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Why I changed from Campa to Shimano

Started by Derk Drukker · · Last activity · 13 posts · 901 views

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01 / Original postWhy I changed from Campa to ShimanoDerk Drukker · 13 Mar 2003 02 / This pagePosts 1–13Page 1 of 1 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #13John Flynn · 19 Mar 2003

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Cycling Equipment
Published
13 March 2003
Last activity
19 March 2003
Original author
Derk Drukker
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13
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Public discussion
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Front derailleursCampagnoloPinarelloGreg LeMond

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  1. Original post
    Derk Drukker
    Archived post
    #1

    I'll give my own reasons to go Shimano:

    1)I travel to France a few times a year to cycle in the hills and when I needed a sparepart it was
    far more difficult to find Campa parts then Shimano parts.(In Holland it's much the same btw, but
    we have the European headquarters at a 20 minutes drive from my house, so it's maybe unfair to
    compare availability here). Parts ordered from Italy took ages to arrive here.

    2) Although I find Campa more beautiful to look at, I find Shimano shifts better, though I prefer
    Campa's front derailleur shifting.

    I also prefer Campa's hidden cables.

    3) I once changed the springs of an Ergopower and though I now know I can do it, I am not willing to
    do it again. What a job! I prefer paying for a new shifter, so repairability is not a reason to
    buy Campa.

    4) I went through 3 different Ergobrains cablesets. All failed at a given moment.

    Greets, Derk

    Report
  2. David L. Johnso
    Archived post
    #2
    Derk Drukker said:

    I'll give my own reasons to go Shimano:


    To each his own, I suppose.

    Quoted message said:

    2) Although I find Campa more beautiful to look at, I find Shimano shifts better, though I prefer
    Campa's front derailleur shifting.

    I find the fussiness of Shimano front derailleur shifting to be a real pain, especially with a
    triple. Campy is much simpler. Rear shifting is pretty comparable between the two -- either
    works well.

    Quoted message said:

    3) I once changed the springs of an Ergopower and though I now know I can do it, I am not willing
    to do it again. What a job! I prefer paying for a new shifter, so repairability is not a reason
    to buy Campa.

    That is not my experience. 20 minutes to change not only the springs, but the shifting disk (to go
    from 8 to 9 speeds). Piece of cake. If replacing the shifter is the better option for you, OK, but
    that is a lot of money to save 20 minutes. Maybe 10 the next time, now that I know what to expect.

    --

    David L. Johnson

    __o | The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win you're _`\(,_ | still a rat. --Lilly
    Tomlin (_)/ (_) |

    Report
  3. Baird Webel
    Archived post
    #3

    On 3/13/03 14:12, in article [email hidden],
    "Derk Drukker"

    Quoted message said:


    3) I once changed the springs of an Ergopower and though I now know I can do it, I am not willing
    to do it again. What a job! I prefer paying for a new shifter, so repairability is not a reason
    to buy Campa.

    You know, you can always pay somebody to do it for you, probably $20 US rather than a couple hundred
    to buy a new shifter, but it's your money. Do you want to sell your old campy stuff?

    Baird

    --
    Baird Webel Washington DC

    Report
  4. Derk Drukker
    Archived post
    #4

    Hi Baird,

    Baird Webel said:

    You know, you can always pay somebody to do it for you, probably $20 US rather than a couple
    hundred to buy a new shifter


    I asked here, but even all Campa Service Centers refused to do it.

    Quoted message said:

    Do you want to sell your old campy stuff?


    I sold my Pinarello bike with Chorus and traded it in for a Titanium Merckx with Dura-Ace.

    Greetings, Derk

    Report
  5. Qui Si Parla Ca
    Archived post
    #5

    d drucker-<< 3) I once changed the springs of an Ergopower and though I now know I can do it, I am
    not willing to do it again. What a job! I prefer paying for a new shifter, so repairability is not a
    reason to buy Campa.

    You would rather spend $150 for a shifter than $8 for two springs? I guess the Euro economy is
    doing well!!!

    << 4) I went through 3 different Ergobrains cablesets. All failed at a given moment.

    ERGO Brain and Flitedeck are expensive answers to simple questions IMO-

    Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
    (303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

    Report
  6. John Flynn
    Archived post
    #6

    "David L. Johnson

    Quoted message said:


    20 minutes to change not only the springs,

    Quoted message said:

    but the shifting disk (to go from 8 to 9 speeds). Piece of cake. If replacing the shifter is the
    better option for you, OK, but that is a lot of money to save 20 minutes. Maybe 10 the next time,
    now that I know what to expect.

    David, _how long_ does it take you? It takes me longer than that to deal with the bar tape and
    cables just to get to the mechanism. What's your trick?

    ~John

    Report
  7. John Flynn
    Archived post
    #7

    "David L. Johnson

    Quoted message said:


    20 minutes to change not only the springs,

    Quoted message said:

    but the shifting disk (to go from 8 to 9 speeds). Piece of cake. If replacing the shifter is the
    better option for you, OK, but that is a lot of money to save 20 minutes. Maybe 10 the next time,
    now that I know what to expect.

    David, _how long_ does it take you? It takes me longer than that to deal with the bar tape and
    cables just to get to the mechanism. What's your trick?

    ~John

    Report
  8. David L. Johnso
    Archived post
    #8
    John Flynn said:

    "David L. Johnson

    Quoted message said:


    20 minutes to change not only the springs,

    Quoted message said:

    but the shifting disk (to go from 8 to 9 speeds). Piece of cake. If replacing the shifter is the
    better option for you, OK, but that is a lot of money to save 20 minutes. Maybe 10 the next time,
    now that I know what to expect.

    David, _how long_ does it take you? It takes me longer than that to deal with the bar tape and
    cables just to get to the mechanism. What's your trick?

    I didn't replace the bar tape, or the cables. the guts come out without that being necessary.
    Granted, it would be a little easier with the bar untaped and the cable gone, but I had more-or-less
    new tape and good cables I did not want to replace.

    --

    David L. Johnson

    __o | Become MicroSoft-free forever. Ask me how. _`\(,_ | (_)/ (_) |

    Report
  9. Mike Latondress
    Archived post
    #9

    "David L. Johnson" <David L. Johnson <[email hidden]>> wrote in
    :"]news:[email hidden]:

    Quoted message said:
    John Flynn said:

    "David L. Johnson

    Quoted message said:


    20 minutes to change not only the springs,

    Quoted message said:

    but the shifting disk (to go from 8 to 9 speeds). Piece of cake. If replacing the shifter is the
    better option for you, OK, but that is a lot of money to save 20 minutes. Maybe 10 the next
    time, now that I know what to expect.

    David, _how long_ does it take you? It takes me longer than that to deal with the bar tape and
    cables just to get to the mechanism. What's your trick?

    I didn't replace the bar tape, or the cables. the guts come out without that being necessary.
    Granted, it would be a little easier with the bar untaped and the cable gone, but I had
    more-or-less new tape and good cables I did not want to replace.


    Exactly my experience. Sounds like this (original) guy changed without thinking this whole thing
    through and is now trying to justify his move. Too bad.

    Report
  10. John Flynn
    Archived post
    #10

    "David L. Johnson

    Quoted message said:


    I didn't replace the bar tape, or the cables. the guts come out without that being necessary.

    But...but...you still have to access the back of the shifter housing to remove the sliding plate and
    get to the guts. Did you simply _unband_ the whole thing to remove it from the handlebar, leaving
    tape intact and cables attached? That's the only way I can figure you did it. If so, I gotta' try
    it. Thanks.

    ~John

    Report
  11. David L. Johnso
    Archived post
    #11
    John Flynn said:

    "David L. Johnson

    Quoted message said:

    I didn't replace the bar tape, or the cables. the guts come out without that being necessary.

    But...but...you still have to access the back of the shifter housing to remove the sliding plate
    and get to the guts. Did you simply _unband_ the whole thing to remove it from the handlebar,
    leaving tape intact and cables attached? That's the only way I can figure you did it. If so, I
    gotta' try it. Thanks.

    Of course. Unband? Well, I backed off the bolt until the head of the lever came off of the band that
    holds it to the bars, if that is what you mean. IIRC that does not create serious problems (as it
    did for some brake levers) since I think the nut is firmly attached to the band itself.

    Then, with the lever hanging by the cables, I could take the back plate off, then remove the various
    pieces needed to get to the shift disk and the g springs. You should get an exploded view of the
    various parts, which I found at the Campyonly site. Actually, my lever is old, so didn't show up
    there exactly, but it is actually a bit simpler than the new ones.

    At that point, you replace the g springs, and in my case the shift disk, put it back together and
    you are done. Biggest hassle is getting the banjo spring in there right, and for newer ones that may
    be a bit fussier than mine was.

    --

    David L. Johnson

    __o | "It doesn't get any easier, you just go faster." --Greg LeMond _`\(,_ | (_)/ (_) |

    Report
  12. John Flynn
    Archived post
    #12

    "David L. Johnson

    Unband? Well, I backed off the bolt until the head of the

    Quoted message said:

    lever came off of the band that holds it to the bars, if that is what you mean.

    Thanks, David. That's exactly what I meant. I guess I never figured this out 'cause I get about a
    year's worth out of the springs and replace the bar tape at the same time as part of annual
    maintenance.

    ~John

    Report
  13. John Flynn
    Archived post
    #13

    "David L. Johnson

    Unband? Well, I backed off the bolt until the head of the

    Quoted message said:

    lever came off of the band that holds it to the bars, if that is what you mean.

    Thanks, David. That's exactly what I meant. I guess I never figured this out 'cause I get about a
    year's worth out of the springs and replace the bar tape at the same time as part of annual
    maintenance.

    ~John

    Report

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