What is the difference between Campy Racing Triple and Comp Triple?

[mtnbke]

Does anyone know the difference between the Campy Racing Triple components and the Campy Comp Triple components? There doesn't seem to be a hierarchy, at least as far as I can tell, as the Campy website only lists the Comp Triple and not the Racing Triple bits. Unless there is a hierarchy year-to-year...

Is it really just the difference between the components for some year offerings versus others?

What hierarchy level are the Racing T components considered (Record, Chorus, Centaur, Athena, Veloce...)
How 'bout the Comp Triple stuff?

Thanks.

[Ralph]

As I recall....The Racing T triples were 8 and 9 speed. They were like a mini group. Cranksets and derailleurs. I have an 8 Racing T crank. Most say it will work fine with 10's chain, and I also have some TA 9/10 rings if necessary.

Then along came the 10 speed triples. Very nice Record and Chorus which took asymetrical 111 BB, and Veloce, Centaur, and then Compe and Race Triple which took symetrical 111 BB. They continued making some 9 speed triples in lower level like Mirage.

What I don't know is how they closed up the rings to make them slightly closer together for the 10 speeds. Whether just moving the outside ring in closer like the doubles, or if the spiders were made thinner. Or if the cheaper triples like race and veloce with stamped out rings were made same as the Centaur/Comp line with much nicer rings.

[oliver1850]

As Ralph said, when Racing Triple was introduced around 1995 it was the high quality triple parts group for road bikes. It was shown in the catalog with the Athena stuff, but was meant to be used with Chorus and Record as well.
By 2001 it was shown as part of the Chorus group. There were Daytona triple derailleurs (the next lower group), but no Daytona triple crank. In 2004 you had a choice of triple components in every group from Xenon to Record. By 2007 the individual groups were back to doubles only, but three different triple groups were available. They were: Champ Triple (more or less Xenon level), Race Triple ( Veloce level), and Comp Triple (Centaur Level). By 2009 Champ and Race Triple had been dropped, leaving only Comp Triple. It remained a square taper crank, and the finish level on all the components is comparable to Centaur. So in 2010 at least Comp Triple is pretty comparable in quality to the 1990s era Racing Triple. Also as Ralph mentioned, Racing Triple is 8/9 speed. Even though 10 speed was current in 2001, the Racing Triple parts were still listed as being 9 speed. If you're shopping, don't confuse Race Triple for Racing Triple as most of the Race Triple stuff is painted black, and the Racing Triple parts were all polished.

[mtnbke]

Well, I'll be using a custom long armed crank, so a Campy crank won't be relevant for this "Campy" build. It is great to know where things lined up then. I really like the idea of having a real Record group or Chorus group though, so I think I'll look for the era where each group had its own triple component selections.

Along that line are the Chorus/Record Long cage derailleurs necessarily Triple derailleurs? Will the front derailleurs actually say "triple" on them to identify them?

[Ahneida Ride]

To add to the confusion ...

in 2002, Campy introduced a Record Triple. It's on my bike. So I know.
(Lasted for a few years?) 53/42/30 and 50/40/30

Has Record LC RD and Triple FD. (which does NOT say triple on it)

I switched out the Record triple crank for a TA Zephyr. 48/36/22

I'll never understand all this.

I ran both cranks with Phil Stainless BB.

[oliver1850]

There's no real reason to use a long cage rear with a double, unless you wanted to use a cassette with mountain bike range (which Campy doesn't make). If you were to run a 34/50 double with an 11-32 cassette you would exceed the capacity of the medium cage. But as a practical matter, the long cage is meant only for triple cranks, but only the Racing, Comp, Champ, and Race Triples actually say Triple on them. Chorus and Record long cages just say the model name. The pulley axle centers are 89mm on the long cage Record and Chorus. You can also use the medium cage rear (72.5 mm centers) with a triple crank if you don't use a wide range cassette

The Record and Chorus triple fronts are not labeled as such. You have to look at the cage to distinguish them from a double. The inner cage plate is the most obvious difference. It's much taller than the double. Just don't get it confused with a compact, which looks similar. I believe the dedicated compact fronts were labeled Record CT or Chorus CT, so if you should be able to tell them from the triples if you look closely.

[Ralph]

This topic has got me thinking again. Even though I live in Central Florida where one usually does not need a triple, I travel a lot with my bike to places where I can use a triple. At my older age, even though I can still ride OK with the B/C groups on a fairly long ride, I just can't get up long hills like I used to and gears can be used in place of brute strength. So my triple goes on then off, I should just leave it on and set it up for all around riding.

I've also weighed my alloy Campy Racing Triple crank, and it only weighs about 40 grams more than alloy double Centaur. So weight not an issue. With Phil Wood BB, I can shift axle slightly to the left, so right leg not sticking out more than left, so that takes care of other complaint I usually have with triple.

My idea of a triple for my use is not a "Racing" type of triple. My idea is for real world riding for a 69 year old man type of triple. Using my Campy crank and TA rings, I can make a 28-39-49 or 28-40-50 with either 13-26 or 13-29 in rear, and climb up about anything with good chainline and no real weight penalty. I'm not loaded, so don't need smaller than 28. And with those combinations can use the mid length RD which I have.(chain may be a little slack in small to small combinations but who cares) I don't pedal over 25-28 MPH downhill anyway, so 100" gear (49X13) is plenty for me.

[oldpotatoe]

Does anyone know the difference between the Campy Racing Triple components and the Campy Comp Triple components? There doesn't seem to be a hierarchy, at least as far as I can tell, as the Campy website only lists the Comp Triple and not the Racing Triple bits. Unless there is a hierarchy year-to-year...

Is it really just the difference between the components for some year offerings versus others?

What hierarchy level are the Racing T components considered (Record, Chorus, Centaur, Athena, Veloce...)
How 'bout the Comp Triple stuff?

Thanks.

Racing T is essentially Comp. Same quality rings, etc...Centaur/old Athena/Daytona level stuff. Altho 'Comp' has '10s' rings, it will work fine with 8 or 9(and 11s) chains. Same 111mm BB for 28.6 seattubes, 115 for larger..for FD inward travel.