Campag or Shimano?

revvers
revvers Posts: 81
edited September 2010 in Road buying advice
I'm sure this has been discussed before, but have tried searching to no avail! Should I buy Shimano 105 or Campag Athena? I presently use 105, but am specc'ing up a new bike. Thing is... reliable japanese versus iconic campag? Any advice/ opinions most welcome
«1

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Have you tried shifting with both? Some people don't like the thumb shifters on Campag...

    Which do you prefer the look of?
  • revvers
    revvers Posts: 81
    Hello Napoleon, have never tried Campag, just wonder if the tradition and history are worth the money over the efficiency of Shimano. LBS said they are concerned that Campag are not up to the U.K weather conditions (can that be true?!) and a mate of mine says that the 'click' of his friends Campag drives him mad!
  • Robert456
    Robert456 Posts: 103
    revvers wrote:
    Thing is... reliable japanese versus iconic campag? Any advice/ opinions most welcome

    Campag and shimano are about equal in terms of reliability, you'll just go round in circles trying to get people's opinion on which is better.

    Buy what you like the feel and look of the most, I ride Campag mainly for what it's worth

    Oh... hope this hasn't been posted by a joker trying to hook the online gullible into an argument :!:
  • revvers
    revvers Posts: 81
    No, just a confused man!
  • taz3611
    taz3611 Posts: 172
    No argument. Try and only then, buy! You've got to live with it. You'll only get other peoples opinions by asking other people. Surely your own means more?
    http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv18 ... _0057a.jpg
  • father_jack
    father_jack Posts: 3,509
    And what about SRAM?
    Say... That's a nice bike..
    Trax T700 with Lew Racing Pro VT-1 ;-)
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    What bike is it going on?
  • Robert456
    Robert456 Posts: 103
    revvers wrote:
    No, just a confused man!

    Confusions good, find a bike shop which stocks all 3 and is unbiased and see which you like, it may even come down to which shifters you like the best
  • JesseD
    JesseD Posts: 1,961
    I ride Campag, but it is a commitment. Trying to get spares is like trying to find hens teeth, and for some reason if you go for handbuilt wheels then you are limited to record hubs which whilst are great are also expensive.

    That said I love the positive click of campag and I prefer the feel of the hoods (old 10 spd), if I was speccing a bike now I would def go for campag again.

    As the saying gors, campag wears in whilst others wear out :D
    Obsessed is a word used by the lazy to describe the dedicated!
  • Evil Laugh
    Evil Laugh Posts: 1,412
    It's about the ergonomics reallly. Hood shape is important and your preference of shifting mechanism.

    Ive tried all 3, personally I find the sram hoods small, nobbly and uncomfortable. Campag (super record 11), i found the hoods comfortable but the shifting via the thumb shifter very awkward. The new Shimano design (new hood shape, internal cables) is perfect for me but I'm more than happy with the older version.

    You really need to find out for yourself though, I think this comfort in the fit and mechanism is the most important factor in the choice, then price/looks/weight/reliability/availability of parts etc etc.
  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    revvers wrote:
    Hello Napoleon, have never tried Campag, just wonder if the tradition and history are worth the money over the efficiency of Shimano. LBS said they are concerned that Campag are not up to the U.K weather conditions (can that be true?!) and a mate of mine says that the 'click' of his friends Campag drives him mad!
    Find an LBS that know what they are talking about.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Smokin Joe wrote:
    revvers wrote:
    Hello Napoleon, have never tried Campag, just wonder if the tradition and history are worth the money over the efficiency of Shimano. LBS said they are concerned that Campag are not up to the U.K weather conditions (can that be true?!) and a mate of mine says that the 'click' of his friends Campag drives him mad!
    Find an LBS that know what they are talking about.

    Indeed. WTF is that about?!?

    Do they, perchance, not stock campagnolo?
  • Teach
    Teach Posts: 386
    I have 2 bikes. One with shimano 105 and then I moved to the dark side and went for campag. I love my campag, but have had no issues with shimano. With the campag you can shift more than one gear at a time.
    How many more bikes to you have? May sound daft, but I have spares for shimano for all the bikes in the family. My other bike on campag is the only one and has no spares, so it will cost me a bit and I had to buy campag tools.
  • 2alexcoo
    2alexcoo Posts: 251
    Parts availability in LBSs isn't as good, but then I tend to use the LBS for clothing, accessories etc and buy any mechanical bits online. There is loads of choice online (Ribble, Merlin, Ebay etc) and prices are currently very reasonable.

    In terms of tools you won't necessarily have to buy the 11 speed chain tool if you go for Athena as KMC have their 11 speed chain with quicklink out now. The only tool you'll really needs that's different is the cassette lockring tool.

    As mentioned Campag only do expensive hubs if you're going for handbuilt wheels but others (Ambrosio, Hope, DT Swiss etc) are available. Factory wheels are almost always offered with a choice of Campag or Shimano freehub.

    I have Campag on two bikes and Shimano on another, and overall I prefer Campag for the shape of the hoods and the more positive shifting. It is personal preference though really, so try and test them first.
    Alex
  • Chip \'oyler
    Chip \'oyler Posts: 2,323
    Teach wrote:
    I have 2 bikes. One with shimano 105 and then I moved to the dark side and went for campag. I love my campag, but have had no issues with shimano. With the campag you can shift more than one gear at a time.
    How many more bikes to you have? May sound daft, but I have spares for shimano for all the bikes in the family. My other bike on campag is the only one and has no spares, so it will cost me a bit and I had to buy campag tools.

    :shock: You have two bikes and with two different groupsets!

    So you had to buy two sets of tools and can't swap rear wheels over in case you bust one!

    I would always advise that people use the same groupset manufacturer for their different road bikes.
    Expertly coached by http://www.vitessecyclecoaching.co.uk/

    http://vineristi.wordpress.com - the blog for Viner owners and lovers!
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,301
    I always thought they're equivalent, but after noticing the complete lack of wear of a Centaur 2008 groupset after 10,000 Km, I would go for Campagnolo.

    I have the original cassette, the original brake pads (mostly used in dry) and original cables... only thing I've changed (once) is the chain.

    With my old Shimano 105, I used to change pads every 2000 Km, same for the chain, the cassette lasted a few Km longer, but not many and the chainrings after 6000 Km had to be changed. Cables got changed every year

    So, all in all, I have to admit Campagnolo is better
    left the forum March 2023
  • top_bhoy
    top_bhoy Posts: 1,424
    Chip \'oyler wrote:
    Teach wrote:
    I have 2 bikes. One with shimano 105 and then I moved to the dark side and went for campag. I love my campag, but have had no issues with shimano. With the campag you can shift more than one gear at a time.
    How many more bikes to you have? May sound daft, but I have spares for shimano for all the bikes in the family. My other bike on campag is the only one and has no spares, so it will cost me a bit and I had to buy campag tools.

    :shock: You have two bikes and with two different groupsets!

    So you had to buy two sets of tools and can't swap rear wheels over in case you bust one!

    I would always advise that people use the same groupset manufacturer for their different road bikes.

    That is logical but may not end up with the best solution if you are never prepared to change. If everyone took that stance, SRAM would never have been able to make the impact in the market to the extent it has.
    Click here to view Top_Bhoys Pedal Force:
    Click here to view Top_Bhoys RC2:
  • Velonutter
    Velonutter Posts: 2,437
    revvers wrote:
    .....LBS said they are concerned that Campag are not up to the U.K weather conditions (can that be true?!) and a mate of mine says that the 'click' of his friends Campag drives him mad!

    Talking a load of Bollocks, I wouldn't go near an LBS that said that.

    Even though I am pro Campag, I recognise the qualities of other brands, it's a personal choice and in this day and age of technology all are reliable.

    If you maintain your bike correctly then there should be no reason to have breakdowns anyway.
  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    Chip \'oyler wrote:
    Teach wrote:
    I have 2 bikes. One with shimano 105 and then I moved to the dark side and went for campag. I love my campag, but have had no issues with shimano. With the campag you can shift more than one gear at a time.
    How many more bikes to you have? May sound daft, but I have spares for shimano for all the bikes in the family. My other bike on campag is the only one and has no spares, so it will cost me a bit and I had to buy campag tools.

    :shock: You have two bikes and with two different groupsets!

    So you had to buy two sets of tools and can't swap rear wheels over in case you bust one!

    I would always advise that people use the same groupset manufacturer for their different road bikes.

    Well I have 9 speed Veloce on the commuter and Athena on the best bike so that doesn't really work!
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    :oops:
    I have Shimano, Sram and Campagnolo on 3 different bikes...
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    Smokin Joe wrote:
    revvers wrote:
    Hello Napoleon, have never tried Campag, just wonder if the tradition and history are worth the money over the efficiency of Shimano. LBS said they are concerned that Campag are not up to the U.K weather conditions (can that be true?!) and a mate of mine says that the 'click' of his friends Campag drives him mad!
    Find an LBS that know what they are talking about.

    That's a bit harsh, Joe - they probably know they are taking bull!
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/41991871@N ... otostream/
  • pickled
    pickled Posts: 439
    I kind of wish that I had the same on my bike as my wifes so I could improve her bike with bits off mine as I upgrade.
    However I prefer the campag shifting, ergonomics and looks...
    Some of the shimano stuff looks orrible.
  • revvers
    revvers Posts: 81
    Many thanks for the input everybody. I must admit I am VERY disappointed with my LBS as they are either incompetant and/or very expensive, which forces me to shop online. I need to give all 3 systems a go, perhaps at the London cycle show before I buy. Then I can get my new Ribble!! :D
  • arlowood
    arlowood Posts: 2,561
    revvers wrote:
    Many thanks for the input everybody. I must admit I am VERY disappointed with my LBS as they are either incompetant and/or very expensive, which forces me to shop online. I need to give all 3 systems a go, perhaps at the London cycle show before I buy. Then I can get my new Ribble!! :D

    As you probably expected you have generated a full spectrum of opinion on both types of drive train.

    For what it's worth, I've just replaced my 14 year old Mercian Audax (Campag Mirage Triple groupset) with a Specialized Secteur Elite (Shimano 105 Triple - 10 speed)

    Over the 14 years and several thousand miles of riding my Campag never let me down once. Last year I replaced the rear mech inner cable when I experienced some selection problems and this year I replaced the rear cassette and 50T ring on the crankset. Not a bad reliability profile IMHO.

    Moving to the 105 system - I have only ridden 50 miles or so and have not had any major issues with it. At the moment I have a slight preference for the Campag thumb lever as it is a bit easier to access upward shifts when riding on the brake hoods. However I'm sure I'll get used to the 105 lever changer pretty soon.

    As you've seen from other posts - it's all down to personal preference so give both a trial and see how you feel.
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    why not sram?
  • de_sisti
    de_sisti Posts: 1,283
    I spoke to a couple of tri-athletes at the Manchester 100 on Sunday who said they were
    getting custom built bikes by Dave Hinde in Northwich. They said that Dave Hinde didn't
    like Campag groupsets because they were difficult to set up and maintain. :roll:

    Surely, any competent bike mechanic can set up gears on any groupset.
  • father_jack
    father_jack Posts: 3,509
    probably gets best prices/most profit on shimano lol...
    Say... That's a nice bike..
    Trax T700 with Lew Racing Pro VT-1 ;-)
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    De Sisti wrote:
    I spoke to a couple of tri-athletes at the Manchester 100 on Sunday who said they were
    getting custom built bikes by Dave Hinde in Northwich. They said that Dave Hinde didn't
    like Campag groupsets because they were difficult to set up and maintain. :roll:

    Surely, any competent bike mechanic can set up gears on any groupset.

    Not withstanding the fact that the shop is full of sh1t?
  • JesseD
    JesseD Posts: 1,961
    NapoleonD wrote:
    De Sisti wrote:
    I spoke to a couple of tri-athletes at the Manchester 100 on Sunday who said they were
    getting custom built bikes by Dave Hinde in Northwich. They said that Dave Hinde didn't
    like Campag groupsets because they were difficult to set up and maintain. :roll:

    Surely, any competent bike mechanic can set up gears on any groupset.

    Not withstanding the fact that the shop is full of sh1t?

    +1, campag is easy to set up.
    Obsessed is a word used by the lazy to describe the dedicated!
  • mrushton
    mrushton Posts: 5,182
    The adage that 'Shimano makes bike equipment that works beautifully and Campag makes beautiful bike eqpt. that works is v. true. Shimano/Campag/SRAM, it's just gear shifting that you need to be comfortable with. For those who haver never had the Dave Hinde 'experience', do a google and stand back :lol:
    M.Rushton

Categories