Campy vs. Shimano

The Shimano fans will all tell you how much better D/A is, the Campy fans will all tell you how much greater Campy is... This debate seems to spring up almost every month here.

Try them both out and pick the one that feels better to you.

Whichever you are used to.
Whichever feels more comfortable.
I went for Chorus for those reasons (and to a lesser extent, for increased durability).

Quality and capability on the two are for all practical purposes, the same. I built my dream road bike last fall with Chorus, because:

1. you can take the components apart and replace individual pieces.

2. My old college days road bike was all Campy Super Record. Lasted forever, a joy to maintain.

3. Just personal taste - I thought the Campy components were so beautifully finished.

In all fairness, the lifespan of DA equipment is so long that it's unlikely that they'd need repair anytime in the next few years.

It's a little harder to find wheels that will take Campy 10 speed cassettes, though Campy itself turns out an excellent line of wheels, and you can buy (a bit expensive) Shimano cassettes that have been converted to Campy 10. I don't know if the upcoming DA 10 speed would work with a Campy chain/indexer.

The brake handles/shifters feel different. Try them both, I preferred the Chorus levers, but you may not.

There will be a DA 10 speed this fall. It means that either you can have a DA 10 speed, or a real bargain on a DA 9 speed.

If you go with Chorus, take a look at cbike.com - they had the best prices on a Chorus group last fall.

Shimano

campy parts are often difficult and expensive to find. especially when you need them quickly. Everyone has shimano and getting the stuff on sale is alot easier. I ride a Campy Veloce group and have been trying to find an affordable rear wheel for 2.5 months

Don't make the choice based just on the 10-speed Campy system, especially if Shimano is about to launch a 10-speed DA. It used to be an easier decision because the Shimano hoods were big and bulky when they first came out with the integrated shifter/brake system, but now the DA is narrow and sleek. doodlebug makes a good point about parts being hard to find. My main shop sells Campy, but I buy my bikes in a shop that's far from where I live. My local shops where I stop in for quick fixes don't sell Campy. Imagine if you're on vacation in the middle of no where and you need a new Campy 10-speed chain--good luck finding a shop that carries it.

Durability wise, I think that Shimano is comparable with it's top end stuff like DA. Once I upgraded to DA, I basically never had any technical problems. Their low-end stuff is another story.

At the end of the day, I don't think either system is going to ride much better than the other--you're shopping for high-quality stuff. It's not like your trying to decide between a Grip Shift or trigger system for a mountain bike.

The new Dura-Ace 10 STI levers are even BIGGER than the old ones.

Looking for durability then Campagnolo all the way.

Shimano parts are not nearly as durable as many already know so replacement of parts is much more frequent. Many lever/shifter units tend to fail/wear out rather fast and that is a huge cost to replace.

Campy tends to cost a bit more for cassettes and such but they do not wear out as fast, plus many companies are now making aftermarket parts for Campy as well as Shimano.

Originally posted by xavier
Looking for durability then Campagnolo all the way.

Shimano parts are not nearly as durable as many already know so replacement of parts is much more frequent. Many lever/shifter units tend to fail/wear out rather fast and that is a huge cost to replace.

Campy tends to cost a bit more for cassettes and such but they do not wear out as fast, plus many companies are now making aftermarket parts for Campy as well as Shimano.

Click to expand...

I'm a believer in STI, but you're right on that one. STI levers are a *****. Gets used. Starts rattling and ****.

Hmmm... I know I don't want to get into Shimano vs Campy because there are too many Ford vs Chevy attitudes...

But I do have a question... How long are you expecting parts to last?

Lessee... Tires last what, 1500-2000 miles and cost $30-50 each... Therefore in a season you will spend around $180 on tires alone...

Next how often do you buy a frame? I often find the ford/chevy fans arguing the lifetime and durability of components only to see them buying a new complete bike or frame every 5 years... So is 5 years what we should expect from certain parts... which parts... Not chains... Not cassettes... Pedals? Cranks & BBs? headsets? shifter/brake levers...

I've never seen a DA shifter fail and I've only seen one Ultegra fail at the 4-year point...

When I bought my bike it had a 4-year replacement plan. I only used it for cassette/chain replacement and I only switched from Ultegra9 to DA9 because my friend with the bad Ultegra got a deal on DA shifters and mike were covered with bubblegum and scratches and such so I thought I would try them...

So again... How long is long.... How short is too short... And isn't it all relative to when you replace your bike and keep up with the jones (AKA how many Shimano fans will switch to 10speed just to hush out the Campy camp's 10 speed legacy when they may actually not need or use the 10th gear)?????

Hi
I really depend on your personal choice. Both are excellent! Campag is, and always has been more funtional and acricultural were as Shimano is much smoother in execution of gear-chage. It is simply up to you. Personally I prefer Campag.

Thanks
Steve