Athena v Ultegra

ianeverton

Athena v Ultegra which is the best, or is it a matter of taste ?

giant_man

Well it depends whether you prefer campag or shimano basically. But don't go there whatever you do, you don't want to go there.

TornadoTom

Rival/Force

ianeverton

I guessed that would be the case.

So what about a Athena 11 v Ultegra 10 ?

giant_man

For me Athena 11, but I will only buy Campag so that is expected. I wouldn't touch Sram with a bargepole personally ....

nicensleazy

Campag....is for the purist you know!

crimsondynamo

The Cycling Weekly chrimbo special had a review of Athena, Ultegra and Force.

They criticised Athena's spongy downshifting (rear), but commented that it's exactly the same as Super Record in this respect.

Thet criticised Ultegra for having become difficult to maintain compared to previous iterations, and rougher shifting due to cabling under the bar tape.

They said that Force depends on whether you "get" the shifting action. Their reviewer said that he never did get it and that it became v. annoying accidentaly upshifting ascending hills etc.

Not a marks out of 10 thing, sounds like 99% personal preference.

giant_man

At the end of the day, you're talking about something which changes your gears for you. So feel, looks, reliability and of course price are what you have to consider.

So personal preferences must come into it.

hopper1

giant mancp wrote:

For me Athena 11, but I will only buy Campag so that is expected. I wouldn't touch Sram with a bargepole personally ....

:shock: Wow!.... I feel the same way about Campagnolo :shock:

Part of your testing of your shortlisted bikes should involve riding on the hoods. There is a difference between all the manufacturers hood design, not all will suit.
Whilst testing you will come up against the Shimano/ SRAM method of gear changing, or the Campag, this again doesn't suit all, and will be blindingly obvious which you prefer.

Don't get involved in the SRAM/Shimano/Capagnolo arguement.....

ketsbaia

hopper1 wrote:

Don't get involved in the SRAM/Shimano/Capagnolo arguement.....

I keep seeing this.

Has anyone got any links to threads where this argument is in full swing? Only I've got a bit of downtime this afternoon and fancy a giggle.

Pross

ketsbaia wrote:

hopper1 wrote:

Don't get involved in the SRAM/Shimano/Capagnolo arguement.....

I keep seeing this.

Has anyone got any links to threads where this argument is in full swing? Only I've got a bit of downtime this afternoon and fancy a giggle.

You'll need more than a bit of downtime - you could waste the rest of your life there but if you still had time research the compact v standard debates

crimsondynamo

the other important thing to bear in mind is that both Campy and Shimano have recently updated their hood ergonomics (apparently in response to SRAM), so much of the personal preferences you'll read on here will not refer to the latest kit.

Try it out I say.

tenor

Objectively; Athena gets you a very wide range of gear ratio options, even including a 12-29, which gives you compact gearing with a racing double chainset, or triple chainset gearing with a compact double.
SRAM do a 11-28, but 11 is just for show for non-pro's and it loses two really useful mid range cogs as a result.
Shimano only gets you 12-27. The 11 Speed Campag 12-27 has two tooth sprockets diffenecre at the big end rather than Shimano's three, so gives closer ratios in the climbing gears - much better for long climbs.
Conclusion; Shimano can't compete with Campag versatility.

Subjectively; The new Ultegra chainset is just too overstyled and what would be the cost of replacing that outer ring?

on-yer-bike

crimsondynamo wrote:

The Cycling Weekly chrimbo special had a review of Athena, Ultegra and Force.

They criticised Athena's spongy downshifting (rear), but commented that it's exactly the same as Super Record in this respect.

.

I have Record 11s and this is not true. It was with my Centaur 10 though.

bexley5200

shimano ultegra has worked for me over the last 12 years.no problems

redddraggon

bexley5200 wrote:

shimano ultegra has worked for me over the last 12 years.no problems

6700 has only just come out.

Mark Alexander

I'd go for Athena because I prefer Campag as ever, the question is preference.

nferrar

I still don't get how you fix a snapped chain out on a ride with 11sp, isn't the only 'proper' 11sp chain tool workshop size? I've only had to do it once in many years but I still always like to have at least powerlinks in my spares bag on a ride.