SHIMANO VS CAMPAGNOLO

shimano = microsoft.

campy = apple.

i've been a shimano hater forever, primarily due to their market dominance and competitive practices. sure, their best stuff works great and is durable. at the other end of the line, not so much. and all of it is ugly and only marginally serviceable.

campy is solid, functional and pretty. even the low end kit works well and lasts. everything can be rebuilt. and (as the t-shirt so aptly captures) there is that eurosnob factor.

5 roadies in house...3 campy, 1 dura-ace (the wife's), 1 red (the latest...i was curious, and yes, it's all that)

4 mtbs...1 suntour, 1 sram, 1 SS, 1 crappy shimano (the wife's)

the red bike:

More like Shimano = Nissan and Campagnolo = Maserati

I think think it is also highly dependent on the bike. My Panasonic PR-6000 would not look as good with Campy as it does with DA7402.

With topics like this the outcome is always quite predictable. It is not really news most favour and love Campy and that Shimano is hated pretty much. Some kudos for the (short run) performance, but that is about it.

I like both, but if I had to came up with a negative from Campy (it is not really Campys fault, but still) it would be the following: When you by a classic with Campy and one bit of the groupset is missing, you run the risk you have to pay as much as you paid for the whole bike for that single bit ...unless you buy another donor. The donor normally doesn't come as cheap as big S donors too. More or less the same applies to (little) spares.

People tend to really sit on the Campy parts. There are too many passionate out there willing to pay the premium that I hate to pay.

mix it up! mirage 9 speed ergo levers and mechs, ultegra octalink chainset, miche 'performance' brakes, on a BMC road frame....its the legs that do the work...

I bought a Veloce 2008 groupset in March. I have yet to use it but it's very nicely finished. I became salivary when I unwrapped it from it's shipping box the first time. As a whole groupset it's quite a bit lighter than Shimano 105 (2411g v 2624g) despite heavier cassette. I just prefer the Ergo levers (paddle shift) over STI and the overall look of Veloce, especially the skeleton calipers and chainset. The 105 chainset looks like the underbelly of a Ken Hom wok - one of the ugliest components ever made.

However, I think Campagnolo is lagging in the cassette department; the Veloce cassette is heavy (260g) and uses plastic spacers, where as the 105 cassette is 205g, uses alloy spacers and cheaper to replace. So I suppose Shimano has more desirable cassettes...though they probably wear quicker from word of mouth. The Veloce rear mech looks a bit outdated compared to 105s too; it still posses small jockey wheels and again is giving up about a 30g weight penalty.

On mountain bike groups, as far as gear shifter pods, F&R mechs and chains are concerned, SRAM does it better than Shimano for me. My X.7 group easily outclasses Deore LX in my opinion - slicker, lighter and better looking. Shimano still makes the best value chainsets though.

For both road and mountain there is no better quality hub finishers than Shimano (apart form the really expensive offerings from King and alike).
It's been a devil to find Campy compatible hubs for my Veloce group wheel build. Apart from the flagship Record, Campy has pulled the plug in this area it seems and your left with expensive aftermarket hubs or mod 'factory' wheels that use about 8 bladed spokes. Doesn't quite look right on a retro steel road frame!

Umm....Mavic?

I'm pretty close to completing my 'Tout Mavic' build.

I now have:

Mavic SSC brakeset (modern, current product)
Mavic 36h 501 front hub
Mavic 8-Speed Indexing levers
Mavic 9-Speed Cassette (Mavic Cassettes convert to customizable 8,9,10 speed cassettes)

I still need:

Mavic brake levers (vintage SSC)
Mavic 841 medium cage rear derailleur (have 840 short cage)
Mavic triple front derailleur (anything braze-on, clamp, road/mtn)
Mavic 36h rear cassette hub
Mavic rims
Mavic 180mm crankset (double/triple, road/mountain)
Mavic 7/8 speed chain
Mavic seatpost (anything road/mountain)
Mavic stem (130mm or longer)
Mavic bars (46cm or wider)

Lemond won a Tour on a 'tout Mavic' bike, and Sean Kelly raced on this stuff as well. It made Campy Record and Dura-Ace seem downright affordable at the time, but is very affordable now.

Anybody can have a Shimano or Campy bike. Be different.

Put together a Sachs bike, an Olmo with Galli components, something different...

A mate of mine runs 'Shimergo', 8 speed Shimano cassette with old type Campag 10 speed Ergo levers . This is a favourite 'tweek' of some of the CTC types who need reliability on long distance tours and randonnees.

By the way, don't use 'Campy' pleeaase! It's so effeminate!

Easy. But this is just a matter of my taste....


Classic Suntour ( 80´s Superbe and Cyclone )
or Campa C-Record for retro road,
latest Dura-Ace for modern road speed-kings.

Dia-Compe and Shimano XT(R)-for retro MTB
and XTR for modern fullies.

Juha

Shimano XT/XTR M900 for mountain
Shimano 6600, 7700 7800 for road

Aesthetics over functionality any time: Another vote for Campag on road bikes.

There should be a law against equipping Italian bikes without it..