Cheaper electric or expensive cable gruppo?

on-yer-bike

If you were buying an expensive top end frame like a Colnago C60, and you needed to keep costs under control, would you put Athena EPS on it or Record cable? It also means with a C60 you would have to decide before buying the frame. (or Ultegra electric v DA cable)

DiscoBoy

Either DA cable or Record cable depending on which way you swing.

I'd have DA, personally.

Bozman

DA 9001 looks great but the Ultegra Di2 looks dreadful and it'd be a travesty to put it on that frame, I've always used Shimano but given that frame I'd turn to the dark side and go for Record or Chorus. EPS...far too expensive, mechanical and a good set of wheels.

meanredspider

Depends if you're planning to change gear much - having moved to electronic shifting, I'm never going back: mechanical shifting is so last century

Mccaria

Why do say you have to decide before ? I thought there is a C60 dual model which will take both mechanical and electrical, so you can start with mechanical and upgrade later.

I don't think there is a specific mechanical model, it is either dual or electrical.

mfin

The C59 turned into being able to take mechanical or electrical, I thought the C60 continued this. If it is like that, I'd go for Record every time.

sloppyschleckonds

Chorus is more than adequate

jonny_trousers

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Chorus is more than adequate

+1 to this. Ultegra in any guise is butt- ugly. And I hear Chorus will perform just as well as Record. New Campag will be out soon too, so you can either be super trendy or get a good price on 2014 Chorus.

the_cyclist_of_catan

I'd vote Chorus cable. I expect there to be big forward steps made with electronic group sets over the next three years (wireless being part of it), but they're not there yet. If buying a bike now, I'd stick to mechanical and believe that Chorus is a "sweet spot" in terms of performance and price.

earthvspace4XTuUWcX

Yep I would go Chorus too, Ultegra or DA on a Colnago.... noooooooooo :shock:

theobrixton

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Chorus is more than adequate

+1 to this. Ultegra in any guise is butt- ugly. And I hear Chorus will perform just as well as Record. New Campag will be out soon too, so you can either be super trendy or get a good price on 2014 Chorus.

+2 I got Chorus on my recently purchased Basso. Have Record EPS on the BMC and while I really like it, decided it just wasn't enough of an "improvement" over mechanical to spend those big dollars again.

Chorus has all the function of Record/SR with virtually the same aesthetics and much cheaper. There's no downside, unless you care about a couple of hundred grams.

Bar Shaker

Chorus cogs and 6870 Di2 derailluers. The best of all options.

Much cheaper than EPS and much easier on the eye, meaning everyone will just see those lovely chainrings and cranks.

Bozman

Bar Shaker wrote:

Chorus cogs and 6870 Di2 derailluers. The best of all options.

Much cheaper than EPS and much easier on the eye, meaning everyone will just see those lovely chainrings and cranks.

The 6870 Di2 derailleurs look dreadful, admittedly they are better than the first gen but I wouldn't even put them on a Trek.

thegreatdivide

Record - because if everyone is putting Chorus on their bikes you want to be different ;-)

rolf_f

thegreatdivide wrote:

Record - because if everyone is putting Chorus on their bikes you want to be different ;-)

Oh, but they won't be. Most people will still be putting Record on........ Besides, Chorus is the ultimate discerning choice.

(says he whose Look is now a Record, SR mix but with Centaur US 10 shifters!)

PS Electronic groupsets are turning bicycles into gadgets and that isn't a good thing. My camera (Panasonic Lumix) is more gadget than camera and it is bloody awful for it!).

on-yer-bike

I only use Campag but mentioned Shimano just to make the point as others top end frame choice might be a Parlee or something and they may prefer Shimano. I didnt realise the C60 was dual fitting. I would definitely go with the 2015 and probably Chorus. I dont think carbon front mech cages are a good idea anyway. Its just a thought at the moment and then there is the disc option – will we all be aspiring to electronic shifting and discs in a few years?

rolf_f

on-yer-bike wrote:

I dont think carbon front mech cages are a good idea anyway. ?

Better than the bendy alloy ones!

drlodge

+1 for Chorus cable. Have got Super Record cable on the Rourke and the extra money just buys you a bit less weight, which ain't worth it.

meanredspider

on-yer-bike wrote:

will we all be aspiring to electronic shifting and discs in a few years?

Already there (for a couple of years now - just call me an early adopter). The braking is better, the shifting is better and it's been totally reliable - why wouldn't you?

rolf_f

meanredspider wrote:

on-yer-bike wrote:

will we all be aspiring to electronic shifting and discs in a few years?

Already there (for a couple of years now - just call me an early adopter). The braking is better, the shifting is better and it's been totally reliable - why wouldn't you?

Now stop it!

And in answer to your question - lots of reasons!

meanredspider

Rolf F wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

on-yer-bike wrote:

will we all be aspiring to electronic shifting and discs in a few years?

Already there (for a couple of years now - just call me an early adopter). The braking is better, the shifting is better and it's been totally reliable - why wouldn't you?

Now stop it!

And in answer to your question - lots of reasons!

Sorry - sailing very close to the troll edge

Actually, I'm very happy that the roadie community hasn't caught on yet - long may it last. I love outbraking people into the bends on fast descents - it's a real buzz. Same goes for any ugly deraileurs - I'm the one that doesn't have to look at them whilst I'm riding 8)

rolf_f

meanredspider wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

on-yer-bike wrote:

will we all be aspiring to electronic shifting and discs in a few years?

Already there (for a couple of years now - just call me an early adopter). The braking is better, the shifting is better and it's been totally reliable - why wouldn't you?

Now stop it!

And in answer to your question - lots of reasons!

Sorry - sailing very close to the troll edge

Close? More like right over! That'll teach you to ride a bike with rim brakes when you are used to discs!

meanredspider

Rolf F wrote:

Close? More like right over! That'll teach you to ride a bike with rim brakes when you are used to discs!

Actually, when I ride the Foil in the wet, I nearly crack the saddle in two when I realise how crap the brakes are relative to the Volagi's discs :shock: :shock: There are no hills here (in Amsterdam where the Foil lives) so it's much less of an issue though.

Bar Shaker

Rolf F wrote:

on-yer-bike wrote:

I dont think carbon front mech cages are a good idea anyway. ?

Better than the bendy alloy ones!

Having chain links smashing into it is not one of carbon fibres best applications.

Lumix photos are amazing, Rolf and you can always just press the button. You are setting new standards of luddite.

rolf_f

Bar Shaker wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

on-yer-bike wrote:

I dont think carbon front mech cages are a good idea anyway. ?

Better than the bendy alloy ones!

Having chain links smashing into it is not one of carbon fibres best applications.

Lumix photos are amazing, Rolf and you can always just press the button. You are setting new standards of luddite.

I try! Seriously though, the photos are OK (not amazing - the pixel count is huge but at full resolution very grainy) but it is spoiled by trying to become a gadget. The touch screen is dire and almost utterly pointless. I want a camera that just takes photos rather than tries to impress me with stuff that actively makes the pictures worse. Probably something like this - next year maybe.



I'll not disagree too much about the application of cf to front mech cages but at least the cf ones have the decency to be either straight or broken. I suspect the best ones are from a few years back when they were made of steel.

ugo.santalucia

Rolf... a camera is just a camera, what matters is the optics. With good lenses you take great shots, with standard lenses photos are bland

on-yer-bike

A camera is just a camera, a good photographer can take good pictures with a mobile phone. Lenses help though and my X100 has a fantastic lens and sensor.

rolf_f

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Rolf... a camera is just a camera, what matters is the optics. With good lenses you take great shots, with standard lenses photos are bland

I know - but a camera that takes stoopid random pictures because it has a touch screen shutter you can't turn off and loads of unnecessary functions that get in the way of just taking pics is something that just spoils the experience. There actually is a really nice camera buried under the crap but it's just hard to find it beneath the bloatware. It's a good camera made for people who don't want a good camera!

Imagine a nice set of Campag shifters - you are pushing hard. You press the button to change from the 15 to the 13. Instead of changing gear, the shifters ask you if you'd like to download a Youtube first. That's my Lumix!

Bar Shaker

You have to enable 'touch to shoot'. By default the screen is set to 'touch to focus'. I think it is the best pocket camera out there (so do the mag reviews) but each to their own.

Apologies for the thread drift.