Campy vs. Shimano

> I'm trying to decide between a Litespeed Veneto equipped with Campy Centaur or Shimano Ultegra.

It's an easy decision. If you're going to ride the bike a lot, buy Campy. If the bike is going to
sit in the garage, buy Shimano.

There are many campy bicycles 30 years old that are still on the road, some of them are horribly
worn. Repair parts for about 50% of these bikes are still available, many of them new. Campagnolo
will make and sell you parts that still work with some of these old bikes. Shimano will not do this.

In contrast, there are very few 1970's full Dura Ace bicycles still on the road today. Eventually,
some bolt or pulley breaks, and you have to junk the entire part and start over with a new part, a
new brake system, a whole new drivetrain, or worse, an entirely new bike.

Therefore,

if the bike is made to last, buy Campy. If the bike is made to show, buy Shimano.

- Don Gillies San Diego, CA

 

Wow. Outstanding logic, basing your argument on details of bikes that are 35 years old or more.

Are you for real?

I regularly get 40,000 miles out of most drivetrain components on Dura-Ace, so it seems to be
somewhat durable these days.

On 2004-02-11 13:13:07 -0800, [email protected] (systemBuilder) said:

> > I'm trying to decide between a Litespeed Veneto equipped with Campy
Centaur
> > or Shimano Ultegra.
>
> It's an easy decision. If you're going to ride the bike a lot, buy Campy. If the bike is going to
> sit in the garage, buy Shimano.
>
> There are many campy bicycles 30 years old that are still on the road, some of them are horribly
> worn. Repair parts for about 50% of these bikes are still available, many of them new.
> Campagnolo will make and sell you parts that still work with some of these old bikes. Shimano
> will not do this.
>
> In contrast, there are very few 1970's full Dura Ace bicycles still on the road today. Eventually,
> some bolt or pulley breaks, and you have to junk the entire part and start over with a new part, a
> new brake system, a whole new drivetrain, or worse, an entirely new bike.
>
> Therefore,
>
> if the bike is made to last, buy Campy. If the bike is made to show, buy Shimano.
>
>
> - Don Gillies San Diego, CA

 

On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 18:35:39 GMT, Bill Lloyd <[email protected]> wrote:

>I regularly get 40,000 miles out of most drivetrain components on Dura-Ace, so it seems to be
>somewhat durable these days.

Anecdoctal claims about durability don't change the fact that one company provides spares for
components that are all rebuildable and one doesn't.

--
Scott Johnson
"The fat burning zone is what chunky butts use
as an excuse to not break a sweat." - Richard Smith

 

>> On 2004-02-11 13:13:07 -0800, [email protected] (systemBuilder) said:
>>
>> It's an easy decision. If you're going to ride the bike a lot, buy Campy. If the bike is going to
>> sit in the garage, buy Shimano.
>>
>> There are many campy bicycles 30 years old that are still on the road, some of them are horribly
>> worn. Repair parts for about 50% of these bikes are still available, many of them new.
>> Campagnolo will make and sell you parts that still work with some of these old bikes. Shimano
>> will not do this.
>>
>> In contrast, there are very few 1970's full Dura Ace bicycles still on the road today.
>> Eventually, some bolt or pulley breaks, and you have to junk the entire part and start over with
>> a new part, a new brake system, a whole new drivetrain, or worse, an entirely new bike.
>>
>> Therefore,
>>
>> if the bike is made to last, buy Campy. If the bike is made to show, buy Shimano.
>>
>>
>> - Don Gillies San Diego, CA
>>

Shimano Dura Ace was introduced in 1984; so that would explain why there are not so many 1970's full
Dura Ace bicycles on the road today....

/Sander

 

Sander van Veluw wrote:
>
> Shimano Dura Ace was introduced in 1984; so that would explain why there are not so many 1970's
> full Dura Ace bicycles on the road today....

Shimano Dura-Ace was introduced in 1973. <http://dura-
ace.shimano.com/publish/content/duraace/en/home/history.html>.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities

 

>Shimano Dura Ace was introduced in 1984; ... <snip>

bzzzt! Nope, 1984 was when shimano introduced SIS Dura Ace; in about 1972 shimano introduced the
"Shimano Crane" componentry which was the same thing, changing the name in 1975 or 1976, i don't
remember exactly when.

http://dura-ace.shimano.com/publish/content/duraace/en/home/history/original_dura-ace.html

- Don Gillies San Diego, CA

P.S. I have a bike with a Shimano Crane. It's in perfect working order because I don't
ride the bike.

 

35 years ago Campy was the best & most durable. 15 years ago Campy was still on top. Now?

 

Bill Lloyd <[email protected]> wrote in
news:2004021210360316807%[email protected]:

> Wow. Outstanding logic, basing your argument on details of bikes that are 35 years old or more.
>
> Are you for real?
>
> I regularly get 40,000 miles out of most drivetrain components on Dura-Ace, so it seems to be
> somewhat durable these days.
>
Wow 40,000 miles that is incredible, umm exactly what "most drive train components" are you talking
about, and how regurarly do you do 40,000 miles?

 

I'm another rider who gets that funny number - 40,000 miles out of most components. You wonder how?

I ride about 10,000 miles a year, and get a new bike every 5 or 6 years. I usually don't have to
replace derrailers or cranks or brifters or brakes. Chains, cogs, cables, rims, brake pads,
handlebar tape, shoes and shoe cleats get replaced. Less oftern - perhaps once or twice in 6 years:
saddles, handlebars & stems (now that they are so light), pedals.

Lots of other cyclists put in that many miles or more.

Bruce

"Mike Latondresse" <[email protected]_spamshaw.ca> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Bill Lloyd <[email protected]> wrote in news:2004021210360316807%[email protected]:
>
> > Wow. Outstanding logic, basing your argument on details of bikes that are 35 years old or more.
> >
> > Are you for real?
> >
> > I regularly get 40,000 miles out of most drivetrain components on Dura-Ace, so it seems to be
> > somewhat durable these days.
> >
> Wow 40,000 miles that is incredible, umm exactly what "most drive train components" are you
> talking about, and how regurarly do you do 40,000 miles?

 

[email protected] (Qui si parla Campagnolo) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> ... Campagnolo continues to be the main competition of shimano in the road game, and does very
> well in that area.>

I agree. Competition is a good thing. Actually I look toward Taiwan as the next powerhouse to
compete in this arena. They are far less rigid and are more mobile(than Japan), cost leader in
manufacturing (mainland) and have better understanding of market trends. They just need to hire some
great engineering minds like Jobst et al because they are still "copiers".

 

I remember when it used to be the other way around: "Shimano continues to be the main competition of
Campagnolo in the road game, and does very well in that area." -tom

> [email protected] (Qui si parla Campagnolo) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > ... Campagnolo continues to be the main competition of shimano in the road game, and does very
> > well in that
area.

 

[email protected] (Mike Krueger) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

> Writing a book on wheelbuilding qualifies someone as a "great engineering mind"?

From the vast topics that Jobst has "contributed", my opinion of his technical knowledge is enough
to convince me. Mind you that I don't agree with him 100%.

 

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Mike Krueger) wrote:

>> They just need to hire some great engineering minds like Jobst et al because they are still
>> "copiers".

> Writing a book on wheelbuilding qualifies someone as a "great engineering mind"?

ooo. what you said.

 

In 2001 when I was doing the etape du tour the Telekom Corporate cycling team were staying in our hotel in Lourdes. I had a slight problem with the indexing of my bike and asked one of their mechanics to help. He did so without hesitation. He then went onto say that he and many of the Telekom (pro) riders preferred Shimano.

T-Mobile have are now using Shimano (but I don't think it has anything to do with the riders' choice).

I ride 2 bikes with Shimano and 1 with campag and I like both
systems.

Michael Anderson
Cheltenham.