What Happened to Campagnolo?

[Canuk]

It's the pricing I think which will eventually do for Campagnolo. SRAM is a great value group and as a full wireless set up, it's easy to install and it just 'works '. I've got it on two bikes I use the most and it's total revelation. I wouldn't build a new bike without it.

Super Record pricing is really getting kinda ridiculous now:

Super Record 13 w/ power meter: €5,399 / US$5,899 / £4,950

Super Record 13 w/o power meter: €4,300 / US$4,750 / £3,900

Etap 12 disc: 1850 euro

Etap 13x 1 AXS: 2749 euro.

It's a no brainer.

 

[Canuk]

Campag's new Super Record groupset is reviewed on the comic's website. 'more affordable ' is the tagline at the top of the piece.

Scroll down to the bottom and I see the price is £3,900, so a snip clearly. That's without the power meter obviously..

What in the wide world of sports has the cycle industry become...

I remember paying £46 for a Super Record pat 83 rear derailleur in the box as a lad and thinking 'that's a lot of money for a derailleur...!'

 

[bikeworkshop]

Campag's new Super Record groupset is reviewed on the comic's website. 'more affordable ' is the tagline at the top of the piece.

Scroll down to the bottom and I see the price is £3,900, so a snip clearly. That's without the power meter obviously..

What in the wide world of sports has the cycle industry become...

More affordable?
It should say
"Less unaffordable"

What proportion of buyers need the advantages of this level of equipment? 5%?

 

[paton]

 

[paton]

 

[zerogravitas]

I'm not sure deliberate incompatibility is true. Everything from 7 to 10 speed is interchangeable and indexes . For some reason DuraAce 8 speed mechs are an exception

I meant things like making the brake hoods for DA and 600 ever so slightly different, along with the mounting band being a different, incompatible design. All designed to frustrate me it seems!

 

[Canuk]

More affordable?
It should say
"Less unaffordable"

What proportion of buyers need the advantages of this level of equipment? 5%?

0.5% is probably ambitious !

I haven't bought any new Campagnolo since 2003. And I was a dyed in the wool, 'if it says Campagnolo on the box I'll take it' buyer. Their Ultratorque bottom bracket bollox was the last straw for me. I don't doubt there are hordes of ex Campagnolo addicts out there who won't touch the latest iterations.

I can't say I blame them. It looks awful, it's hugely overpriced compared to the competition and it's wireless Super Record variants are still miles behind SRAM in terms of functionality and performance. I'm not saying never again, but I suppose like a lot of riders who've dabbled in the other group set manufacturers it's a very long way back home to Italy. Saying that I'm off for a jolly to Venice next weekend and I'll probably swing by Vicenza for a factory tour.

I'm a mug punter for history and tradition, but I'm no mug for a 4 grand group set when the Americans do it so much better.

 

[Rapparee87]

That looks like something you'd see in a Ninja movie..

 

[Canuk]

This is the last group I bought from Campagnolo, still rolling like jewellery 20 years on.

 

[Coalfield]

Thankfully, I am not part of the 0.5% - 5.0% who might benefit from 12 or 13 on the rear.

Friction on the DT 5/6/7 is fine for most of my rides. 10 speed Campa (mixed levels) is sweet for my bikes with integrated levers - 3 with the pre-2005 components. I also had to experience electronic shifting - and chose Di2, four years ago - which came with 11 speed cassette.

My plate is full of options in the road cycling category. But I love to see new tech as it, ultimately, drives the industry - for better or worse.