Change from Shimano to Campy and what did you notice ?

Raffles

My Caad 8 has full 105 groupset and I think its very good, if I had a whinge it would be why are shimano shifters so long and obviously more suited to guys with larger hands. A guy I know runs Campy on his bike and those shifters are signifigantly shorter (yay !! ) but if I had a whinge it would be why the bloody thumbshifter ( :shock:) The size of the Campy shifters was glorious for me , and it got me wondering about the rest of a Campy groupset.

The price of campy componentry seems fairly steep to me, Im not sure if the 105 equivalent is Rival or Force. What about Campy shifting compared to 105 though, much of a muchness or has anybody been able to compare similar level campy with shimano and can offer an opinion.

If I decide to order a custom skinnymalinky frameset from Shand with a larger headtube , I hope fitting a full Campy groupset would be just the icing on the cake, retro style frameset + groupset of peerless heritage. Im interested to read observations about using a Campy groupset and how it compared to using Shimano .

TakeTurns

Go with sram, their shifters have adjustable reach. Their isn't much between shim/sram besides the difference in shifter mechanics. The ergonomics of the shim shifters are far superior than campag and sram imo.

Why not go into a bike shop where you can try them out.

Raffles

I think a frameset of that beauty would just be absolutely epic looking with a campy full groupset, Im curious as to why campy users prefer theirs over shimano or sram. If I had to change anything on the bike in the pic , id ditch the Brooks for a san marco rolls or selle turbo.

imposter2.0

Raffles wrote:

Im curious as to why campy users prefer theirs over shimano or sram.

Believe it or not, you probably won't get a definitive answer to that question.

goonz

Raffles wrote:

I think a frameset of that beauty would just be absolutely epic looking with a campy full groupset, Im curious as to why campy users prefer theirs over shimano or sram. If I had to change anything on the bike in the pic , id ditch the Brooks for a san marco rolls or selle turbo.

Beautiful bike, you took the words right out of my mouth re the saddle, brooks gotta go.

thegreatdivide

With Campagnolo you press the thumb shifter down to move down the cassette/chainrings. You shift the gear lever left to move the chain left/up the cassette/chainrings. You pull the brake lever back to brake. It's a simple as it gets for me - and I like simple.

Not sure what campy does though.

xixang

why campag over shim? Personally i find it more comfortable and find the thumb shift far better than double levers and I like the feel of the shift. I find shim a bit wooly and light if that makes sense? I like the solid feel of campag shifting Never tried sram to compare. All subjective and personal though

napoleond

I've used-
shimano sora, tiagra, ultegra (6600 and 6700) Dura ace (7800) and Ultegra Di2
SRAM red (first gen)
Campagnolo Chorus 10, record 10, Athena 11 and sr11

I am now sticking with campagnolo. You actually get pleasure from changing gear. Weird but in my case true.

Shimano very smooth, particularly the 7800. Di2 is excellent. Sram very clunky shifting but light. Served me well for 4 years!

rolf_f

I'm not wildly keen on the floppy combined brake/shifter on the Shimano but you get used to it just as you'd get used to the (very effective) Campagnolo thumb shifter. What do I like that is more than just getting used to? Multiple downshifts in Ultrashift, repairability, better durability of finish, shorter hoods and styling (Shimano need to get the bloke who designs their packaging and give him the job of styling the components! He'd do a far better job than the blind bloke they have been using for the past 15 years or more).

Raffles

I always found the thumbshift on shimano to be seriously clunky and industrial, is the campag thumbshift smoother or similar to the shimano ?

Does the campag thumbshift act as a microadjust like the shimano one does ?

thegreatdivide

The left hand shifters (thumb and lever) allow you to trim the front mech. No need to have it on the right shifter.

Jon_1976

Did the reverse (went from Campy to Shimano) and I miss the Campy a lot I've only got experience of the lower end components (Veloce and Tiagra) but the Campags felt so much satisfying to use. Next bike is definitely being Campy equipped.

Originally had 2300 (which I hated), the thumb shifters on the Campags is light years better than the 2300 ones. They can't even be compared IMO. For a start they can be accessed easily from the drops and hoods, and feel way more robust than 2300.

feel sad now

Cheshire Cat

I have Campag on my Cinelli road bike, and Shimano on my cross bike, of the two I prefer the action of Campag. It lets you know that you have shifted gear, it has a mechanical feel...if that makes sense. Shimano is too smooth, it has very little in the way feedback, but some folk may prefer that.

Wirral_paul

I've got Campag on my 'dry' bike and SRAM on the 'wet' bike. I too find the Campag shifters to be way more comfortable than the SRAM ones, and prefer the shifting also. I like to know i've actually changed gear and how many i've changed. Shimano is very light and so smooth shifting (at least the Ultegra I used to use was) - but if anything it was too smooth and light so didnt actually know that I had changed properly without looking down. I guess many will love really smotth shifting feeling though - so its really down to personal choice (and they're all good - except that Microshit Arses groupset that someone was promoting the other day!! )

Raffles

Paul I get what you are saying about the smoothness of the shimano units, my 5700 105 shifters are so smooth that sometimes I wonder if I too have carried out a gear shift until pedalling confirms it.

slowandsteady

Cheshire Cat wrote:

I have Campag on my Cinelli road bike, and Shimano on my cross bike, of the two I prefer the action of Campag. It lets you know that you have shifted gear, it has a mechanical feel...if that makes sense. Shimano is too smooth, it has very little in the way feedback, but some folk may prefer that.

Exactly this.^^^^^

I went from shimano 105 to campagnolo Athena 11 and its brilliant.

LegendLust

I prefer to have cycling equipment on my bikes rather than fishing tackle

Raffles

LegendLust wrote:

I prefer to have cycling equipment on my bikes rather than fishing tackle

..................................



TOSSER ALERT EVERYBODY, NOW ALL WE NEED IS SOME GARBAGE FROM SHUT UP LEGS

hipshot

I went from 105 to a Veloce/Centaur mix. I found the Campagnolo shifting more 'snappy', and slightly agricultural in a nice kind of way. Positive and notchy in other words. The Shimano was more 'buttery' and smooth. Didnt notice a difference with the brakes and I have no experience of SRAM.

Like others I think the Campy thumbshifter is very instinctive and is nothing at all like Shimano 2300 (which I started out on). Personal preference is Campagnolo.

Raffles

hipshot wrote:

I went from 105 to a Veloce/Centaur mix. I found the Campagnolo shifting more 'snappy', and slightly agricultural in a nice kind of way. Positive and notchy in other words. The Shimano was more 'buttery' and smooth. Didnt notice a difference with the brakes and I have no experience of SRAM.

Like others I think the Campy thumbshifter is more instinctive and is nothing at all like Shimano 2300 (which I started out on). Personal preference is Campagnolo.

thanks hipshot for returning to sensible discussion of the thread topic

Wirral_paul

Raffles wrote:

Paul I get what you are saying about the smoothness of the shimano units, my 5700 105 shifters are so smooth that sometimes I wonder if I too have carried out a gear shift until pedalling confirms it.

I guess groupsets are like cars - the Japanese Shimano version does the job sooooo smoothly and efficiently but lacks a bit of character. The Italian thoroughbread does the job in a more agricultural kind of way, but does it with more feel and passion.

Shimano Dura ace = Nissan GTR
Campagnolo SR = Ferrari F358 Italia
SRAM Red = Corvette? Dodge Viper?

Oh and we all lust after the Ferrari really - even if we dont admit it

jonny_trousers

Just to say someone is selling a full alloy Athena groupset over in classifieds that would look gorgeous on that frameset. Perhaps a touch overpriced, though.

Flexisurfer

With Campagnolo you are buying into cycling heritage a bit like buying a bike that has some Grand Tour history like Colnago for example, not recent history but proper history. There's absolutely nothing wrong with Shimano it does a job and very well, they also produce components that cover a much wider budget range, so for people that love cycling but don't have much of a disposable income to replace worn parts then Shimano fits the bill.

I have Sora on my commuter and Campagnolo on my Sunday best, I would imagine that the Sora will last well but as bits wear I will more than likely replace it with Veloce bits.

g00se

I think the best way to describe the differences are the sounds:

Shimano; "snick-snick-snickety-snick".
Campag: "TANG-TANG-T-T-T-TANG".

mercia_man

I've got Shimano on one bike and Campag on two. My wife has Shimano. They all work well. But I prefer the more positive gearchange of Campag. You can feel and hear the change on Campag. The Shimano change is lighter and less distinct. I find I sometimes change two gears instead of one on the right hand swinging brake/gear lever on the Shimano because the shifting is so light and less tactile. If you need to change gear in a hurry, such as suddenly hitting a steep hill in the wrong gear on a heavily laden touring bike, Campag is the better system.

I do all my own maintenance on our bikes and find indexing Campag to be easier than Shimano. If Campag ergo levers break, you can rebuild them yourself or get them rebuilt by experts such as Mercian Cycles. If Shimano STI levers break, I guess you buy new ones because I've not heard of anyone rebuilding them.

When my righthand Shimano RSX STI lever broke a few years back and I didn't want to spend money buying a new one, I tried replacing it with a spare Dura Ace bar end lever which I had lying about. The indexing was bust on the Dura Ace lever (plastic innards, unlike upper end Campag) so I used it on friction. It was a revelation. The friction gearchange, when you've got the feel for it and get it right, is quieter and smoother than any indexed system (except maybe electric). But obviously you don't get it right every time with friction changing so indexing is still preferable.

thegreatdivide

g00se wrote:

I think the best way to describe the differences are the sounds:

Shimano; "snick-snick-snickety-snick".
Campag: "TANG-TANG-T-T-T-TANG".

Or

Shimano: click, click, shift
Campagnolo: click, shift

Raffles

the new 105 shifters are super slick but sora right up until they finally ditched the thumbshifter were more akin to:

(click thumbshifter) KER-CLUUUUNK clickity click rattle chatter

I really must try out the equivalent 105 level campag shifters and crankset as I really like what you guys say about the hands on feel you get from using campag gear.

pride4ever

In my experience (30 yrs) Campagnolo Groupsets take longer before you have to start the inevitable small adjustments that come with the miles than Shimano sets. Only used Sram fleetingly so couldnt say.

edten

I went from Shimano to Campag a couple of years ago. I had a couple of bikes with Shimano Durace and Ultegra groupsets. After a couple of years it started getting a little problematic with shifters breaking, rear mechs seizing so flogged all of what was working and went with campag. Never looked back, thumbshifters would be one reason but in addition to that as per previous comments much better feedback. Also aesthetics (even more so with some of Shimano's latest stuff, that crank is damn ugly!!) & brand kudos play a part.

andi1363

I went from Campag to Shimano. When it was new, it was excellent but it don't last very long.

Bar Shaker

thegreatdivide wrote:

g00se wrote:

I think the best way to describe the differences are the sounds:

Shimano; "snick-snick-snickety-snick".
Campag: "TANG-TANG-T-T-T-TANG".

Or

Shimano: click, click, shift
Campagnolo: click, shift

and

Di2: shift.