Campy v Shimano - An appreciation for 2015 Campagnolo Revolution

[Avincent52]

Originally Posted by RedRider

Why no love for the new cranks?
We've been using the new Campy components )Super Record, Record and Chorus) for a few months and I think the crankset is one of the best improvements. You can swap chainrings from compact - mid - standard. That alone is worth the upgrade!

Two words: it's ugly

[saab2000]

My Campagnolo stuff has historically worked very well. I'm now riding two Shimano 9000 groups in addition to my Campagnolo groups. On the road they're virtually indistinguishable. Getting my Shimano front shifting set up properly was a monumental PITA and now that it works properly it's as good as my Campagnolo front shifting as always been. There's no snark there but I don't get the hype and actually find Shimano's less functional because it requires a trim click whereas my Campagnolo is shifted onto the large ring and I can go from the smallest cog to the biggest with no rub.

To the poster who had trouble with Campagnolo's shifting all I can say is that I experienced the say feeling of "meh" when I got my Shimano stuff. I was like, "Is this really what everyone was raving about?" Now I've got it working well and it's fine but hardly something I'd call earth shaking.

Get the spacers correct on the cassette. That is critical. And make sure your cables aren't too short or binding.

[beeatnik]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Not trying to slam anybodies wrenching skills, but IMHO, setting up Campagnolo is quite easy. Done it a 'few' times. Not sure why you are having such problems. Spacers in wrong order? Der hanger? Cable housing cut cleanly? Routed behind handlebars? Long enough? 5mm housing at rear der?Wee bit of grease on delrin carrier in lever?

Something is amiss.

Der hanger aligned, yes
Cable housing cut cleanly and long enough, yes
5mm housing at RD, yes
Grease on carrier in lever, yes
Spacers in wrong order, they were







All this sounds simple to me now, but after spending 3 days and $300 at 3 shops (two of which are the top Campy shops in LA), it must not really be that simple, right? I mean the fact that the problem was solved by using a Shimano wheel just confirms the belief that Campy is "finicky." I mean does every single step need to be perfect? For instance, I was never able to get Athena to shift properly on my semi-horizontal dropout Cielo. It had to be the that almost microscopic bit of misalignment at the dropouts. Again, 3 different guys with about 100 years experience working on Campy were never able to get that 100% accurate 100% of the time shifting. Then I had a buddy with 2 years of wrenching put 6800 on the bike. Perfection. IMO, it shouldn't be this complicated.

this was "sub-optimal"




this is robot smooth


Anyway, my takeaway w/ 2015 Revolution: get that chain length right.

[yashcha]

Since there is no reach adjust, how are the Campagnolo shifters working for people with small hands? I am thinking about going to Campagnolo on my new Jaegher Phantom...

[pinoymamba]

Originally Posted by yashcha

Since there is no reach adjust, how are the Campagnolo shifters working for people with small hands? I am thinking about going to Campagnolo on my new Jaegher Phantom...

i thought they were made for people with small hands? they come with a shim to extend the shifter out further for people with larger hands.

[livingminimal]

Since this thread got necro'd, I went through it and checked it all out...
Couple of takeaways for me were:

There are people that work on Campag, and there are people that are truly great with it (speak it). Beat- Eric @ East West Bikes in Fullerton has to be one of the best locally. He's all campag, all the time. Your mechanics were probably great mechanics, but unfortunately it seems like it does require a special touch sometimes, especially with certain frames.

Takeaway two is just confirmation of something I already knew: all pretense aside, Shimano is just as good if not better than Campag, and the idea that people equate chorus to DA is pure folly.

I do miss my thumb shifters with campag tho.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by livingminimal

Since this thread got necro'd, I went through it and checked it all out...
Couple of takeaways for me were:

There are people that work on Campag, and there are people that are truly great with it (speak it). Beat- Eric @ East West Bikes in Fullerton has to be one of the best locally. He's all campag, all the time. Your mechanics were probably great mechanics, but unfortunately it seems like it does require a special touch sometimes, especially with certain frames.

Takeaway two is just confirmation of something I already knew: all pretense aside, Shimano is just as good if not better than Campag, and the idea that people equate chorus to DA is pure folly.

I do miss my thumb shifters with campag tho.

Tough to compare, because often all you have is price and materials. Using that, Chorus is closer to DA than it is to ultegra. Carbon is expensive compared to aluminum. BUT now functionally, the top 3 groups of both have the same or similar 'guts' to them.

As on the bike, I challenge anybody to be able to tell the difference between 6800->9000 and Record-SR-Chorus..

[Megalodon]

By virtue of being metal, Dura-Ace has a much better finish than plastic Campy components.

[zap]

Originally Posted by beeatnik

Have always felt that Campy front shifting is the Gold Standard. However, setting up an 11s FD where there's no rubbing requires some type of medieval alchemy. Don't know a single home wrench who can pull it off.

I was able to get it to work as specified......it did take some time....about 10 minutes. There is a trick to it....think I found it on weight weenies 2 years ago. The 10 speed front derailleur is very easy to setup.

[FlashUNC]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Tough to compare, because often all you have is price and materials. Using that, Chorus is closer to DA than it is to ultegra. Carbon is expensive compared to aluminum. BUT now functionally, the top 3 groups of both have the same or similar 'guts' to them.

As on the bike, I challenge anybody to be able to tell the difference between 6800->9000 and Record-SR-Chorus..

I still think my Chorus shifters/SR RD feels different in the shift than my original Chorus/Chorus setup.

But there's too many variables to really say its due to a full carbon RD over a carbon/alloy unit.

Does feel right nice though.

[MaraudingWalrus]

I've pulled some shenanigans, and just got my new CAAD12 today, and put new Record shifters & rear derailleur on, and have what may well be the universe's only single-chainring Campagnolo CAAD12. It's so far, quite splendid, though does need a different size chainring, which is fine, as I have a 50t rotor Q ring coming in later this week. Should be a fantastic riding bike for around here.


Had never had a Campy bike before, but I do really like it so far. That said, I accept that I am missing out on the joys of a Campy front derailleur. It's pretty sweet.

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by MaraudingWalrus

I've pulled some shenanigans, and just got my new CAAD12 today, and put new Record shifters & rear derailleur on, and have what may well be the universe's only single-chainring Campagnolo CAAD12. It's so far, quite splendid, though does need a different size chainring, which is fine, as I have a 50t rotor Q ring coming in later this week. Should be a fantastic riding bike for around here.


Had never had a Campy bike before, but I do really like it so far. That said, I accept that I am missing out on the joys of a Campy front derailleur. It's pretty sweet.

sounds awesome, lets see some pics

[MaraudingWalrus]

So far really only have the one. Will have more tomorrow.

[lhuerta]

Originally Posted by beeatnik

For instance, I was never able to get Athena to shift properly on my semi-horizontal dropout Cielo. It had to the that almost microscopic bit of misalignment at the dropouts. Again, 3 different guys with about 100 years experience working on Campy were never able to get that 100% accurate 100% of the time shifting. Then I had a buddy with 2 years of wrenching put 6800 on the bike. Perfection. IMO, it shouldn't be this complicated.
.

...u just defined the difference between precision (Campagnolo) and slop (Shimano).

BTW, there is no such thing as a Campy mechanic. If your "mechanic" can't work on all brands of parts on any bike, then he/she is just a bike assembler...a big distinction.

[waypastfast]

Any thoughts between 2009 SR Mechanical vs Di2? I am toying with the idea of buying a complete new bike with Di2 and retiring or selling my current steed with mechanical SR. Thanks!