Is it true that Shimano is much less durable then Camp or SRAM? - Page 2

In your diagram, it is clear that the shifter part has not been exploded, only the brake bits.

Campy levers are roughly 25% more expensive than Shimano if you equate Ultegra and Chorus, which I do. If you follow the popular and somewhat baseless standard of equating Centaur with Ultegra, then the difference is less.

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I've noticed that bike shops are loaded with dickheads who try to immediately establish a superior and condescending position, one in which they work quick to make out that they know everything and I know absolutely nothing. For example, if I'm looking at tyres, they might 'rappid-fire' a whole bunch of TPI and size numbers, expecting me to feel like an idiot and be in total awe of their greatness. Or, if I'm looking at a frame, they might quickly blurt out a whole bunch of geometry numbers, expecting the same result. I usually don't spend much time in such a shop. It's as if that can't handle that a customer knows anything at all. Is it a trained sales technique? If it is, it ain't a good one.

And believe me, I'm not the knida guy who walks into a bike shop and gets a kick out of blabbing what little knowledge I have. I'm not one to say: "rah, rah, rah, I've been riding for 22 years, and I think I know what a good farkin bike tyre is. "

Eh, Shimano is cheaper, yet still 'trendy'. I can buy Dura-Ace for heaps less than Record, and stiff be accepted by the cool kids on the start line

I like those shops because the employees make me laugh on the inside....laugh at, not with.

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Yeah, same here, but if they start to really **** me, I'll say something like: "ninety farkin bucks for a Pro Race 2? You're farking kidding! What idiot would pay that when they get one on PBK for $35?"

Yeah, I know, jeez, that's really telling them! It's like whacking them with a wet lettuce.

I didn't believe him 100% but left thinking about it. I remember long ago, I heard that Shimano was something like 50% less expensive than Campagnolo and Campagnolo was just about 10% better, that is something like 20 years ago, maybe at that time it was true.
My 105 are quite old, maybe around 10 years old, they don't have 100K s miles but quite a few have passed in all this years and they work perfectly, I lubricate the shifters since somewhere in time I may have used grease on them and they kind of stuck, but after a little WD 40 to clean and some oil they work nicely and have a nice "click" which the Campagnolo I've heard don't have.
Just because I want them I'm about getting the 105 or Ultegra 10 speed to upgrade them, the bike is old but I've wanted the 10 spd since a while. The price difference between 105 and Ultegra is little, also weight is very similar, at least for shifters, chain and cassette, something like 30 gr difference, close to nothing. Campagnolo is much more expensive, it is even unavailable unless you ask for it, SRAM is available but I would need to replace all the drive train and I'm no fan of SRAM, too expensive to me.

There truly is a bunch of BS re: Shimano and Campy. The complaint a fair number of Shimnophytes have re: Campy is that it "feels" too mechanical. Horses, courses, and all that crap. My Campy has definite, distinct "clicks."

This reminds me a lot of all the shade tree and LBS mechanics that swear Campy is hard to tune. Uh-huh.

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Pain is Fun
I cut my fingers off
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I suppose that I am one of the fortunate ones. Campy is nice but I have had no problems with Shimano since I started using it in 1978. I currently have a 9-speed 105 that I have been using for five years, over 20,000 miles, and it has performed flawlessly and still shifts nearly as well as it ever did. It will wear out over time, but by then it will be time to upgrade to the newest best thing on the market (10-speed or however far they have gotten by then)rather than repair the outdated equipment. I also have a 1984 vintage bike that is that is equipped with 500EX Exage that has not worn out yet either. It has down tube shifters and is at the end of friction shifting but it is still a sweet, exciting ride.

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Yep but DA, considering materials, is more like Chorus than Record(or SuperRecord for 2009) but ya ain't kool is ya don't have the top of the line stuff.....

Can't really since almost all of the levers that come to us we didn't sell. As a service mostly shop, they buy the bike from the specializedtrekcannondalegiantfelt dealer. lever fails, original bike shop says(we'll send the WHOLE BIKE back for warranty(truly amazing) so they come to us. We take lever off, send back, get new one, put back on.

For Campagnolo, we have never had a new lever fail outta the box( A few of the shimano ones we have sold). Have had many break springs or spring carriers after a bit of use. They could be warrantied snce they are less than 3 years old, but we just fix them. We give customers the option of send back and lose bike for a couple of weeks or I can fix for $45 and have you be on their way today or tomorrow. 100% of the time we fix 'em.

So basically what fails are the springs? Are they easy to replace? Are those springs available as a spare for common people or only for shops?
What other part fails? Basically shifter springs?
In other shop I was told that SRAM works great in mountain bikes that it doesn't need to be adjusted as often as Shimano. Well I have LX on my MB and I really don't need to be adjusting it very often, what sometimes makes shifting hard is the dirt and mud in the bottom bracket where the cable guide is. And I have to replace the chain more often than on the Road bike which lasts quite a lot.
I can't talk about Camp or SRAM (I've used SRAM chains with Shimano and they work perfectly well and are durable but they are getting too expensive)from experience but Shimano has served me well.

Thanks for the reply. It is hard to get objective data on quality and durability of bike components. Bottom line for me is to just buy what you like to use and/or look at, and not worry about trying to compare potential life of components.

Like kdelong, my experience with Shimano DA has been good over the last 5 years/ 20K miles. I won't be happy when the levers finally do fail, but certainly would buy replacements when the time comes. OTOH, can understand your preference to have something that you can repair for your customers rather than having to just say "sorry, buy new ones for $$$".

Plus one on the "buy what you like" score. The Campy vs. Shimano vs. SRAM argument.....or cat fight......is worn out. That horse has long been dead. Performance differences are a matter of personal preference or bias. Durability is a wash. I don't like current Shimano, 'cuz it doesn't suit me and 'cuz of my view on rebuildability. Neither of those, though, are a statement about quality. I suspect Peter thinks the same.

If a person really thinks that there is some objective quality and performance difference, then that person should revisit what they think they know.

__________________
Sex is horrid
Pain is Fun
I cut my fingers off
One by one

Springs wear out or break. $5 at any place the 'qui si parla Campagnolo'. Easy to replace, overhaul of ERGO takes about 15 minutes. many online directions, or send it to me, one day turn around.

Spring carrier is the other weak point. metal one either has the post break or it splits. Resin one from Record shifter(fits fine in all ERGO) is more durable($15).

I agree. Buy the lever that fits/feels the best in your hand. If ya don't care, get Campagnolo(shameless plug and no I don't get paid by Campagnolo but I do have a Campagnolo tattoo).