Hudz versus Campag hoods

chickenbourne

Right, I've been told by some of you to get white hoods and bar tape for the Merckx. Just wondering if anyone's had any experience of the Hudz hoods over standard Campag white ones? I'm leaning towards Campag to keep it real, but have seen the Hudz around and they seem fair dinkum.This is a BIG decision Also, anyone know where I can get white Prologo bar tape, with the Prologo writing in red...

Monty Dog

The Hudz use a slightly cheaper-feeling material - Campagnolo use a more expensive silicone which is more resilient and grips the lever bodies better IMO.

chickenbourne

Campagnolo it is. Prologo tape anyone?

rolf_f

chickenbourne wrote:

Right, I've been told by some of you to get white hoods and bar tape for the Merckx.

And these people are wrong. Stick with black - the choice is between a smart looking bike with black tape and hoods and a slightly scruffy looking bike with white tape and hoods! You'd be spending money to make your bike worse!

Edit - seen the pics; nice looking bike! If you must change the tape, leave the hoods. It'll look daft with white hoods as well. And if you must have lettering on the bar tape, I reckon blue would work better than red. But better no lettering.

chickenbourne

Thanks for the input Rolf. Well I've ordered the tape from the states (white and red as its the only combo available - sorry!) so I'll just have to bleach my hands before I get on it! I'll put that on before deciding on the hoods. All white could well be too much.

rolf_f

I do have an old tourer with white hoods and tape. The tape is Fizik which is one of the few white tapes you can keep clean. I actually find keeping the hoods clean harder but they are 20 years old so not really comparable with the Campag. However, if the Campag white hoods are off the same moulding as the black ones then I can't imagine it would be easy to keep them white inside the mouldings. The black stuff never needs cleaning!

ajb72

Rolf F wrote:

chickenbourne wrote:

Right, I've been told by some of you to get white hoods and bar tape for the Merckx.

And these people are wrong. Stick with black - the choice is between a smart looking bike with black tape and hoods and a slightly scruffy looking bike with white tape and hoods! You'd be spending money to make your bike worse!

Edit - seen the pics; nice looking bike! If you must change the tape, leave the hoods. It'll look daft with white hoods as well. And if you must have lettering on the bar tape, I reckon blue would work better than red. But better no lettering.

+1 White hoods too much on this beauty IMO - the bike speaks for itself without needing to add more. Stick to black hoods - you'll be glad of it the first time you have to change a tube or mend a chain and then put your hands back on those hoods! It's sod's law - I recently put Zipp white tape on my bars and had my first dropped chain of the year :roll: I would also stick to Campagnolo original hoods, the Hudz are fine, but as mentioned don't have the same quality feel as the Campag's.

That's the first time I've seen a Merckx and liked it, nice bike sir.

Monty Dog

Campagnolo do white hoods now - because of the silicone material they will be easier to clean than the Hudz which have a slightly textured surface and which holds dirts IME. Agree on Fizik Microtex white tape - a squirt of householder cleaner and a scrub and it comes up like new - it wears well and will easily survive a few seasons unlike cork tape.

galatzo

My white campag hoods stay cleaner than the hudz i had on a sram bike a while ago.