SRAM and CAMPY users give me your feedback

[FreshNewbie]

Hi,
I am trying to learn more about SRAM and CAMRY components. Does anyone know a good educational site? I am looking to buy a bike next year and already trying to research everything I can. The reason I am insterested in SRAM and CAMPY is because I am looking at Bianchi bikes and higher steel models come with SRAM or CAMPY. So let me know what you know about them, how they feel, and how would you comparet them to Shimano?
Thanks,

FN aka Marina

[mimitabby]

I started out on Shimano and a year ago I got my bianchi with veloce components. I'll NEVER go back. I love my campy stuff.
Now if you don't like the sound it makes while you are coasting, you might not like campy. But I love it. i love the way I can shift easily, the way it fits.
On my shimano geared bike, it always seemed counter-intuitive. It's hard to go back and forth for me.
There is a Campyonly fan club, there is lots of good info there.

[KnottedYet]

I love my Campy, too. It's much easier for me to shift than the Shimano I had on my (years ago) steel Trek. I don't have to reach as far, and can break the chainring shift into two small pushes rather than one big push.

I also LOVE that I can trim the Campy almost as nicely as trimming a friction shifter.

If I ever build-up a bike and can't get Campy I would likely get friction shifters instead.

[Pedal Wench]

Now if you don't like the sound it makes while you are coasting, you might not like campy. But I love it. i love the way I can shift easily, the way it fits.


That noise is specific to your hubs. There are some Campy-compatible hubs that don't make that noise.

[teigyr]

Campy fan here. I know there are some Shimano fans out there but I really love the fact there are variables in shifting. If my front derailleur is making noise, I can tweak it so it isn't. I'm not a mechanic so I don't know a lot of the mechanical differences but I do believe Campy is meant to have parts replaced or repaired instead of having the whole unit replaced.

[alpinerabbit]

Another happy campy-er. Chorus with a Centaur compact double crankset for me.

I had Ultegra on a rental bike and perhaps this was only due to the triple crankset but when I got back home, I thought I noticed it was much smoother, easy-going.


I read that only Record and Chorus allow to downshift several gears at once with the thumb levers. I don't know what your Bianchi would come with but it is an asset.

[Ninabike]

I have Campy on both of my bikes, but have ridden Ultegra also. I much prefer Campy: easier reach; shifting with thumb and index finger; easy to trim. I know nothing about SRAM so can't help you there.

[Popoki_Nui]

Shifting issues aside, there is the matter of durability and longevity. I think Campagnolo is still the king of durability. "Campy breaks in while Shimano breaks down" is a phrase that is likely still as true today as it was "back when". (I'm still riding on 30+year old Campy gear which has required almost zero repair)
FWIW, the local talk is that a lot of SRAM gear breaks prematurely. Many local roadies and MTB'ers are waiting for the next gen SRAM in hopes they're built stronger.

~Sherry (wishing SunTour was still alive and well...:( )

[Kathi]

I love Campy, too! Very comfortable for my tiny hands.

One disadvantage of Campy cranksets is that there is no 165 mm crankarm. I use the Specialities TA Carmina crankset instead. It works just as well but my LBS said I could have shaved a few more ounces if I could use the Campy crankset.

I'm not a weight weenie and my bike weighs 15.4 lbs so I don't care about shaving off more weight.

And Campy is repairable. When I had my Aegis tuned last year the springs in the shifters were bad so the LBS replaced them. It cost less than $15.00 for the repair.

[FreshNewbie]

So, I see a lot of Chorus fans, however all of Bianchi's women's bikes or their steel models come with Veloce components. Are they also good or Chorus is much better?
Right now I have all 105 on my bike, if I were to buy a new bike I wouldn't consider anything below Dura from Shimano family. However, if I went with Campy on my new bike, which groupset should I be looking at ?

[mimitabby]

Centaur gives you the most bang for your bucks according to all the experts I spoke to. I was going to get Centaur until i fell into an amazing deal with some slightly used Campy Record stuff for my bike that is currently being built.
On the other hand, folks with Veloce (like me) seem to love what they have!

[IFjane]

Right now I have all 105 on my bike, if I were to buy a new bike I wouldn't consider anything below Dura from Shimano family.

I cannot speak to either Campy or SRAM because I have only ridden with Shimano on both mountain and road bikes. I have Ultegra on my new bike. I swapped the drivetrain over from my old bike. I have had zero problems with it and it is about 7 years old now. Regarding upgrading to Dura, when I asked my LBS about doing just that, he told me that he would stick with the Ultegra because I would get more bang for the buck with it. In his opinion, the upgrade is not worth the money I would spend. He feels ultegra is the workhorse of the Shimano group. I have confidence in what he says because he rides with all three (Shimano, Campy & SRAM) on various bikes of his own.

[Batbike]

SRAM: I know nothing about it because I have never used it.

Shimano: have used 105 and Ultegra. Both fine. If keeping witb Shimano I would stay with Ultegra because it is a good groupo. Shimano is very smooth.

CAMPY: I LOVE my Campy. I have a full Campy Chorus drivetrain with a carbon 53/39 crank. I like the hoods -- not the big "ditch" as in Shimano, giving me more confidence and better reach/grip. The shifting is wonderful -- can drop from lowest to highest in one quick shift (great when going down hill after a steep climb!) or go from high gear to low gear, jumping to multiple gears in with just one shift (great when climbing or need to increase cadence real quick). I don't think it is as smooth as Shimano, it is more crisp and quick. As for maintenance, if Campy breaks, you can fix it. Shimano needs to replace. Don't know about Sram. One more thing, when putting the cables on your bike, Shimano is very visible at the front of bike, needing only one groove on your handlebars for one cable to wrap under tape (all else visible). Campy is "hidden", using two grooves on handlebar, but if bar only has one groove you can make it work, wrapping cables under tape and making a cleaner appearance and keeping shifts crisper. Sram needs 2 grooves on handlebars and you have to have a 2 groove handlebar to wrap cables -- 1 groove won't work.

[indysteel]

So, I see a lot of Chorus fans, however all of Bianchi's women's bikes or their steel models come with Veloce components. Are they also good or Chorus is much better?
Right now I have all 105 on my bike, if I were to buy a new bike I wouldn't consider anything below Dura from Shimano family. However, if I went with Campy on my new bike, which groupset should I be looking at ?

According to Bianchi's website, the female line that are Campy speced use Campy Mirage, which is one of the lower-end groups. That's not to say that there's anything wrong with it but it's not on the same level as Shimana D/A. As far as comparisons go, it's a little bit like comparing apples to oranges, but Record and Chorus are on reportedly on the same footing as D/A. Veloce is somewhere between 105 and Ultegra. Centaur is comparable to Ultegra. But I say that believing that all of Campy's groups perform well.

I have a 2006 Bianchi Eros Donna that came stock with Mirage. I changed a few things out to Veloce because I didn't love the plastic on the Mirage brifters and wanted smoother shifting in the rear. I don't race so I don't really need ultra-quick shifting, and everything on the bike works suits my purposes. I have about 3,000 mile on the bike, and she's needed very little maintenance.

I'm curious as to why you wouldn't go with anything less than D/A. I know a lotta happy Ultegra users out there.......

[FreshNewbie]

Indysteel,
I want my next bike to be steel, my dream would be titanium but that's really out of my pocket right now. As for your question regarding Ultegra, I don't really have any particular reason not to go with Ultegra. I road a bike with DuraAce and it was so much smoother than my Shimano 105 (2005). If I find a well fitting steel bike with Ultegra I would definately go for it. When it comes to test riding next year I will have to try both and decide what I lilke best. So far Campy sounds attractive because of durability aspect. I have my bike for about a year now with 1400 miles on it so far, the shifting is not very smooth, especially on a hill. I don't have any complaints, so far I didn't have to fix anything but I think I will outgrow 105 pretty fast.

[smilingcat]

Personal preference I think...

people have already pointed out:

1. Shimano isn't really set up to be repaired. It's meant to be replaced when worn out. Campy on the other hand are meant to be repaired.

2. Shimano shifts smoothly so you don't get that positive action you can feel as you would with campy.

If you are not racing I think you can't go wrong with Centaur, Chrous for campy and 105, and Ultegra for Shimano. You pay lot more money for Record, and Dura Ace, you really wont notice the difference from the Centaur/Chrous/105/Ultegra. And that extra 1/2 lb saving isn't worth the cost.

Sram is pretty nice but I too have heard of premature breakdown.

Personally, I'm not fond of Centaur. tad slow in shifting and I prefer a quiet yet positive shift. For a recreational and serious weekend rider, I think its still a really nice group. I like Dura Ace, Record, chrous, and ultegra. 105 is tad slow in shifting for me.

Ultegra rear deraillure will hold up for about 5,000 - 10,000 miles. STI brakeset/shifter also about the same distance. Then its time for a new one. Over the years, I have managed to mangle two ultegra rear deraillure, one ultegra front, one shimano-600 (precursor to ultegra), STI brakeset... Most had a minimum of 5,000 miles. They all went well beyond "time to replace".

Centaur is on my "new" used bike and haven't logged that kind of miles yet so can't say. Record and Dura Ace will hold up a little longer than Ultegra. Again haven't had the luxury to ride them into the ground. Its just my observation from others.

Braking issues. really none that I can think of. They all do the job well. Dura ace has a strong braking action ultegra little less. Centaur brake set is real positive. Maybe tad too sensitive on the rear wheel. It has a tendency to grab and lock up the rear. (maybe its my setup don't know). Chrous and record also work really well. All these brakes work well even when the wheels get wet.

The whole thing comes down to personal choice and how well you can reach the control from the hood or from the drop.

The best advice from me is to see how easily you can reach the control and then decide.

[indysteel]

FreshNewbie, I, too, wanted a road steel bike and was really frustrated at how few options there were, especially since I ideally needed a women-specific bike. When I bought my Bianchi last year, I only had the Eros Donna, a couple of WSD Shimano speced LeMonds and two bikes by Burley, from which to choose (I admittedly didn't look at Jamis or Colnago). Neither LeMond nor Burley make those particular bikes anymore, so there are even fewer options now.

I wasn't thrilled to buy a bike with a lower-end groupset, which is one of the reasons that, from an emotional perspective, I decided to do some modest upgrades. The most important factors in my decisionmaking, however, were still the frame and fit. While I have very little to compare it to, I like my ED and feel like the components have been adequate for the type of riding I do.

Unfortunately, short of getting a frameset only or going custom you likely won't find a lot of stock steel bikes from which to choose and even fewer (if any) speced with D/A, Chorus or Record. You might want to look at Gunnar's steel frames in that regard. They're reasonably priced and you could build them up to your own specifications. As happy as I am w/ my Bianchi, I wish I would have investigated that option a bit more.

If and when I get another bike, I'd like to go the custom route and have it built up primarily with Chorus. Sigh.....

Good luck!

[aleia23]

I bought a Bianchi Eros (not the Donna) last August with mostly Campy Mirage components (I replaced the crankset with Mirage 2 months ago) and love Campy. I had the Shimano 105 groupset on my Trek bike and have noticed that the shifting is so much smoother with the Campy especially at higher speeds. My husband has the Veloce on his 8 yr old steel Bianchi (with many miles) and swears by it too (never has had to replace anything except for the chain). It is all a matter of personal preference, but I would choose Campy any day.

[FreshNewbie]

Thank you everyone for your comments and suggestions!
Indy, I know what you mean. I spent a lot of time yesterday just lurking websites and I must say I am pretty dissapointed with options. Unless I find a bike shop that would swap the parts (with me paying the difference) looks like there are very limited options out there. Don't take me wrong my bike is still pretty new, its 2005 Specialized Vita multisport with all 105 shimano but I think somewhere in the end of 2008 I will want a new bike ( I would already get one :D ). Looks like going custom is a best option but it's pretty expensive. Well, I guess for now I should hope that in 2008 someone will come out with a bike I want :rolleyes: Thanks,

FN

[indysteel]

Here's an interesting thread from today on roadbikereview.com's forums about why some pro teams use Chorus and Ultegra intstead of D/A and Record.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=93606

BTW, you might have to register for roadbikereview.com to read it.

[alexis_the_tiny]

Digging up this thread again. My groupset is beginning to sound rather omnious and I want to change it before it fulfills one of those horrible hallucinations I wrote about back in college of a vehicle on a road exploding into rivets and metals bits. I run a 105 groupset on it right now. What would be a rough equivalent for the Campys? Veloce? Athena? Chrous?? I'm totally confused. I vaguely remembered someone had a comparison of Shimano groupsets and cards, wish there was something like that for Campys and SRAM as well.

[ridebikeme]

I would AGREE with all of the Campy supporters here. I have been using Campy strictly since 1994, and would not change over to a Shimano bike. AS Kathy mentioned" shifters can be repaired" I actually repaired mine last year for around $15! I've also noticed over the years, that the cassettes tend to last longer as well . I realize Campy may be a bit expensive, but with all of the benefits listed in this forum ... well?

I have four bikes with Campy, and absolutely love the fact that jumping from one bike to another feels pretty much the same.(shifting wise) Chorus is definitely the workhorse of the group, and although a few grams heavier... quite a bit less expensive than Record.( although that's very nice :rolleyes:

[indysteel]

Alexis,

I'm not sure I would look at in terms of what within Campy is similar to 105, although I'd say anything Veloce on up is as good as or better than 105. But in saying that, I know that 105 has gotten a lot better over the last few years, so perhaps Centaur is a closer match. Really, though, it may just come down to how much you really want to spend.

I do think you get a fair amount of bang for your buck with Centaur, but I haven't looked closely at Campy's offerings for the last couple years--since I built my last bike with Centaur--to appreciate how it differs from Chorus or Record. I chose Centaur in part because of price and also because it offered an alloy crank, which is what I wanted. In truth, I preferred the hoods of my 2006 Veloce, so while the my 2009 Centaur group is better, I liked the functionality of my older groupset.

For that reason, I would suggest going to your local shops and actually trying the various groups and manufacturers. You may find that your hands simply prefer one or the other. Also, have you factored in changing your wheels/hubs if you switch from Shimano to Campy? If I understand correctly, your Shimano-compatible wheels will generally not work with a Campy drivetrain.

I will say this: a lot of shops just don't like working on Campy anymore. Thankfully, that's not an issue for me because I have my own mechanic, otherwise known as my husband, but when I was relying on shops, I found some degree of resistance. Campy often requires Campy-specific tools, that just aren't cheap. Parts themselves, e.g., cassettes and chains, aren't cheap either, so it can cost a little extra money over the years to run Campy.

[warneral]

I went from tiagra/sora to Campy Chorus. BIG difference! LOVE my campy components!

[emily_in_nc]

I had Campy Chorus on my go-fast bike I sold a few years ago, and it is absolutely the best gruppo I have ever used. Would use it again in a minute if given half a chance. Easy shifting, fit my hands well, a huge improvement for me over Shimano Ultegra, which I had before.

I have bar-end shifters now due to the V-brakes on my Bike Friday (which is set up as a touring bike), and I like them fine, but I do miss my Campy. It was like "butta". :p

[melonyogloo]

Have been using Campagnolo components since 1992. I have to say that I have not use any other brand in regular basis and my opinions may be biased.

1) Campagnolo currently produce 11 speed group and 10 speed group:
Super Record, Record, Chours, Athena = 11 speed
Centaur, Veloce, Mirage = 10 speed

2) People say Campagnolo Veloce = Shimano 105 = Sram Rival , Centaur = Ultegra = Force, Chorus = Dura Ace = Red, and Record is in the league of his own.

You can buy Veloce group from England for about US$522 + $25 shipping from:
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/groupset.asp?action=showframes&sub=conf_GS&type=RIBMO

But you still need a new rear wheel or hub body though.

For more information on Campagnolo, you can go to www.campyonly.com