Sell me on etap?

[huck*this]

Hey guys so was mulling this over last night. Picked up a new Look 695 heritage (see below, not actual bike) that has 2016 Super Record on it. I have the chance to get etap with Wifl. Should I go with etap over the SR? Is it a game changer performance wise as I have read?If I stay with SR it will sport the Bora 50 tubs and etap will go with DA c35.

Thanks in advance with all help.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by huck*this

Is it a game changer performance wise as I have read?

people use the phrase "game changer" far, far too often. i have not used etap on the road, but i dont see how the "performance" is going to be much different than with campy super record. etap is cool for easy install, clean no-wire look, travel bike convenience, etc - but shifting performance, c'mon

edit to expand: it's not like you're comparing etap to like 1994 sora or something that truly sucked. two top level groups are going to both have pretty excellent shifting performance, with some subtleties, but one is definitely not going to be a "game changer", for sure.

regardless of how well it shift compared to SR, you still use integrated brake levers to shift derailleur based cogsets and chainrings - the game is "unchanged".


IMO

[mcteague]

The main issues I read about eTap are slightly slower shifting as compared to the other e-groups and some reports of battery tab breakage. I agree that the primary advantage appears to be ease of setup. I would stick with the Campy stuff.

Tim

[Tickdoc]

I encourage you to go tap just so I can have a chance at the sr bits.

I'd take mechanical campy sr any day over anything sram.

[Hilltopperny]

Etap is pretty and easy to set up. Nick pretty much laid it out there in his response. It certainly doesn't make you faster or improve your shifting performance imo, but it definitely looks better on a bike that is set up for electronic shifting.

I prefer the aesthetics to the di2/eps wired groups, but I found the 9070 group I have to be the best as far as performance goes for the electronic groups I've tried. All that being said if I were building another electronic frameset up it'd be Etap that would go on it.

[R3awak3n]

I have just got some etap parts, I have not put any miles on them. I just got them installed on a frame (which is not even getting those parts), only shifter and RD (don't have the FD yet).

I don't think it will change anything in terms of performance, you press one shifter goes up, you press other goes down. But what it did was, put a smile in my face. Its a damn cool system. So easy to install and works very well. I am impressed so far.

Would I change from SR if I already had it? No. But I had the chance to hang any group on this bike and got etap curious and I think I will like it very much.

[chiasticon]

some people are so devoted to Campy that they would rather walk than ride Shimano, and torch their bike before putting Sram on it. so you may get some biased answers. but that fact your considering eTap over SR says to me you're open minded enough to give it a fair shake.

sometimes we swap bike parts just to see why everyone loves 'em so much. sometimes we agree, sometimes not. if that's you with this bike and you're feeling eTap, give it a shot. I'm sure you won't get killed on the resale if you hate it.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by huck*this

Hey guys so was mulling this over last night. Picked up a new Look 695 heritage (see below, not actual bike) that has 2016 Super Record on it. I have the chance to get etap with Wifl. Should I go with etap over the SR? Is it a game changer performance wise as I have read?If I stay with SR it will sport the Bora 50 tubs and etap will go with DA c35.

Thanks in advance with all help.

Not sure how 'performance wise' it would be a game changer. Easy set up but not quite as simple when it comes to moving the chain around as any mechanical or the other 2 electronic(etap-both levers to shift front der, RH for higher, LH for lower, gear)..yes, yes, it works and all but 'performance game changer'? Don't see how..just another way to move the chain around.

IMHO, of course.

[SPOKE]

Comparing Etap to EPS or Di2......biggest difference is ETap is easier to install. The way shifts are achieved between the groups are different so it can really be a personal preference (only achieved after you have lived with each group for a little while). You'll get used to what ever group you choose. Shifting speed differences won't be noticed unless you have the 3 different groups.
I'm a fan of all the electronic groups and have them on bikes. The most trouble free so far has been Di2 but I just started living with ETap so a bit early to tell about any issues with that group. I did order 2 extra batteries for the ETap system just in case I had a tab failure.

[R3awak3n]

I am a campy guy, never had anything else. Sram did good with this one. Some minor annoyences that krammin was telling me are that you shift down with the right shifter, they should let you program this stuff but they dont. Very closed system.

I think etap is the best looking of all the groups (sorry campy). The silver is just nice and yea the batteries are ugly but they kind of disapear. Not having internal cables is a blessing (f internal cables) and the beat of all, you dont have to bring your bike next to an outlet to charge, this is not a tesla. You can also carry an extra battery which is very nice as well. I will miss the thumb shifters and from putting my hands on the sram shifters, the ergo is miles behind feom campy and shimano. These remind me of the 10 speed campy shifters, which are great but not as confortable as 11 speed.

I thought about going eps but the whole v2 v3 changes and where to drill holes just annoyed me.

[happycampyer]

To echo what others have said, there's a lot of personal preference involved. For me, the biggest factor is ergonomics. I like the shape of Campy hoods the best, and for me the "game changer" is the action of the thumb shifters and the ability to shift multiple cogs in one swift movement. In terms of hood ergonomics, eTap is second and Di2 third, although the latest Di2 hoods look to be much nicer. In therms of shifting quality, Di2 is precise and flawless. I don't have EPS, but I know several people who have had issues with it and given up on it, and others who love it. I find eTap shifting to be a little slow, but not in a way that's really bothersome. It's just noticeable.

In terms of reliability, my first eTap front derailleur had some sort of short and would drain the battery in less than a week, and it seems as if the replacement has the same problem. That seems to be par for the course with SRAM—they are in distant fourth in terms of quality of manufacturing after Shimano and Campagnolo.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

I am a campy guy, never had anything else. Sram did good with this one. Some minor annoyences that krammin was telling me are that you shift down with the right shifter, they should let you program this stuff but they dont. Very closed system.

I think etap is the best looking of all the groups (sorry campy). The silver is just nice and yea the batteries are ugly but they kind of disapear. Not having internal cables is a blessing (f internal cables) and the beat of all, you dont have to bring your bike next to an outlet to charge, this is not a tesla. You can also carry an extra battery which is very nice as well. I will miss the thumb shifters and from putting my hands on the sram shifters, the ergo is miles behind feom campy and shimano. These remind me of the 10 speed campy shifters, which are great but not as confortable as 11 speed.

I thought about going eps but the whole v2 v3 changes and where to drill holes just annoyed me.

No holes for v3 charging..up at interface ala di2..just for info.

[glepore]

I don't think it's a "game changer." I have a set that's getting hung on a bike that was set up for purely external routing, only because I wanted electronic. However, having ridden just about every group that's out there, I'll say that really, of them all, nothing actually beats good old DA 7800, ugly cables and all.

The real advantage of electronic shifting in my experience is that you can be unbelievably stupid about shifting the fd under loaded conditions that might trip up a mechanical group. Other than that, it comes down to ergonomics and appearance.

[Dave B]

I have mostly used mechanical stuff. I love campy 10speed hoods as it fits my hand perfectly.

I use SRAM for my cross bikes as i don't care if it breaks or gets messed up. Not that I dislike SRAM, it just seems easier to find cheaper 10speed parts.

I did cobble together an Ultegra Di2 once on a no e-set up bike with zip ties and so on. I thought it was a blast. Didn't have problems. I think i could have made a permanent switch if I had bikes set up for e-shifting.

With that said I have considered eTap for some of the bikes I love as less wires would make it work perfectly.

Just seems like a steep cost to give it a go. With so many bikes set up for campy, I just don't want to switch. I just love Campy...not because it allows me entrance into an elite society or gets me a secret handshake. It just looks right to me.

I have a basically new chorus 11speed group and would happily swap it out for a 10speed record group. Just don't know if that is a fair deal.

[David Kirk]

eTap is fun.

dave