Shimano to Campy???

[bianchi10]

Hey Folks!

I've got an opportunity to possibly switch from my current DA 7900 to Campy Super record 11 spead at no charge if I can help a friend sell some items for him. I've never ridden campy more than just around a parking lot so I'm not all that comfortable jumping at it. I LOVE my Dura Ace 7900 regardless if it is outdated or not. It shifts perfectly for me and I'm not all that concerned about needing another cog.

When I place my hands on the campy, it feels very comfortable. However, the thumb shifter seems like it would almost get in the way of my natural hand position while climbing out of the saddle. I'm sure I'd get used to it and the people that Have it seem to love it.

Is there anyone out there who has a negative experience with Campy super record?

thanks

[jtakeda]

No. Take the campy.

[Cicli]

Nope, I love Campy. Have a bike with Chorus and love it. Just built a bike with 9000 and may love it the same. Time will tell.

[FlashUNC]

The thumb shifter doesn't get in the way at all. Take the Super Record and ride it joyously.

[beeatnik]

Are you helping your buddy sell a kidney?

:D

[Veloo]

I had been riding Shimano since I was a teen then went to Athena 2 years ago.
It will take a few rides to get used to the thumb lever but it's never in the way.
I personally think bearings and shifting is smoother on Campy.
You may like the ability to dump multiple gears in one shift with the ultrashift.

[thirdgenbird]

Campy. Your cannondale would be perfect with it.

Is it the white logo, red logo, or revolution version?

[wc1934]

Bianchi is all Italian - hahahah.
yes - yes - yes. do it!

[R3awak3n]

why not? try it out, I bet you will like it. The thumb button is one of the best things about campy, you will get used to it real fast and then won't be able to get back to other stuff. That and multiple gear shifiting. Also I know you are a weight weenie and you will be able to drop some grams with super record.

You are keeping the hollowgram I take? I have mine with praxis rings and it shifts flawlessly with campy 11.

[bianchi10]

why not? try it out, I bet you will like it. The thumb button is one of the best things about campy, you will get used to it real fast and then won't be able to get back to other stuff. That and multiple gear shifiting. Also I know you are a weight weenie and you will be able to drop some grams with super record.

You are keeping the hollowgram I take? I have mine with praxis rings and it shifts flawlessly with campy 11.

good to know! yeah, I would be using with my hollowgram still

[bianchi10]

WELL.....

I just finished riding that bike with campy on my rollers for the last 25 min and I gotta say, I didn't care for it at all. My DA shifts much smoother and quieter. obviously, I'm not accustomed to the SR11 so that needs to be taken into consideration. I'm going off of hand position and feel of the ergonomics. I felt like I needed to adjust my entire hand on the hood in order to hit the thumb shifter when my hand was fully on the hood. If my hand was a half inch off the hood, my thumb was in perfect position. Otherwise it didn't feel "Simple". In the drops, it felt pretty good though. Easily able to reach all shifters in the drops.

I'll give it another go tomorrow, but if I dont feel any more comfortable with it, I'll simply stick with my trusty DA! My DA shifts smoother and quieter than the SR11 did. I know my DA and how/when to shift it when standing and sprinting. If it aint broke....dont fix it?

I'll see more tomorrow.

[kramnnim]

I use the base of my thumb to press the thumb button when in the hand position you describe...

But yeah, Campy shifts are like...the shifter has a crisp snap, and the chain thunks solidly into the next gear.

[thirdgenbird]

Where shimano is smooth and quiet, Campagnolo is tactile and crisp. I perfer the latter, but maybe it isn't for you. I would give it more than just two rides if you can. If you ride it a while, you may find it hard to go back. I've seen it happen several times.

[bianchi10]

Yeah I'll do what I can. I'm parting out the entire bike and they are wanting a quick turn around if possible so I won't have much time to play with it. It's certainly an opportunity I want to take advantage of if I can. This won't come around for me again otherwise.

[simonov]

WELL.....

I just finished riding that bike with campy on my rollers for the last 25 min and I gotta say, I didn't care for it at all. My DA shifts much smoother and quieter. obviously, I'm not accustomed to the SR11 so that needs to be taken into consideration. I'm going off of hand position and feel of the ergonomics. I felt like I needed to adjust my entire hand on the hood in order to hit the thumb shifter when my hand was fully on the hood. If my hand was a half inch off the hood, my thumb was in perfect position. Otherwise it didn't feel "Simple". In the drops, it felt pretty good though. Easily able to reach all shifters in the drops.

I'll give it another go tomorrow, but if I dont feel any more comfortable with it, I'll simply stick with my trusty DA! My DA shifts smoother and quieter than the SR11 did. I know my DA and how/when to shift it when standing and sprinting. If it aint broke....dont fix it?

I'll see more tomorrow.

I feel the same way about the thumb shifter. Stick with DA.

[biker72]

If you like the DA why not keep it. Don't fix it if it's not broken..
I've not ridden a bike with SR but have with Chorus. The Chorus is fine but so is DA.

[roadie7]

After 6 years I just went the opposite direction: Campy to Shimano. I didn't feel a difference in the shifting and agree the thumb button does not get in the way. The one big difference is that I could shift to three smaller cogs by holding down the thumb shifter while with Shimano I had to shift each time. It wasn't a big deal.

The biggest problem was Campy's cost and expertise. Each part is extremely expensive and not every bike shop can fix Campy. These were the reasons I switched when my Campy 10-speed shifter broke and it was going to cost over $200 to replace and install. For slightly over $100 more I got a new 105 drivetrain. The other problem with the change was changing the rear wheel's free hub to fit the Shimaon cassette. I saw these as transitional costs and know it will be cheaper in the future.

[Tickdoc]

I got a soft spot for campy.

I grew up on suntour, shimano, and then Sram, but when I got my first campy bike....oooh la la.

Maybe it is because I had it built up in my mind as being better for all those years because I couldn't afford it, but it feels mechanically superior to me.

Reliability wise I think they are all good. (Except for the chain dropping sram crap)

The thumb shifter is intuitive and comfortable, and the workings feel better, more robust and less tinny. An added bonus is it is repairable. Imagine that in our disposable world.

I've tried everything from chorus, veloce, athena, record, super record and all are good.

Italians do it better.:D

[R3awak3n]

The 2 answers from this thread...

The campy guys, it's so much better, you definitely should. Best shifting ever.


The shimano guys, the thumb shifter sucks, DA shifts better and is quieter and if it's not broken....

:hello:

[tuscanyswe]

I have had a few campy 11 groups by now and i think the later version are a lot better than the first 11groups were. The SR white logos groups weren't that great imo (around 2009-10)

[Johnny P]

if you like the da why not keep it. Don't fix it if it's not broken..
I've not ridden a bike with sr but have with chorus. The chorus is fine but so is da.

+1

[Tony Edwards]

To each his own. Personally I have always greatly preferred Campy to Shimano - I just like the clickiness of it over the very "soft" feel of Shimano - but each of us is likely to have our own preferences on these things. I can certainly understand that if I were very used to using Shimano, a move to Campy might feel strange.

[lookout2015]

I think you probably need more than a couple times riding on Campy to get used to it if you're deeply muscle-memory committed to Shimano (and the same if you're going the other way)

Current Campy 11s is great. So is current Shimano. Comes down to whether you want to take on something new with the associated complexities that entails, or stick with what's comfortable and works for you today

[Bob Ross]

Is there anyone out there who has a negative experience with Campy super record?

Not really "negative" and my experience is with Record, not Super Record, but fwiw...

I've been riding Shimano integrated shifters for the past 10 years or so. Have Ultegra 6600 on one bike and 6700 on another. I really like it.

~6 months ago I got my first Campy-equipped bike. I like it alot. In comparison to Shimano, I find an analogy from pro audio recording equipment always springing to mind: It's like the difference between an Ampex tape deck from the 50s or 60s, and a Tascam tape deck from the 80s or 90s...the Ampex (Campy) is built like a brick schidthouse and requires you to really punch the transport buttons to engage them (ever wonder where the phrase "punching in" came from?), but rewards those efforts with a satisfying "thunk" when pressed. The Tascam (Shimano) requires a gentle touch to engage; for anyone who grew up with Ampex (Campy) that gentleness can come across as fragility.

Anyway, I'm probably digressing. Here's my point:

I like the Campy alot. But I'll probably never buy another Campy-equipped bike. Because that thumb lever is in the stupidest possible location. In order to press it while riding on the hoods you need to move your hand. In order to press it while riding in the drops you need to move your hand. It's essentially inaccessible from any of the common riding positions.

But I don't think it will get in your way when climbing, because it's so out of the way. I find it's rather far behind where my hand grabs the lever when I'm climbing.

[weisan]

Don't overthink. Just ride whatever you like or works. I like Shimano 9 speed ultegra shifters and XT long cage rear deraileur, those are my two favorite bike parts, they just plain works....whenever I see them on sale or in bike swap/co-op, I buy them and hoard them. :D

http://cdn3.bigcommerce.com/s-1rmgckn/products/1311/images/10504/sti__00005.1411479613.500.750.jpg?c=2

https://static.evanscycles.com/production/components/derailleurs--mechs/product-image/969-638/shimano-xt-m760-rear-derailleur-long-cage-00120106-9999-1.jpg

[soulspinner]

Don't overthink. Just ride whatever you like or works. I like Shimano 9 speed ultegra shifters and XT long cage rear deraileur, those are my two favorite bike parts, they just plain works....whenever I see them on sale or in bike swap/co-op, I buy them and hoard them. :D

http://cdn3.bigcommerce.com/s-1rmgckn/products/1311/images/10504/sti__00005.1411479613.500.750.jpg?c=2

https://static.evanscycles.com/production/components/derailleurs--mechs/product-image/969-638/shimano-xt-m760-rear-derailleur-long-cage-00120106-9999-1.jpg

love my Campy but agree with Weisan pal....ride what you prefer...:beer:

[mcteague]

Grab the brake hood of each brand and see which feels most comfortable. Go with the one you prefer. I have Campagnolo on my bikes after many years running Shimano. The hoods feel better, I like the tactile shifting and just think the aesthetics are superior. Plus, like Trek/Specialized bikes, Shimano is just too common. :cool:

Tim

[druptight]

Or commit, ride it for a few months, and if you don't like it, you can dump it for plenty of cash to buy back DA 7900 and then some....

[cmbicycles]

Don't overthink. Just ride whatever you like or works. I like Shimano 9 speed ultegra shifters and XT long cage rear deraileur, those are my two favorite bike parts, they just plain works....whenever I see them on sale or in bike swap/co-op, I buy them and hoard them. :D



So you're the reason there are so few out there when I need one. ;)

I've been on Campy for 15+years, I think both work great (when they are working right) but I prefer the feel of Campy. I have 10s campy on my bikes so can't comment on loads of time on 11s hoods, though the few I've ridden felt and worked well, same for newer 11s Shimano.

[thwart]

I like the Campy alot. But I'll probably never buy another Campy-equipped bike. Because that thumb lever is in the stupidest possible location. In order to press it while riding on the hoods you need to move your hand. In order to press it while riding in the drops you need to move your hand. It's essentially inaccessible from any of the common riding positions.

But I don't think it will get in your way when climbing, because it's so out of the way. I find it's rather far behind where my hand grabs the lever when I'm climbing.

First of all, I'd agree that both choices are very good. :D

The thing I just don't follow here is the hood hand position/thumb shifter complaints, and now from more than one person. Long-term user of Campy here and never been a problem, even with out of saddle climbing and wanting a bigger gear. That said... I'd agree thumb shifting while in the drops is indeed a little awkward.

[Bob Ross]

The thing I just don't follow here is the hood hand position/thumb shifter complaints, and now from more than one person. Long-term user of Campy here and never been a problem, even with out of saddle climbing and wanting a bigger gear.

I'll take a picture when I get home, might be easier than trying to describe. It's not a "problem" per se, and I didn't mean to imply that your entire hand has to go to a different place on the bar in order to shift...just that the thumb lever is not actually under your thumb, and so you have to consciously reposition where your thumb is before shifting.

[thwart]

I'll take a picture when I get home, might be easier than trying to describe. It's not a "problem" per se, and I didn't mean to imply that your entire hand has to go to a different place on the bar in order to shift...just that the thumb lever is not actually under your thumb, and so you have to consciously reposition where your thumb is before shifting.

Perhaps a little bit of both: Shimano users accustomed to holding their ergos/shifters a bit differently (higher up, or if you prefer, further toward the tip) than Campy users, and that it's so automatic for me at this point...

[Bob Ross]

Here's where my hand usually is when riding on the hoods:

http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u495/bob_ross4/Thumb%202%20IMG_2800_zpsltrg5ya1.jpg

For reference, in this next pic I stuck my thumb out from that same position so you can see what sort of gymnastics are required to actually engage the thumb lever with the thumb:

http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u495/bob_ross4/Thumb%201%20IMG_2801_zpstqityiix.jpg

[thwart]

Shimano users accustomed to holding their ergos/shifters a bit differently (higher up, or if you prefer, further toward the tip) than Campy users
Bob, it looks like this is the answer. My palm rests at the base of the ergo.

Ergo... :D

... it's easier to use the thumb button.

[bianchi10]

Here's where my hand usually is when riding on the hoods:

http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u495/bob_ross4/Thumb%202%20IMG_2800_zpsltrg5ya1.jpg

For reference, in this next pic I stuck my thumb out from that same position so you can see what sort of gymnastics are required to actually engage the thumb lever with the thumb:

http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u495/bob_ross4/Thumb%201%20IMG_2801_zpstqityiix.jpg

Yup thats exactly what I was talking about.

[bianchi10]

I tried them out on the road today vs comparing them on the rollers last night. It felt better for sure! But I guess I must fall in percentage of riders that prefer a soft and butter smooth shift rather than the hard precise shift that a lot of you have mentioned. It was nice, but I'm going to stick with my DA.

The entire Campy super record will be up for sale, so if anyone is interested, PM me.

[oldpotatoe]

I tried them out on the road today vs comparing them on the rollers last night. It felt better for sure! But I guess I must fall in percentage of riders that prefer a soft and butter smooth shift rather than the hard precise shift that a lot of you have mentioned. It was nice, but I'm going to stick with my DA.

The entire Campy super record will be up for sale, so if anyone is interested, PM me.

In the shop, always told people if they liked the feel of shimano, shift and lever, get that, if Campag, get that...along with the other places you 'touch' the bike, saddle, shoes/pedals...and if SRAM, try the other 2 again(never had a SRAM demo bike)....:D

[oldpotatoe]

I tried them out on the road today vs comparing them on the rollers last night. It felt better for sure! But I guess I must fall in percentage of riders that prefer a soft and butter smooth shift rather than the hard precise shift that a lot of you have mentioned. It was nice, but I'm going to stick with my DA.

The entire Campy super record will be up for sale, so if anyone is interested, PM me.

CICLI over in classifieds wants to trade his 9000 group for Campagnolo...might talk to him.

[chiasticon]

Or commit, ride it for a few months, and if you don't like it, you can dump it for plenty of cash to buy back DA 7900 and then some....this is what I'd recommend. and if you do end up reselling, you can jump to DA 9000 without it costing you anything, which is definitely an upgrade over 7900.

BUT, I get not wanting to screw with what works and just getting cash for the group too...

[oldpotatoe]

this is what I'd recommend. and if you do end up reselling, you can jump to DA 9000 without it costing you anything, which is definitely an upgrade over 7900.

BUT, I get not wanting to screw with what works and just getting cash for the group too...

Don't forget the rear wheel...'may' not cost anything....unless the rear wheel is shimano 10s...to 'goes to 11'....

[chiasticon]

Don't forget the rear wheel...'may' not cost anything....unless the rear wheel is shimano 10s...to 'goes to 11'....I guess I figured he had some sort of solution to this as he said he'd been riding the Campy group. whether that meant he'd be throwing a Shimano 11 speed cassette on his existing wheel or getting a wheel with a Campy cassette from his friend, I dunno... but yeah, excellent point.

[AngryScientist]

admittedly, i have never ridden it, but even for shimano aficionados, i think 7900 and that generation of shimano gear is really regarded as a transition group. shimanos first attempt at hidden cables, and in between the highly regarded 7800 gear and the new, excellent by all regards, 9000 gear.

i'm sure 7900 works very well and all, but even if i wasnt a die-hard campy fan i would rather the record gear than 7900.

[Jeff N.]

Believe me, you won't miss your 7900 at all.