Shifter compatibility

....except Campag never made an indexed down tube shifter that actually worked.

Harsh, the pair I've got are a bit ugly but they work just fine.

Old habits die hard.

Its funny how times change, when I was in my teens (many years ago in the last Century) fitting Shimano anything would have been viewed as a mistake and with the odd exception was but when I returned to cycling some years later it seemed as though Shimano had reversed that attitude. I'm not sure how much of that is marketing and how much is true with modern components but for the age of equipment I use the Campag is best rule still holds true.

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I remember those days too. Even by Campags own admission, they focused on beautiful parts rather than getting it to work reliably.

Delta brakes, Synchros shifters, no floating top jockey wheel, late clipless pedal disasters, and not forgetting the MTBs tank like gruppos let the door wide open. Bear in mind too it was considerably more expensive too.

I guess the turning point was when you started to see Shimano hanging on Colnagos etc. and Dura-Ace kitted bikes coming over the finish line first. Jap crap suddenly wasn't Jap crap but capable.

I always thing it sad that Suntour fell behind during the battle to rule the roost.

Yep all sadly true, Shimano to their credit kept plugging away at it while Campag traded on their old reputation.

And Suntour yes I always liked a lot of the better Suntour components, I've been trying to put together an early Suntour Superbe group for ages and it's not easy

In fairness their kit from 1994-2008 is pretty good too. Ergos are serviceable for a few quid, it's all tough gear and it's competitive on weight.

The latest stuff looks awful and isn't serviceable any more.

As a relative newcomer to all things road, I find the issues with Campag are price and compatibility.

When I put together my 1978 clubmans bike, the starting point was a set of Campag cranks. Little did I know the trouble I would have getting a BB to fit. In the end I managed, with the help of 1970's guru Midlife, to build a bitsa BB using a combination of parts. Later when building an early 90's Basso, that just had to be Campag I found compatibility an issue and prices high in comparison to similar quality Shimano.

I like the function of Campag, the kit I have used has worked really well, but I am unlikely to use it again as it is pricey stuff to experiment with.

I think that's frame of reference to be honest.

Having always used Campag I have no problems at all getting things to work or go together but Shimano is just a minefield for me and especially when it comes to bottom brackets and cranks. Campag in the period I use is just square taper and then check how long I need the axle but Shimano is all sorts of different drive types.

Price yes Shimano stuff is now easier and cheaper to get generally but you just need to shop around and older Campag I find tends to be in better working condition than older Shimano and easier to fix when it's not.

The bottom bracket was THE biggest single ball ache I had when putting the clubmans bike together, even when I knew exactly what I was looking for finding it was a nightmare, £125 for a tatty but complete Nuovo Record BB with knackered cups, or a mishmash of mismatched parts purporting to be something they are not... I spent way too many hours of my life trying to sort out what was what. Trouble is, the Yanks and collectors will pay a bomb for good Campag, where as rare Shimano bits (Dura Ace 7400 brake / shifters for instance) are just difficult to find and have a price because of that.

Still, if we all used the same stuff, think how boring that would be.

Unless you were insistent on a particular Campag bottom bracket set if you were using a Nuovo Record crank set in a standard threaded BB shell I struggle to see why it was difficult as there is a huge array of threaded BB's that are the correct length that fit and work perfectly well including those from Campag.

But yes if it was all the same it would take all the fun out of it, there would be no need for the puzzled expression and head scratching when trying to explain the problem of why the doofrychat wont mate with the pedanglebangle spring to the wife when she makes the mistake of asking what's wrong