Campagnolo Cassettes

spadey

I have just bought a new Campagnolo Centaur 10s Cassette from Ribble. However when it arrived it had no packaging with it and was just in a sealed plastic bag. It had a manual with it dated 2006. I'm not entirely convinced that it is a Centaur cassette, as the diagrams in the manual say that a Centaur cassette as a double sprocket for the two largest cogs. Mine doesn't.

I contacted Ribble and they said that it was an 09 cassette and that Campagnolo hadn't updated their manuals! They also said that the 09 centaur did not have a double sprocket but the 08 one did. He also said that the 09 Centaur was the same cassette as the 08 Veloce (which I thought a little strange!) They were happy for me to return it for a refund but to be honest I'm not that fussy, I just don't want to be paying an extra £10 for a cassette that I can't verify is worth the price.

Any advice appreciated.

synchronicity

The new 2009 centaur cassette does indeed use individual cogs like Veloce.

tenor

Yes, the 09 Centaur cassette is in fact a rebadged 08 Veloce with individual sprockest. However, it is cheaper than the 08 Centaur, even if you could find one. The 09 Veloce cassette seems to be the same as the 08 Mirage that has been ofiicially deleted
They have done the same with the Centaur chainrings, which are now the cheaper pressed variety seen on the current and earlier Veloce.
Basically, 10speed Centuar has been downspecced this year.

Personally, I don't mind the separate sprocket route as it can be easily customised using single after market sprockets to create, say, a 12-27 or 12-28 ratio.
The additional 30 grams or so is irrelevant and in my experience the shifting performance is not percetably different.

dilemna

Can't actually advise on your Campag cassette, but my point is packaging or lack of it. The major on-line bike suppliers all seem to be at it now whether it is because they want to cut down on weight for postage or there is a genuine intention to deceive purchasers either way I can't make up my mind. It does urk me that CRC and to some extent Merlin do this. They don't even include any instructions which raises suspicions in my mind as to what I have received is actually what I have ordered. On close inspection it is but that is not the point. If I pay for a new item I expect all the manufacturer’s packaging, instructions for installation and maintenance as well in support. Fortunately most of the stuff I order is Shimano stuff who stamp model numbers on all their products. I more often than not don’t need installation instructions but that’s not the point. When I started buying from CRC a few years ago everything came in it's manufacturer's packaging but not now. Chains never did but in a clear plastic bag rather then their card box, but then as I say Shimano stamp the model on their links so you can check model. For Campag stuff I use HighonBikes who are a tad more expensive than most but at least they don't remove manufacturers packaging and instructions which is major plus for me. I bought a Record cassette from them £££ but it came in it's Campag box with seal in tact and all instructions and warranty inside. I was the first person to open it. It does seem sharp practice to send an item without any instructions for installation though given that correct installation can be critical and have safety implications. I'm sure these suppliers are breaking some Eu directive and it will just be time before some one takes them to task. I feel they do it as they offer free postage and want to spend as little as possible on postage as they bear this cost. We as customers ultimately pay whether postage is free or hidden in the item’s cost or charged separately.

Ribble’s response doesn’t sound very good. Perhaps the other posts on here can help you decide if you have got what you want, but if you remain unhappy then I would return it and get a cassette from some one else. Presumably you bought the cassette from them as it was cheap?

wildmoustache

dlemma - i agree with your point re. packaging actually. when i buy something nice and campagnolo I want the packaging ... it adds to the customer experience and the re-sale value of the item (perhaps not an issue with a cassette, but i recently bought some centaur ultrashift ergos from Ribble and had the same experience).

acorn_user

They're probably buying in OEM parts meant for bike makers. Remember, Ribble does actually build bikes, so it counts. That is a likely reason for the lack of retail packaging. Personally, I am quite happy about the situation. If I were an LBS owner, I might disagree, because it makes it hard to stock groupset components and sell them profitably (hence Shimano and Campagnolo's various schemes in the USA).

spadey

Thanks for the tips. I have decided to hang on to the cassette, as it was cheap and can't find it for a similar price elsewhere. Ribble have been in touch again and assured me that it is an 09 centaur cassette. As for the packaging, their response was:

"Most Centaur products do not come individually boxed, cassettes for instance come in boxes of 25 that we have to bag here, basically campag supply what they have in stock sometimes individually boxed sometimes loose."

I agree with the previous posts and think that it is not really good enough

mostly harmless

On the other hand it doesn't bother me in the slightest and it's a load less stuff to throw in the recycling. In fact I was debating with a mate the other day why Shimano include an complete set of instructions that you never read with every part.

jon208

Now this has peed me off a bit.......

I'm gradually replacing the 08 Veloce on my Bianchi for 09 Centaur.

I'm getting some of the nice 09 Centaur ergos but am aware some aspects of Centaur have been "down graded" this year - specifically chainset and cassette. Managed to get a lovely 08 carbon Centaur chainset from Ribble (which came in a sealed box with full documentation incidentally) and set about finding an 08 cassette to go with it (larger sprokets on a carrier as opposed to all being separate on the 09 version).


Came across this...... (not Ribble)

Campagnolo Centaur 10 speed road bike cassette.
Ultra Drive 10speed sporckets
Hard wearing nickel-chrome finished sprockets
Lightweight Alloy carrier for larger sprockets
Top quality Campagnolo cassette with alloy sprocket carrier.
Weight: approx 230g

So ordered it at a cost of £57, more expensive than the 09 version but I thought I'd be getting a better cassette.

What's arrived is very definitely a 09 cassette with no sprocket carrier. Something I could have bought from Ribble/Wiggle/CRC for about £30!

Grrrrrrrr :evil:

Tom Butcher

Just about to buy a couple of new cassettes for the race and TT bike. Was going to buy Centaur from Ribble at £32 each. Would I be better going for the Mirage and saving £11 per cassette - 259gs so only 24gs more - not so worried about the weight if they are as hard wearing and shift just as well.

vorsprung

I just bought a 10 speed centaur cassette from ribble.

It was in a campag box and had a plastic doohickey to hold the sprockets in place during transist

It did have a leaflet with it

The sprockets were individual there was no carrier. A new lockring was included

kervelo

Does anybody know a good place to buy 10sp Chorus cassettes? They seem to be very hard to find.