centaur v ultegra

BigSpecs
BigSpecs Posts: 309
edited April 2009 in Road buying advice
Ok, the old Shimano vs Campag chestnut again. I have ridden them both (Sora, Tiagra v Xenon, Mirage) and like them both in their own way. I am speccing new bike and have the options of...

Centaur plus Khamsins or..
Ultegra with Fulcrum 7s

Any opinions on the above?

Cheers,
Col.

Comments

  • STEFANOS4784
    STEFANOS4784 Posts: 4,109
    Sram force with xero wheels
    winter beast: http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff016.jpg
    Summer beast; http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff015.jpg
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Sram Force with Mavic Wheels
  • spanielsson
    spanielsson Posts: 776
    Sram Rival with mavics! Other than a carbon chainset Rival is very similar to force ....
  • STEFANOS4784
    STEFANOS4784 Posts: 4,109
    Might be out of budget though :lol:
    winter beast: http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff016.jpg
    Summer beast; http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff015.jpg
  • spanielsson
    spanielsson Posts: 776
    I'd buy veloce and better wheels if it were me.......
  • chriskempton
    chriskempton Posts: 1,245
    What frame are you going to be hanging this from?

    Yes, it does matter.
  • eh
    eh Posts: 4,854
    If you want to race/go fast always go for the better wheels.

    If it is just for club runs etc. still go for the better wheels.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Doh! I meant Rival.
  • kingrollo
    kingrollo Posts: 3,198
    I switched from Ultegra to centaur - regretted it - Ultegra I found out performed it by miles - if there isn't a price difference it has to be ultegra
  • billy whippet
    billy whippet Posts: 171
    ultegra is just so ugly tho'... however well it might perform or not, I just couldn't bear to have shimano hanging off my bike...
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    I'd take Centaur - I've used both and prefer Campag but others differ - anyone that thinks one is miles better than the other couldn't have had the one they didn't like set up correctly.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • fast as fupp
    fast as fupp Posts: 2,277
    kingrollo wrote:
    I switched from Ultegra to centaur - regretted it - Ultegra I found out performed it by miles - if there isn't a price difference it has to be ultegra

    grown man in talking sh1te shock! :shock:
    'dont forget lads, one evertonian is worth twenty kopites'
  • Wappygixer
    Wappygixer Posts: 1,396
    The new 2009 Centaur is excellent kit.
    It has a much lighter action than the earlier Centaur and the new 2009 ergos have a very comfy shape to them.
    I'd even go as fas as to say that the Centaur is almost as smooth changing gear as Ultegra.
    And the other bonus is that you can change down the gears much faster with the Centaur kit as the ratchet goes on for about 6 gears, Ultegra is just one gear at a time.
  • kingrollo
    kingrollo Posts: 3,198
    fast as fupp wrote:
    kingrollo wrote:
    I switched from Ultegra to centaur - regretted it - Ultegra I found out performed it by miles - if there isn't a price difference it has to be ultegra

    grown man in talking sh1te shock! :shock:

    Why ....just relaying my experience.

    even a poster in favour of centaur - said 'it shifts almost as well as ultegra'
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    No he said almost as smooth -smoother doesn't mean better - a lot of people (like me) prefer the slightly more positive shifting of campag - that and a few other things would make me take centaur over ultegra.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    Centaur is a bit soft for me, much prefer the (08 and before) Chorus and Record, which is far more positive. But Centaur is still more comfortable and shifts just as well as Ultegra.
    I like bikes...

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  • Mog Uk
    Mog Uk Posts: 964
    BigSpecs wrote:

    Any opinions on the above?

    Cheers,
    Col.

    Yeah they all do the same thing when setup correctly... Go for the one you feel comfortable with... it's not rocket science

    You'd think half this forum was made up of Pro riders the way they go on about groupsets and equipment :roll:
    Manchester Wheelers' Club
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    Mog Uk wrote:
    You'd think half this forum was made up of Pro riders the way they go on about groupsets and equipment :roll:

    Well as Pros don't really get any choice in what they ride, but we do, why shouldn't we go on about it :roll:
    I like bikes...

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  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    New Ultegra is going to be the same price as Chorus - currency fluctuations or not, that doesn't strike me as great value. The 09 Ergos are the best shape of any levers out there and next year, those STI levers with sticky-out cables are just going to look dated.
    SRAM are going great-guns with the US bike fraternity of it's perceived 'made in US' tag - if Shimano isn't careful, it's finding itself increasingly marginalised in the mid-top end market - 7900 has a number of well-publicised problems and who's going to pay a premium for the built-in obsolescence of Di2 except tri-geeks?
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • kozzo
    kozzo Posts: 182
    spanielsson wrote:
    I'd buy veloce and better wheels if it were me.......

    Extactly
  • Mister W
    Mister W Posts: 791
    The Campag/Shimano decision comes down to which you find more comfortable. The GF's bike has Campag and I don't like the feel of the hoods, I much prefer my Shimano. But she prefers the Campag. You pays your money and makes your choice.

    But like others, I'd buy a cheaper groupset (Veloce or 105) and better wheels.
  • BigSpecs
    BigSpecs Posts: 309
    I was looking at the Ribble "special offer" bikes. They come ready specced, so you cannot change the spec. The listed groupset/ wheel combos were as they offer. I have decided in the end to just buy the frame and use my current groupset/ wheels. Thanks for the help.
    Col.

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