nwallace wrote:

Southampton or Pompey

Surely, that's which one is worst?

BTW...another...Canon or Nikon?

spen666

nwallace wrote:

....McDonald or Campbel

Surely you mean McDonalds or Burger King :?: :?: :?: :?:

swagman

Its happened through the 'real' cyclists that were around cycling before the last 20 years.
This was the time when if you were an adult and rode a decent road bike you were a 'proper' cyclist. The Campag gear that was around then was the 'exotic italian' and Shimano was the up coming 'soulless Jap'.
Shimano bits brought soulless efficency, campag was produced by craftsmen that had soul.
Like a 80's Alfa Romeo, a great drivers car but the electrics were dodgy.
Nissan Sunny, does the job well but very boring.

pneumatic

nwallace wrote:

Heriots or Watsons

OOH OOH I know that one!! It's down to how they introduce themselves:

Humphrey Heriots

Amy Watsonian

Ryedaleman

Back in the 70s when I was a teenager Campag was expensive and sought after. When Shimano and sun Tour came along they were half the price and more affordable. They forced Campag to be more competitive, and through innovation (indexing, cassettes etc) they became the market leaders and pushed Campag harder.
Without Shimano we would now be paying £1000 for a record derailer which still would only be able to handle 5 gearsand wouldnt be indexed.

Johnny G

Ryedaleman wrote:

Without Shimano we would now be paying £1000 for a record derailer which still would only be able to handle 5 gearsand wouldnt be indexed.

No, I'm sure they'd be up to 6 sprockets by now.

nwallace

spen666 wrote:

nwallace wrote:

....McDonald or Campbel

Surely you mean McDonalds or Burger King :?: :?: :?: :?:

Shocking, may I recommend a quick course on 1680 to 1750, the nutritional values of fast food.

DAG on a bike wrote:

BTW...another...Canon or Nikon?

No, No, No there is no argument there. Canon.

noisy crank

Campy oooh :oops:

meagain

It all began when the Japanese bombed the Italian Fleet in the Bay of Naples....well, that's what I read on wikipedia....

Monty Dog

Ex-pro Tony Mills used to run the original Dauphin Cycles at the top of Box Hill up to about 12 years ago. Tony refused to have any Japanese stuff in his shop - his father was a PoW in a Japanese camp in WWII. It was a mecca for the finest Italian bikes and kit and woe betide anyone who asked for that 'Sh' stuff! I bought my first Italian frame and groupset there - it was like buying a bespoke suit. People forget that years ago, there were multiple European component manufacturers - Gipiemme, Zeus, Mavic, Modolo, Sachs, Ofmega, Gialli and many others - only Campagnolo survived the somewhat monopolistic practises that Shimano imposed on the OEM component market, particularly the MTB market which pretty well killed off any competition.

HungryCol

Monty Dog wrote:

Ex-pro Tony Mills used to run the original Dauphin Cycles at the top of Box Hill up to about 12 years ago. Tony refused to have any Japanese stuff in his shop - his father was a PoW in a Japanese camp in WWII. It was a mecca for the finest Italian bikes and kit and woe betide anyone who asked for that 'Sh' stuff! I bought my first Italian frame and groupset there - it was like buying a bespoke suit. People forget that years ago, there were multiple European component manufacturers - Gipiemme, Zeus, Mavic, Modolo, Sachs, Ofmega, Gialli and many others - only Campagnolo survived the somewhat monopolistic practises that Shimano imposed on the OEM component market, particularly the MTB market which pretty well killed off any competition.

Monty, always amazed at your fountain of knowledgeness.

dennisn

Monty Dog wrote:

Ex-pro Tony Mills used to run the original Dauphin Cycles at the top of Box Hill up to about 12 years ago. Tony refused to have any Japanese stuff in his shop - his father was a PoW in a Japanese camp in WWII. It was a mecca for the finest Italian bikes and kit and woe betide anyone who asked for that 'Sh' stuff! I bought my first Italian frame and groupset there - it was like buying a bespoke suit. People forget that years ago, there were multiple European component manufacturers - Gipiemme, Zeus, Mavic, Modolo, Sachs, Ofmega, Gialli and many others - only Campagnolo survived the somewhat monopolistic practises that Shimano imposed on the OEM component market, particularly the MTB market which pretty well killed off any competition.

Most interesting.

Dennis Noward

The Mechanic

Where did this "campy" rubbish come from. Sounds a bit limp wristed to me. It should be "Campag" I blame the Americans

forty four

most of my racing friends who own bikes with campy and shimano sat if they had to choose it would be shimano and now with di2 it should be interesting. campy was working on electronic gears but shimano was quicker to the punch i cant imagine campy outdoing the japanese on that end.

Monty Dog

Most of people I know would got for Super Record or SRAM Red. Di2 hasn't had the rave reviews either - the only people who'll buy it will be triathletes because of the remote shifters for tribars. There's no kudos on DA for something that comes fitted on 1 grand bikes - a bit like 3 series beemers IMO - it might work well, but completely souless and all the chavs have them!