Hello guys. I have a frame and I need to get a group/groupset for it. I looked at the prices for Reord 11 and I'll have to rob a bank to fund that purchse. Chorus just so happens to be far less expensive and it's still good quality without breaking the bank. Should I get chorus? What is the real cost of owning chorus? Is it as reliable, durable, cost effective, pretty, and as manageable as Dura-ace? Thanks!

Don't let me down guys, your opinion really matters!

I test rode a bike last week with an ultegra/dura-ace mix. ultegra shifters and crankset with dura-ace derailleurs. the shifting was fantastic. quick precise and effortless. i was really impressed.

I don't own Chorus, but I converted to Centaur a few years ago after years of Shimano. In general, the things that appealed to me were the long history and culture of Campy and the different system of shifting. I also really liked the way that Campy shifters could be repaired, unlike any of the Shimano units. Lastly, the Campy groupos are all made with the same level of quality with the differences being materials, weight and finish. They look like fine jewelry.

Campy stuff can be harder to find when out of stock (often) and, in general, I think I have spent 30-50% more for parts and replacements over that of Shimano. What really decided it for me was the emotional difference I feel when I ride one of my Campy bikes. I could have purchased an Ultegra group for less but I would have felt as though I just added yet another Shimano bike; hardly worth the overall price. With the Campy upgrade, I spent more but I felt like I had something worth the cost.

To me, a large part of Campy is tradition. This is also why I love my Brooks' saddles. I would suggest that part of the value of Campy is emotional; if that is not part of the equation, it might be too expensive.

IMO/FWIW. Skip the 11-speed Campagnolo & track down some pre-2009 Campagnolo components UNLESS you are one of those people who have to be the-first-on-your-block with regard to components & other "stuff" ...

OR, get the 2009 10-speed Centaur if you are smitten with the look-and-feel of the new Campagnolo shifters ...

OR, wait two-to-three years (?!?) for the NEXT iteration of Shimano's components (based on Shimano's previous timetable for updating/tweaking their new component groups 2-to-3 years after introduction) for the improved 7900 series OR the improvements to the pending 6700 series.

AND, thanks for NOT choosing SRAM!

Why not to choose SRAM? The price is right, components (chains, casettes) are avilable and shimano interchargable. If you like levers and shifting, why not (at least cables are hiden for half the price of 7900)?
Is there something i don't understand?

I just took a chance on my latest bike build with SRAM Red and I am very happy with it. I have Dura Ace and Ultegra on my other bikes, but the Red has been doing pretty good.

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Well, I don't know where you are ...

AND, for some people, there is nothing wrong with dealing with Some Really Arrogant Merchandisers ...

But, let me say that in North America, the customer service which SRAM prodivides to non-sponsored riders is woefully lacking.

While some SRAM components can theoretically be rebuilt, you can't get the parts needed without resorting to cannibalizing another, similar component.

While the SRAM chains & cassettes are interchangeable with Shimano's, nothing else is other than some of the older MTB components.

I pity-the-fool who has a SRAM component which needs replacement unless they are close to home because if the LBS doesn't have the replacement in stock, the wait could be excrutiatingly long ...

There must be a reason that those who "tour", As far as I know, don't press their luck by outfitting their bikes with SRAM components.

Campy is fantastic, but tends to cost more than the Japanese stuff, at least where I am. Super Record or Record 11 is on another plateau but you'll have to take out another mortgage to afford the stuff. Chorus and Centaur would be an excellent choice and is more comparable in price to Dura-Ace and Ultegra.

Depending on your budget and if you're a Shimano guy, why not go with Ultegra SL? Solid, relatively lightweight, proven reliable and reasonably priced. Slightly lighter and better looking than "standard" Ultegra and cheaper than DA with basically the same performance. As with Dura-Ace 7800 and Ultegra 6600, prices on these groupsets will likely be reduced soon since the release of DA 7900 and Ultegra 6700.

If I seem biased towards Shimano, its because I ride Dura-Ace 7400, 7700 and 7800 on three different bikes. They've all been a joy to ride and are extremely reliable and trouble-free through thousands of miles. I wouldn't mind going Campy for a change but I would have to change all my wheelsets.....

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Well, i live in Eatern Europe, and customer service from Shimano, Sram and Campagnolo are equaly bad (it is nice to hear that Campagnolo do care about North Americas market, because they dont give a **** about small or poorer markets, like Eatern Europe).
So i guess my wait for campa replacement parts would be as hopless as from SRAM.

You mean like Shimano STI levers which never needs to be serviced unlike campa levers

I have to admit that i am not bike mechanic and don't know details the alfeng mentioned, but mechanic from my LBS is big fan of SRAM over shimano MTB stuf (then again, he knows nothing about Campagnolo- i doubt he knows that Campagnolo makes components for bikes, not instant cofee ).

So you'd be riding a steel frame with toe clips; a mechanical huret speedo and wear woollen nicks and jersey with your campy gear- as a traditionalist of course. Then of course you could be purely practical and choose a good looking failsafe grouppo like dura ace and spend the substantial savings on some modern upgrades for your bike. I've ridden campy and it looks great too but for lots of extra bucks in oz doesn't perform any better than shimano. Give me function over form anyday.

All this talk of Campy's rebuildable brifters being a deciding factor when comparing Campy and the equivalent Shimano groupset seems like a mute point to me. Are people really rebuilding and/or replacing Campy brifter parts that often? Out of curiosity, I called around the LBS in my city (pop. 2.0 million) and only one LBS carried Campy replacement parts and nothing for the Campy brifters. They can order for me but it will be many weeks to get delivery and the cost is borderline offensive. So how does having rebuildable brifters matter when you can't get parts for it?

In my 21 years of riding, 17 of which I've been using Shimano STI. I've yet to have to replace parts in the various STI brifters. I raced for 10 of those years (Cat 3 and 4) and never had to rebuild or replace a single set of brifters due to outright failure. Through regular use and a crash here and there in races, the brifters are a bit scratched up. But they work everytime afterwards, I've never had to replace a single part in the STI brifters out of functional necessity.

I've only used Dura-Ace (ok, three years on 80's Mavic SSC groupset) so my views may be admittedly skewed.

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Actually, you are dead on correct and my saddles are all Brooks Leather as well. I added up the cost and found I could buy something I enjoyed that had a better function, for me at least, and was repairable as well. Since I do all my own work, having built up my last three bikes from scratch, I have come to appreciate that Campy has the same degree of quality throughout, unlike Shimano, and a remarkable degree of interchangeability. This is why I go for Centaur rather than Chorus or Record and for me, this is function over form. I don't race, I ride 20 miles a day for fun. Campy harkens back to my younger days and I enjoy it.

However, if one is looking at Dura Ace, one has already left function far behind and gone over to the dark side of cycling prestige. If this is the case, my conjecture is that it is possible to get more history and class going to Campy. If there is some other reason for going to Dura Ace, or if riding a name that goes back to the the earliest days of cycling doesn't spin your chainring, then I would go with Shimano 105, which, incidently, is on my old steel 9 speed.

My 1991 7 speed 105 on my lugged steel frame still changes perfectly after over 100,000 km. My 9 speed dura ace from the late 90's the same. Never needed repairs. I'm not sure what function is missing. Certainly nothing that my also 90's vintage record does - and without the regular adjustments needed on the campy. I don't see any absence of function and unless i'm mistaken either does a large percentage of the pro peloton. And the use of carbon fibre for the sake of it as campy has done for several years now is hardly following tradition.

It's not so much the rebuildabillity, IMHO, but the ethic. Shimano's believes they should build a use and throw away piece. Slick, in a marketing sense, in that someone will be obliged to buy Shimano again should their brifters go all pear shaped and they don't want to buy a new group.

SRAM and Campy believe that bike bits should be rebuildable, and that goes right along with cycling's history. Campy's stuff is every bit as reliable as Shimano. Witness all the C-Record bits still on the road. And let's not forget that Shimano stuff isn't failsafe. Peter has testified to that via evidence from his shop.

The ethic is important to a lot of people.

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It's not so much the rebuildabillity, IMHO, but the ethic. Shimano's believes they should build a use and throw away piece. Slick, in a marketing sense, in that someone will be obliged to buy Shimano again should their brifters go all pear shaped and they don't want to buy a new group.

SRAM and Campy believe that bike bits should be rebuildable, and that goes right along with cycling's history. Campy's stuff is every bit as reliable as Shimano. Witness all the C-Record bits still on the road. And let's not forget that Shimano stuff isn't failsafe. Peter has testified to that via evidence from his shop.

The ethic is important to a lot of people.

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