Opinions please- new build- Campy or Shimano :)

I recently picked up a neglected Battaglin frame with an awful aluminum fork. I have not been able to find a matching Battaglin fork, but was able to find a nice Columbus one, complete with Columbus doves panto'd on each shoulder.

Now for the tough bit. We are an all Shimano household, and between my wife and I we have 5 Shimano rides. with bits and bobs, I have the following:

Campy- 8 speed Chorus brifters, 8 sp. short cage Chorus rear mech, 8 speed (130MM) set of Mavic Open pros and 53/39 Chorus crank, Centaur 10 sp front derailleur.

Shimano-10 sp Ultegra brifters, 10 speed short cage ultegra rear mech, ultegra front mech and either some beat up FSA hoops (pictured) or some new (though poorly reviewed) Fulcrum 7 wheels that were stock on a new Cervelo.

I live north of San Francisco and there are hills as far as the eye can see so I have to go compact on the crank. So I have to choose if I should make it a Campy or Shimano compact crank, and which will involve the least cost.

Any thoughts? [/img]

Not sure about San Francisco, but certainly in France Campagnolo is more expensive than Shimano, especially if you want to stick with Chorus. But a good second-hand Athena or Veloce compact crankset might do the trick and you see them on eBay for reasonable prices sometimes.

Like you, I've only ever used Shimano and I'm contemplating a Campagnolo build on a frame I have, partly out of curiosity. If it was good enough for Fausto Coppi I reckon it will do for me.

Nice frame by the way.

There is only one answer. Italian frame = Italian components. Anything else isn't worthy.

I find that campag hoods are not nearly as comfortable as shimano, especially when out of the saddle, they are too thick and you cant hook your index finger round the front of the levers like you can with shimano.( I too have an old Battaglin)

Thanks for your thoughts chaps. I know the Italian way should be the only way, but I also want to love riding this new build. I know Giovanni would roll over in his grave to see non Italian gruppo on one of his frames, but I think I want the choice of 10 speeds on top of it all, and in this case that will mean Shimano.

There is a very good article in Bicycling this month on Campy, it's history and it's struggles in the face of upstarts like SRAM. Worth checking out.

I will post when I am finished the build.

what build?

I would have to say Campag, tho looking at the frame, the angles are quite relaxed; i have a couple of steel framed Italian bikes and you can barely get a finger between the tyre and seat tube...
If you can find a nice Campy triple ( see my de Rosa AL+ in reader's bikes ) that will get you up anything, tho' i ride in the Cotswolds and Devon ( V V hilly! ) on 53/39 11-27T ( Cervelo) and even 52/39 13-23T on the oldies...

I have small hands and find the new Campag levers perfect, the fulcrum pin placement on Shimano STIs meant I had too far to reach, even with the rubber shim.
On the oldies i favour Shimano levers ( Dura Ace SLR ) they are light and sprung and modulate perfectly for me; ( the Record levers I find too clunky and struggle to shave off speed on fast decents with delta calipers... they go squeak squeak squeeeeel....hedge )

I would go Campag.....

But I prefer Shimano

I'd go capag! It would look ace.

Campagnolo all the way it makes me shiver when I see a classic Italian frame clad in Shimano however functionally perfect it may be :roll:

absolutely, battaglin himself would never have rode shimano

good luck, lovely looking frame