Shimano to Campy?

[Derf]

Has anyone switched from Shimano to Campy or own both? If so, what do you like about the Campy and if you ahd it to do over, would you still make the switch. I am thinking of buying a new bike and thinking of going with Campy Chorus (if I go Shimano, I'll go Ultegra). I currently have Shimano 105 (with some upgrades) on my bike. Thanks!

[Trek420]

I'm off to walk the dog so ...start here :D

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=2055&highlight=shimano+campy

[luv'nAustin]

Thanks for the link, they were good posts.

I have ultegra on one bike and campy on my new bike. I LOVE campy! I really like the thumb shift as it is so much easier than shifting with the entire lever. However, that is just my opinion, I have a friend that likes ultegra better.

Good Luck!

[Susie]

I made the switch from Shimano Ultegra to Campy Record in February when I bought my new bike. The differences that I see are:

1. Once adjusted properly (it took one visit back to the shop after initially picking up the bike), I never had to make additional adjustments.
2. The gear and brake cables are run inside the handlebar tape, so there's no cables hanging out the front.
3. The hoods are much shallower than Shimano, so it's much easier to brake and shift when your hands are up near the hoods.
4. You can shift multiple gears at a time.
5. The brakes work much better (something that I didn't realize until I went out on the old bike one day -- it was shocking how much longer it took to stop the bike).
6. The shifting is nearly silent.
7. The campy record components are lighter than anything Shimano puts out.

Hope that helps,

Susie

p.s. Now that I've ridden with Campy, I can't imagine going back to Shimano.

[bikerchic]

When I was shopping for my road bike components one of the best things I was told was this: "Campy is just breaking in while Shimano is wearing out." Also another plus to Campy is you can actually buy and replace all the "little" parts that may break or wear out where as with Shimano you can't replace the "little" parts you have to replace the whole thing.....whatever that means! LOL I'm a total dufus when it comes to mechanical stuff so Campy made sense to me.

[Ninabike]

I have used both and much prefer Campy for all the reasons stated above.

[DebW]

When I was shopping for my road bike components one of the best things I was told was this: "Campy is just breaking in while Shimano is wearing out." Also another plus to Campy is you can actually buy and replace all the "little" parts that may break or wear out where as with Shimano you can't replace the "little" parts you have to replace the whole thing.....whatever that means!

I can testify to that. I've been riding on the same Campy Record front and rear derailleurs since 1976. And they weren't new when I got them - they'd been retired by a racer!

[dachshund]

What sold me on Campy was the thumb shifter and the smaller gearshift near the brakes. It requires less "throw" than the Shimano shifter, which is the same as the break lever if I remember correctly. For what it's worth, you can shift and break at the same time since the levers are different.

And, ditto on everything said above. The systems do sound different, and people have described Shimano as smoother. I wish Campy came with something like flight plan, which seems like a really cool gizmo.

[Derf]

You guys are awesome! Thanks!

[SadieKate]

Article you might find interesting.

http://www.bicyclepaper.com/bp/issues/June06/bp1.htm

[mimitabby]

Article you might find interesting.

http://www.bicyclepaper.com/bp/issues/June06/bp1.htm

great article, thanks!

[bikerchic]

Great article SadieKatie!

[Dogmama]

I've had the original Campy groupo on my bike for 12 years and over 50,000 miles. Just one problem in all that time - Had a spring break in the shifter - and they replaced the spring for $.50 instead of the shifter (ala Shimano) for $?? who knows?

[Pedal Wench]

... I wish Campy came with something like flight plan, which seems like a really cool gizmo.

I have the Campy ErgoBrain on my Colnago. Same as the Flight Plan - except it's Campy!;)

[Selkie]

Count me in as a Campy fan, too. My Bianchi has campy components and it's so much nicer to ride that bike than my bikes with shimano components.

[DebW]

Would people say that Campy is better than Shimano when comparing the lower end and mid-priced groupos as well as the top end? Campy Record (Nuovo Record, Super Record) was always considered tops, but their mid-line stuff was not that great and seldom used (on US market bikes) in the 70s. In the 80s it became more popular but had some problems. BTW, in the 70s Shimano only made parts found on department store bikes. Shimano made tremendous advances in quality and market share in a very short time.