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Campagnolo Wheels with Shimano Groupset – Legit or Fashion Faux Pas?

ctp046ctp046 Posts: 44
edited October 2019 in Road general
Looking for a new set of wheels for my road bike. Thinking about a set of Campags. However I would never mix a set of Sram brakes with Shimano shifters on my road bike. Or put a Bontrager stem on my Cannondale bike. So how does the internet feel about putting Campag wheels on a bike with Shimano or Sram shifters? (And yes I know there’s Fulcrum, but sometimes Campag stuff goes on sale for better prices).
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  • TiesetrotterTiesetrotter Posts: 432
    All Campag wheels have the option of Shimano freehubs so what's the issue?

    Shimano has bought a virtual monopoly on groupsets. I don't think anyone cares any more. You even struggle to buy an Italian bike with Campag' on these days. Shame because the STI levers of Campag are far superior.
  • joe_totale-2joe_totale-2 Posts: 998
    Don't see an issue with it.

    Funnily enough I do feel more strongly about the idea of Shimano wheels on a bike with a Campy groupset (if it's possible) but it's just me being weird...
  • timothywtimothyw Posts: 2,482
    Go for it. Campag need the exposure, plus I've seen loads of people do this and never heard a word (particularly with the forum favourite Zondas).

    And in time you can ditch the Shimano and put on a campag group too...
  • AlejandrosdogAlejandrosdog Posts: 2,007
    Bora's are class
  • lesfirthlesfirth Posts: 1,031
    Campag wheels can go on any bike and compliment any other components. However a bike with a Campag groupset should never have any bit of Shimano stuff anywhere near it.
  • ctp046ctp046 Posts: 44
    lesfirth wrote:
    Campag wheels can go on any bike and compliment any other components. However a bike with a Campag groupset should never have any bit of Shimano stuff anywhere near it.

    This is the kind of polarizing no grey area comment I was looking for haha!

    Anyways sounds like there's a (rare for this site?) consensus that Campy wheels are acceptable.
  • redvisionredvision Posts: 2,567
    Do you have a different brand front light to the rear?

    Do you wear different brand clothing on top and bottom? Wear a giro helmet but specialized or fizik shoes etc?

    Components are components, makes no difference what the name is, if it's what you want then buy it.
  • de_sistide_sisti Posts: 1,178
    redvision wrote:
    Do you have a different brand front light to the rear?

    Do you wear different brand clothing on top and bottom? Wear a giro helmet but specialized or fizik shoes etc?

    Components are components, makes no difference what the name is, if it's what you want then buy it.
    Too true. I suspect the OP is a "Johnny Come lately" to cycling and is all into 'image/style over substance'. :wink:
  • thegreatdividethegreatdivide Posts: 5,036
    De Sisti wrote:
    Too true. I suspect the OP is a "Johnny Come lately" to cycling and is all into 'image/style over substance'. :wink:

    And you’re one of those patronising cyclists?
  • AlejandrosdogAlejandrosdog Posts: 2,007
    At this point someone should point to the relevant point in the rules.
  • yellowv2yellowv2 Posts: 197
    lesfirth wrote:
    Campag wheels can go on any bike and compliment any other components. However a bike with a Campag groupset should never have any bit of Shimano stuff anywhere near it.


    This
  • bsharp77bsharp77 Posts: 494
    I'm just bemused that people (adults, I assume) still feel the need to ask "permission" to use certain equipment / clothing combinations.

    Its your bike, you paid for it, you can put whatever you want on it.
    Anyone that has a genuine problem with it isn't worth wasting your time over.

    There are things like the rules, which are a great bit of humour, but anyone who takes any of these things seriously needs to take a good look in the mirror.

    Buy what you want and can afford. Ride your bike as much as you can....and smile! :)
  • itboffinitboffin Posts: 19,623
    I have shimano 11 speed wheelset on an otherwise full chorus bike A because the wheels were in a sale and only available with Shimano freehub and B shimaNO cassettes are way cheaper than campag.
    Rule #5 // Harden The censored Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • philbar72philbar72 Posts: 2,216
    it doesn't really matter. others have highlighted what goes on in cycling. remembering back on a club run someone said something about having campag wheels and shimano groupset as a faux pas. its absolutely not. its fine. the person in question was told to grow up.
  • de_sistide_sisti Posts: 1,178
    thegreatdivide wrote:
    And you’re one of those making statements of fact cyclists?
    Thank you.
  • Ben6899Ben6899 Posts: 7,388
    Buy some Boras.

    /thread
    Ben

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  • svettysvetty Posts: 1,904
    I don't think wheel mis-matching is enough to qualify as a Frankenbike personally so I think you're OK ;)
    FFS! Harden up and grow a pair :D
  • Darius_JedburghDarius_Jedburgh Posts: 675
    itboffin wrote:
    I have shimano 11 speed wheelset on an otherwise full chorus bike A because the wheels were in a sale and only available with Shimano freehub and B shimaNO cassettes are way cheaper than campag.
    Serious question...
    At one time it was impossible to run Campag gears with Shimano cassettes, or vice versa, because the spacing between the rings was different between companies, so the throws were all wrong. Maybe only 1mm, but across a cassette that makes quite a difference.

    Has that all changed and some standard spacing been agreed? If not how do you do that?
  • joe_totale-2joe_totale-2 Posts: 998
    Franco di Banco wrote:
    itboffin wrote:
    I have shimano 11 speed wheelset on an otherwise full chorus bike A because the wheels were in a sale and only available with Shimano freehub and B shimaNO cassettes are way cheaper than campag.
    Serious question...
    At one time it was impossible to run Campag gears with Shimano cassettes, or vice versa, because the spacing between the rings was different between companies, so the throws were all wrong. Maybe only 1mm, but across a cassette that makes quite a difference.

    Has that all changed and some standard spacing been agreed? If not how do you do that?

    With 11 speed, apparently the spacing is near enough identical which means that itboffin can do what he's done with his bike. 11 speed IMO is the sweet spot in terms of function but also the cross compatibility between the 3 groupset manufacturers.

    Of course all this made life way too convenient for everyone so we're back to different standards and spacing with 12 speed.
  • Darius_JedburghDarius_Jedburgh Posts: 675
    Thank you.
    I remember using a Shimano wheel with 7 speed Campag shifters. Down tube shifters - remember them? - and turning a lever to convert back to friction shifting. Didn't matter about the spacing then.
    Happy days. (I think)
  • itboffinitboffin Posts: 19,623
    One gear in the middle of the block rattles otherwise everything is fine
    Rule #5 // Harden The censored Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • lesfirthlesfirth Posts: 1,031
    ctp046 wrote:
    lesfirth wrote:
    Campag wheels can go on any bike and compliment any other components. However a bike with a Campag groupset should never have any bit of Shimano stuff anywhere near it.

    This is the kind of polarizing no grey area comment I was looking for haha!

    Anyways sounds like there's a (rare for this site?) consensus that Campy wheels are acceptable.

    Please, Campagnolo can be shortened to Campag but never "campy".
  • timothywtimothyw Posts: 2,482
    lesfirth wrote:
    ctp046 wrote:
    lesfirth wrote:
    Campag wheels can go on any bike and compliment any other components. However a bike with a Campag groupset should never have any bit of Shimano stuff anywhere near it.

    This is the kind of polarizing no grey area comment I was looking for haha!

    Anyways sounds like there's a (rare for this site?) consensus that Campy wheels are acceptable.

    Please, Campagnolo can be shortened to Campag but never "campy".
    Not a Campy fan then?
  • sam_anonsam_anon Posts: 165
    lesfirth wrote:
    ctp046 wrote:
    lesfirth wrote:
    Campag wheels can go on any bike and compliment any other components. However a bike with a Campag groupset should never have any bit of Shimano stuff anywhere near it.

    This is the kind of polarizing no grey area comment I was looking for haha!

    Anyways sounds like there's a (rare for this site?) consensus that Campy wheels are acceptable.

    Please, Campagnolo can be shortened to Campag but never "campy".

    Don't get all camp about it...
  • jpj84jpj84 Posts: 26
    My Italian summer bike has Campag drivetrain/wheels, Praxis chainset, SRAM brakes (I've always preferred them to Campag's calipers), and Shimano pedals. My Winter bike 'groupset' has bits of Veloce, Athena, 105, Ultegra, KMC, Shutter Precision, DT Swiss and FSA. None of this has caused me to be ostracised by clubmates/fellow cyclists.

    My obnoxious personality and awful breath do that.
  • cyclecliniccycleclinic Posts: 6,863
    If you love campag you'll have a campag groupset. If you dont it fine to have a shimano or Sram groupset and campag wheels. This is also why campagnolo created fulcrum so the fashion conscious never has this dilemma.

    Keeping brands the same through the bike is quite vain. It's fine on a showy bike but if it all works then ride what ever you like. Life is not a fashion parade.

    12 speed fits in the same space so there may be cross compatibility but small differences in spacing have a bigger impact on shifting with 12 speed. There are some who think campag 10 speed and shimano 10 speed are interchangeable.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • pblakeneypblakeney Posts: 11,674
    lesfirth wrote:
    ctp046 wrote:
    lesfirth wrote:
    Campag wheels can go on any bike and compliment any other components. However a bike with a Campag groupset should never have any bit of Shimano stuff anywhere near it.

    This is the kind of polarizing no grey area comment I was looking for haha!

    Anyways sounds like there's a (rare for this site?) consensus that Campy wheels are acceptable.

    Please, Campagnolo can be shortened to Campag but never "campy".
    Campagnolo themselves disagree. Unfortunately.
    https://www.campagnolo.com/UK/en/Shops/campy_code_2
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • neebneeb Posts: 4,317
    itboffin wrote:
    One gear in the middle of the block rattles otherwise everything is fine
    I’m running a sram cassette with a campagnolo 11sp mechanical group and it works perfectly as long as everything is set up properly - hanger alignment, plus I use the new “maximum smoothness” cables. With EPS on a different bike however I found I could never get it to work flawlessly - it would either sometimes not quite shift up to that one differently-spaced sprocket in the middle, or else if adjusted to do so, be temperamental in shifting down to the smallest sprocket. The way around it was to shift up two and down one when needing that particular middle sprocket, but I decided that wasn’t worth the 50g weight saving on that bike.
  • keef66keef66 Posts: 13,286
    Both my bikes have Shimano wheels and groupsets, not because of any matchy matchy b0llocks but because they are cheap and functional. That's where the (accidental) coordination ends though. On the summer bike I have FSA bars, deda stem, Zipp seatpost, Specialized saddle, Winter bike has randomly ended up with Deda bars, stem and seatpost, but they don't match. It's also sporting a Brooks saddle, different tyres front and rear, a B&M front light, Moon and a Cateye at the rear and a CX chainset with a MTB rear mech and cassette.
  • carbonclemcarbonclem Posts: 876
    My commuting bike has Campag groupset ... when the wheels got a bit hammered, I used some spare Shimano wheels I had, and they've stayed fitted since. All works ok, bar some minor chattering in one sprocket mid-block. Fashion faux pas? I don't care.
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