Campy vs Zero G brake calipers

[SadieKate]

A search didn't turn up anything so I'll ask my next question. Does anyone have experience with both the new Campy Skeleton brakes (Record or Chorus) and the Zero Gravity stainless brakes?

I'm a smaller rider so I suspect that the braking performance differences are a moot point. I think what it boils down to is set up and maintenance. How much care and feeding do the Zero Gs need? Do they stay in adjustment well?

Just FYI, I'll be using Campy Chorus levers and aluminum rims (Topolinos). I don't ride in the rain purposely, but I have been caught in it so water is a minimal factor.

I have '99 Chorus calipers that I never have to touch and I was going to move to my new Spectrum, but I'm toying with getting new calipers also. Can we talk scope creep? :D

[Ozz]

I have a pair of the Zero G Ti brakes and they are very nice....modulate very well compared to old campy record. The work well wet or dry. Don't know how they compare to the skeleton brakes. I guess I am a larger rider at 175 to 180lbs.

I have not had to adjust them since they were installed last year on my Legend. The shop may have tweaked them when I took my bike in for a tune last August, but the seem to hold up well.

I have aluminum rims on all my bikes.

[swoop]

i ride both. campy yes.. zeros no.

[chrisroph]

The ZG's work well and compare favorably to campys. They are powerful and modulate differently that campy; because of the cam, they seem to increase in stopping power a bit more as you load the brakes. They do not modulate in as linear a fashion as campy but you get used to the difference. They are beautifully machined. The only downside to me is the cable pinch setup is a little funky and tends to crush the cable although mine are a few years old and i understand some changes and improvements have been made in this and a couple other areas.

[SadieKate]

i ride both. campy yes.. zeros no.Am I reading this right? Your Campy calipers stay in adjustment but your Zero do not? What year are the Zeros? As I've been reading reviews it seems that Zero changes the designs in response to customer feedback.

chirsroph, thanks for the cable pinch comment. I'll take a look at that in the current model. Good info.

[MarinRider]

Works OK but impossible to get it center consistently (as the pads wear etc.). Stay with Record or Chorus.

[swoop]

Am I reading this right? Your Campy calipers stay in adjustment but your Zero do not? What year are the Zeros? As I've been reading reviews it seems that Zero changes the designs in response to customer feedback.

chirsroph, thanks for the cable pinch comment. I'll take a look at that in the current model. Good info.

it's possible to overthink this. the zero's are light and cool looking and work good enough. the campy's work better. i've used the 05', 06's and 07's zgs...
and habve them on my weight weenie bike. from a functional standpoint the campy brakes are markedly better.

[stevep]

campy, hands down.

[fiamme red]

campy, hands down.I hope Grant doesn't see this! ;)

[PoppaWheelie]

I was going to use ZG's on my new bike but a friend (who has them) talked me out of the decision due to adjustment issues. I went with '07 Record Skeletons and they both work great and look cool. I have '06 and '05 Record calipers on my other two bikes...the '07's work better. I set them up months ago and haven't touched them since.

[Louis]

it's possible to overthink this

Swoop, are you on drugs, or what?

No detail is too small, no gram too small, and no cosmetic issue too minor. You know that.

That's why we are all here - to support each other in our fanaticism. I hope you're not going soft.

Louis

[Moosedryvr]

No detail is too small, no gram too small, and no cosmetic issue too minor. You know that.

That's why we are all here - to support each other in our fanaticism. I hope you're not going soft.

Louis


POTM!!

Shawn G.

[chrisroph]

I agree to a point with swoop; I have multiple sets of campy, although no skeleton, and they work a little better than ZG and cradle the cable much better. They are also much heavier. Thus, I have a set of ZG's on my WW bike, new R3 I'm just getting to know. Its light, its stiff, it seems to handle well, it should be a great racing bike.

[Grant McLean]

I hope Grant doesn't see this! ;)

How's this for another mind bender.... i hate the new campy brakes!!

I'd go for Z-G's.

Keep your skeletons in the closet. ymmv

g

[SadieKate]

So what's your reason to hide the bodies? You and stevep voted the opposite of each other but didn't provide reasons.

If I have to adjust the brakes after the initial set-up, it isn't worth any weight savings. Except for when changing wheels or pads, I don't think I've had to adjust my '99 Chorus calipers since the bike was built.

[Ken Robb]

I've got a couple of sets of Chorus and they are dandy: 9 spd.Ultegra is just as good and 10 spd DA is better but they are all fine.
ZG seem too pricey for me.

[stevep]

So what's your reason to hide the bodies? You and stevep voted the opposite of each other but didn't provide reasons.
.

my reason is that you gave 2 options... yr bike is campy.
make it uniform.
i am also leery of small component manufacturers.
they come and they go.

dura ace work the best but i would not put da brakes on a campy bike...

i am always opposite grant... because he is always wrong about these things.

[chrisroph]

I haven't had any problems at all with the ZG staying in adjustment. If you set them up properly with the cable the correct length they won't come out of adjustment.

You spend a bunch of money to save a bunch of weight and you give up a very little bit in modulation but I truly believe that is more a function of the non-linear nature of the cam than anything else. The cam is an ingenious and light solution. The build quality is first rate.

They are a true ww product. There is really no reason to go with them other than the weight savings, or if a dealer friend gives you a pair like happened to me.

[mwos]

SadieKate,

Last year I put the zero gravity brakes on my Ottrott. I like them, have had no issues with them. 2300 miles, 800 were the hills of Tennessee and N. Carolina.

I have 02 Campy Record on my Aegis and I honestly can't tell much difference. Maybe it's because I'm very light and have small hands.

Kathi

[SadieKate]

i am always opposite grant... because he is always wrong about these things.Now there is a good rational argument.

What if he says not to jump off the cliff?

[SadieKate]

mwos, thanks. I figure with my size that the actual stopping power shouldn't be much of a problem. Since I have different brakes and levers on all of my umpteen road and mt bikes, adapting to a different feel and modulation isn't much of an issue as long as they are smooth. But I HATE having to re-adjust components.

[mwos]

Sadiekate,

I've had my bike in the shop 3 times, nothing particular just to check for cable stretch, etc. because of its newness and they tell me what they have to do and not one word about adjusting the brakes.

I like the fact that they are black, they blend in with the colors on my frame.

Kathi

[DarrenCT]

i have chorus/record and zg brakes.

get dura-ace brakes. they are the best.

[Grant McLean]

Now there is a good rational argument.

What if he says not to jump off the cliff?

He's just kidding around. We take shots at each other, all in good fun.
I'm known around here as "the all things campy guy", so i think Steve
thought it funny to be recommending campy brakes, instead of his
beloved shimano crap.

Steve-o, please jump off a cliff, ok?

g

[stevep]

Steve-o, please jump off a cliff, ok?
g

sadie,
this is the way men discuss.
you're an idiot.
no, you're a bigger idiot.
no im not, you're an even bigger idiot.
bs, you're a complete idiot
ill let you fill in the next 10 pages

grant,
you're an idiot. eh?

[SadieKate]

You're overthinking it. :rolleyes: :D

[manet]

You're overthinking it. :rolleyes: :D

that's impossible for stevep.

try cleaning those zero gravity brakes.

[Jeff Weir]

I think Grant and SteveP should sleep together.

The level of tension between them would be reduced dramatically

I bet they'd have some wicked looking kids.

[swoop]

besides.. why brake if the bike doesn't have 3cm of travel on the back end. you have to become overweight and plant that *** in the saddle in a too upright position with too much weight on the back wheel.... and then just don't brake.

*i joke. sort of.

[Grant McLean]

I think Grant and SteveP should sleep together.
.

Bring some Time frames with you, and we'll talk...

g

[manet]

Bring some Time frames with you, and we'll talk...

g

interesting exchange rate

[Grant McLean]

interesting exchange rate

we have an open border policy, eh

g

[Samster]

i have both. both work.

[stevep]

notice:
grant maclean removed from the
Free Time VXRS list for insubordination.

the committee to punish grant maclean authorized by the serotta committee to punish grant maclean as recommended by manet- the head inquisitor.

" i feel badly about this" remarks stevep.." grants name was just about to come up, he has waited for years ..but i guess, like paris hilton, sometimes you have to pay for your mistakes.. i guess i'll just hang that frame in my basement with all the others....sitting there without components on them."

[soulspinner]

steve and grant=the new kevan and sandy... :D

[Grant McLean]

" i feel badly about this" remarks stevep.." grants name was just about to come up, he has waited for years ..but i guess, like paris hilton, sometimes you have to pay for your mistakes.."

i guess that means no conjugal visit?

g

[Tom Kellogg]

The Campys are easier to set up because the cable calmp hardware is simply a lot bigger. More surface area and the cable slot is wider and deeper. Zero finally imporved their cable clamp for the '07 version. Works well enough. Mine are '06 and they work fine, just a pain to clamp down. If the bolt is tight enough, the cable is buggered all up. Again, the '07s are much better. We started installing them in Feb. and they work better. They also changed the cam head material this year as well, but I can't tell the differnece. Finally, they have changed the pad material. They no longer supply two sets of pads (alu and carbon). They now use a multi purpose pad which works better than either of the old ones on BOTH materials. Quieter on carbon too.

Now to your question. They are both easily good enough. The Zeros are tough to clean, but boy, they are light. I actually do prefer the non-linear action of the Zeros, don't know why. I also prefer the Campys by a tad over the Dura-Ace calipers. The Shimanos ARE more powerful, but I like the better feedback of a Campy. So, have I muddied the waters any more?

[SadieKate]

Ah, Tom. Remember, I'm the one who still thinks it's May :rolleyes: and I'm waddling around in mud all the time.

So today John, Joe's top mechanic, rolled his eyes at the adjustment issues of Zeros and said "Campy all the way." So, now I'm down to Record or Chorus - only because of aesthetics. I've already got the polished silver Record crank but the other Campy stuff will be Chorus. And I really haven't a clue what that means from a finish standpoint, carbon or silver. Guess I better just go do more Campy homework since this is a mix and match Campy group.

[shinomaster]

I agree to a point with swoop; I have multiple sets of campy, although no skeleton, and they work a little better than ZG and cradle the cable much better. They are also much heavier. Thus, I have a set of ZG's on my WW bike, new R3 I'm just getting to know. Its light, its stiff, it seems to handle well, it should be a great racing bike.

When do I get to see this bike? Wanna climb Larch Mt. Sunday? I'll ride my heavy bike:)

[Tom Kellogg]

Make your choice between the Record and Chorus entirely by color. They work exactly the same. The weight difference is tiny. If you will end up with mostly black components, then go record, if there will be a lot of silver, go Chorus. By themselves, the Chorus calipers do look better. Take care.

[SadieKate]

Thanks, Tom. What's $75 if it looks good?

[pdxmech13]

I was thinking the same thing last time in Mexico

[chrisroph]

When do I get to see this bike? Wanna climb Larch Mt. Sunday? I'll ride my heavy bike:)


Dude:

Call. I'm riding about 1:00pm and am up for about 40 -50. You game?

[chrisroph]

SadieKatie:

What about some non-skeleton last year's chorus? There are some killer sales.

[SadieKate]

I've already got the '99 version which is the same. And sometimes it's nice to have something different.

Besides, if all else fails we've got a pair of NOS Monoplanar calipers.

[Ti Designs]

No detail is too small, no gram too small, and no cosmetic issue too minor.

No leg is too strong, no cadence too fast, no form too good - sorry, are we talking about the same thing???

As for the brake question, try a bike with Nuovo Record brakes, then tell me that anything made in the last 10 years is all that bad...

[SadieKate]

Well, I have these on my 1981 Mercian. I guess you could call me eclectic.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/SadieKate/Mercian/Athenalever.jpg

Sorry for the weird photo. It was taken when I was trying to identify the year of the levers. They'll be replaced with the 9 speed levers off my Litespeed soon - or at least when Mr. Kellogg sends my new bike.

[shaq-d]

um, my tektros on my commuter are just as good as my campognalos and shimonas..

sd

[soulspinner]

No leg is too strong, no cadence too fast, no form too good - sorry, are we talking about the same thing???

As for the brake question, try a bike with Nuovo Record brakes, then tell me that anything made in the last 10 years is all that bad...


Ya, trying to get my 8 speed(record) to stop with my non machined rims on the beater is a lot like keeping Paris in jail...

[Adventurer90]

I will weigh in on the skeleton vs ZG "debate" but I can only comment from a Zero point as I came from Shimano DA. I put the ZGs on my madone with Force levers and they work great. But I have two "gripes". First, install on the ZG is a bit rough and takes time to zero in. Once done, I've had no problems. Second the ZGs are hard to keep clean with all the nooks and crannies--I suspect it is the same with the skeletons. More traditional calipers don't have all the places to hide dirt--at least not in the front that shows.

[Samster]

this thread is still alive?

my 0g's just started squeaking. the front one. my campy's never squeaked. to me, this is a severe defect. but the 0g's are still prettier.