SRAM Red v. Campagnolo Chorus 11 for a Colnago CLX 2.

miurasv

The Chorus 11 is £920 with the special chain tool you have to get and the SRAM Red is on offer at £999. It's for a friend who has more or less decided on the Campy group set for the Colnago CLX 2 as he thinks it's best to keep it all Italian. I was wondering if the SRAM Red would be any better? Thanks in advance.

pbt150

My head says that Red is the better groupset. My heart says that a Colnago needs Campag. Red is meant to be outstanding, so for functionality it wins, but there is something about those Italians...

magliaceleste

You will simply get answers based on peoples love of one groupset or the other! Try a search, it's been debated a gazillion times. Trying to be objective, the real answer is to try them both. I think there is a Campagnolo trial program in place at the moment.

Anyway here are my biased opinions!

The main functional difference is the shifting. SRAM using the double tap and Campagnolo using the shifter and ear. I personally love Campag's shifting arrangement and the ability to drop a whole chunk of gears in one go with your thumb is great or change down a few gears in one go. Campag stuff looks great, lasts forever and can be rebuilt assuming you can get the parts. You can also get adapters to change your cranks to BB30 assuming you ever change your in the future to one with this. You will need to buy some Campag specific tools to do things properly. Campag push the 11 speed which is great for having no big gearing jumps in the cassette but that may or may or may not matter to you.

I think SRAM doubletap is a completely illogical method of shifting, others get on well with it once learnt and it's certainly great value. SRAM wheels are interchangeable with Shimano wheels so there is a wider availability of kit and chains and shops will tend to have bits in stock. SRAM cassettes come in a wider spread of gears which compensates for less of them but slightly bigger jumps. You can generally use your Shimano tools.

One other thing is that the CLX isn't made in Italy. Only the Colnago EPS, Master (and forthcoming C59) are actually made there. That may or may not make your friends decision easier!

Anonymous

Indeed, the CLX is made in Taiwan. Not an issue at all but origin doesn't dictate group on a modern bike.
If I were building up a classic looking steel bike like a Master X Light I'd defo go Campagnolo though...

bendertherobot

magliaceleste wrote:

I think SRAM doubletap is a completely illogical method of shifting, others get on well with it once learnt and it's certainly great value. SRAM stuff is interchangable with Shimano stuff so there is possibly a wider availability of kit.
!

It really isn't. Not even one bit. In fact it's the most logical of all of them. You relese tension to move down, you create tension to move up. All with the same lever.

I think of it as click and push. Spock would approve totally of it.

Limburger

Yuu can get Chorus 11 for 850 euro from Gustavesports of your willing to buy from Holland. If that helps at all.

Monty Dog

You don't need to buy the Campagnolo chain tool - just use a KMC 11 speed link. Whilst Red might be lighter, it doesn't feel anything like as durable as Campagnolo and the lever hoods on the Ergos are the best shape of all 3 IMO.

miurasv

Thanks for your replies everyone.

Monty Dog wrote:

You don't need to buy the Campagnolo chain tool - just use a KMC 11 speed link. Whilst Red might be lighter, it doesn't feel anything like as durable as Campagnolo and the lever hoods on the Ergos are the best shape of all 3 IMO.

Thanks for the above MD. What would you use to shorten the chain then? Do you know anything about the Ice Toolz chain tool which is a lot cheaper than the Campag one?

Monty Dog

You can use any chaintool to shorten it - the special tool is only needed to join it as it needs to be a different dimension to press the pins in accurately on the narrower chain

miurasv

Monty Dog wrote:

You can use any chaintool to shorten it - the special tool is only needed to join it as it needs to be a different dimension to press the pins in accurately on the narrower chain

Thanks again for the info. Very helpful. The money he will save on the Campag Chain Tool he could put towards getting Record. Is Record much better than Chorus? I think it costs £350 more but money is tight for him.

love2ride

I'm a shimano and sram man, but a colnago isn't right without campag

Monty Dog

General opinion is that Super Record is fantastic but the difference between Record and Chorus is far more marginal - the differences are mainly in terms of cosmetic finish and a few titanium bolts, whereas SR has the cult bearings. Weightweenies is a good place for opinions.

miurasv

Monty Dog wrote:

General opinion is that Super Record is fantastic but the difference between Record and Chorus is far more marginal - the differences are mainly in terms of cosmetic finish and a few titanium bolts, whereas SR has the cult bearings. Weightweenies is a good place for opinions.

He'll probably go for Chorus then. One thing he does not like about Campag Ultra Torque is the lateral play in the bottom bracket caused by the wavy washer. This was quite evident on a new 10 speed Record Chain Set that he recently bought for his just sold Wilier Izoard.

miurasv

I just read the following statement on another site and wondered if true?

'I have not examined 11 sp Chorus personally, but from reading it seems that 10 sp Record = 11 sp Super Record, 10 sp Chorus = 11 sp Record and 10 sp Centaur = 11 sp Chorus. You now have to go to Super Record to get the titanium bolts and some extra carbon bits; and 11 sp Chorus no longer has bearings in the shifter internals and the brake calipers, where 10 sp did. Not sure where the new Athena fits, it's 11 sp but I wonder if it has the multiple upshifts and downshifts which is not present in Centaur.'

Brian

magliaceleste

Super Record is record with a few extra Ti bolts. The main difference is in the cranks, SR has the CULT bearings. The other differences are primarily cosmetic (extra groves in the lever, black anodizing).

I think the general consensus is that Chorus is probably best for price/performance in the Campag range (especially at the price someone linked above). Alternatively Chorus with Record shifters.

Chirg

Not much difference between the functionality between Record and Chorus apart from the brake callipers (have both). Record have bearings rather than bushes and I find then far superior in terms of modulation.

Last groupset I bought was Chorus with Record brake callipers which I am very happy with

rajMAN

Before spending over £900 for a Chorus 11sp group, check Maestro's prices on Campag groupsets. If you have any questions Mike will be more than happy to answer i am sure. I do find that he is often busy on the phone, but emails are always answered promptly. FWIW.

miurasv

rajMAN wrote:

Before spending over £900 for a Chorus 11sp group, check Maestro's prices on Campag groupsets. If you have any questions Mike will be more than happy to answer i am sure. I do find that he is often busy on the phone, but emails are always answered promptly. FWIW.

Thanks for that. The price he's paying is about £790. It was £920 with the chain tool,

giant_man

I certainly wouldn't waste my money on Sram.

Campag Chorus is a wonderful groupset, use and enjoy!

rajMAN

I see, £790 is a very good price! if they have the stock i would go for it at that price and maybe get the Campag tool cheaper elsewhere, Ribble flog it at around £85 at the moment.

Limburger

Still only costs 720 GBP on the continent.

miurasv

Limburger wrote:

Still only costs 720 GBP on the continent.

A bit far to go if a problem develops though.

Limburger

Same as buying anything from the internet.

rajMAN

You mean the Internets on the Continent??

Limburger

Them there stores on that there internet y'hear

I can edit it to say 'on' the internet if you like?

rajMAN

Ha ha, so if they are £720 somewhere on the Continent, what do you reckon the price would be delivered, considering duties, carriage etc. to a UK address?

miurasv

Limburger wrote:

Same as buying anything from the internet.

Not really as postage and phone calls to the continent are a lot more expensive plus the extra time involved with sending things back and forth and what if they get lost. Potential nightmare. No thanks.

Limburger

miurasv wrote:

Limburger wrote:

Same as buying anything from the internet.

Not really as postage and phone calls to the continent are a lot more expensive.

Alright clever boy, since about 1994 the whole of Western Europe has been border free in regards to trade so there are bugger all duties to pay.

Oh and delivery is free - I checked.

Anything else?

rajMAN

Yes, just one thing, from where?

miurasv

Limburger wrote:

miurasv wrote:

Limburger wrote:

Same as buying anything from the internet.

Not really as postage and phone calls to the continent are a lot more expensive.

Alright clever boy, since about 1994 the whole of Western Europe has been border free in regards to trade so there are bugger all duties to pay.

Oh and delivery is free - I checked.

Anything else?

So postage is free if I have to send things back to the continental retailer is it if I get a problem? I somehow think not. I know I'm not very clever but you obviously are. What's it like to be such?

Limburger

Gustavsport, Tubbergen, Overijssel, The Netherlands. Only slightly further than CRC in Northern Ireland so I don´t see any difference in buying from here or Roseversand or any other European site unless you have some mortal fear of international commerce and think all foreigners are shady Lithuanian mobsters trying to clone your identity.



http://www.gustavsport.nl/campagnolo-chorus-11-speed-groep/