Pure groupset, non series groupset or mix 'n' match?

Just wondering how people approach this.

I'll out myself by stating that I'm a big fan of the lash up and have possibly become more entrenched in my views due to the tyranny of indexing and lack of compatability. In my defence, in the pro peleton in the 70s it was common to see an all Campag equipped bike with Simplex shifters and if it was good enough for those bad boys......

I selet on each merits

i went for "select each part on it's merits" eventhough i mostly go for complete groupsets on road bikes, in places that has changed depending on some builds i have done.

my condor is full 10 speed record except for mavic cosmic wheels

my dynamo is record 9speed except for chorus brakes and tune hubs

my cougar is veloce 10 speed appart from the wheels, the are record/nuke proof on mavic open pro's.

my lime crosswork is a mix of record and athena 8speed with vento wheels

my new winter project is gonna be different though, i'm deliberately building a mountain bike themed road bike although it will be campagnolo based coz i don't like shimano road stuff. but there will be products from hope/raceface/mavic/ on it a a very mtb orientated paintjob

Merits in my case would = to hand ...

Depends on the bike at the end of the day.

My Kuota is all full Record except the Brakes which are Mavic SSC (wanted double pivots front and rear) and the wheels which are Fulcrum. On a modern workhorse bike like this, I wouldn't have a problem with mix and match.

Focus Cross is mostly 7800 Dura-Ace and 6510 Ultegra. 10 speed is just not durable enough for cross so I stayed with 9 speed.

Classic bikes are never about function though so by this rationale I'd be less likely to mix parts.

On the other hand I would be happy on the right frame to run a mixture of Nuovo/Super Record and Mavic SSC parts as I think they go well together. Just not on an Italian....

The De Rosa is full 98 Record - because a mixed groupset would just be wrong. I've had Dura-Ace brakes and front mech on this bike - but even though function was spot on - it just always "felt" wrong.

The Gios is full Super/Nuovo Record. Again, mixing parts on this would just "feel" wrong.

The Alan Cross is mixture by necessity. Mavic never made barcons or cantilevers.... And 25,0 Mavic seatposts were never common

The track bike is the exception. Old and new, mostly Campag but 3 or 4 different vintages....

I like both! I'm fully with the appeal of an all Shimano setup (never 'got' Campagnolo), but I also like bikes built up with a mixture of parts.

I guess it goes, if I'm (theoretically ) building a bike up then it's all one groupset. If it's a bike built up back in the day, then take it however it comes !

I went with "each on its merits" I have a gorgeous Cliff Shrubb with full Dura Ace groupset, BB headset the works. It came like that when I got it. That's a merit in my book.

My regular road bike is the last (genuinely the last in the shop when I bought it) of the lugged steel Geoffrey Butler frame with an ungodly mix of Shimano Dura Ace, Ultegra/600, 105, RSX, Campag Veloce and Diacompe nailed on to it. It's built up out of stuff I had in my toy box and stuff that was cheap but functional. It all works together well and I enjoy riding it - what more could you ask for?

Groupset = Marketing fluff. Shimano did a fantastic job by inventing the concept in the 1980's.

Pick the bits that work best for the job. Too much stuff is just rebadged for a higher groupset, painted up a bit and sold at a higher margin.

Personally I always pick lowlier chainsets (the forging is usually the same), then refit with decent quality chainrings as the old ones wear out.

For me hubs, headsets and shifters are worth paying extra for, mechs somewhere in the middle. My 1996 Record hubs have never had anything more than a squirt of grease in the ports for 13 years.

I try to keep it one manufacturer and when the OCD is really bad it has to be matching mechs at a minimum

Two words for you; Sturmey Archer.