is centaur the same level as ultegra

[ilovestacy]

just wondering because i was under the impression they were until i went into abike store today (didnt sell campy) and he said it is 105 level. i disagreed but may be out of my league. any impressions on the two comparison wise. no need for heavy debate, but just some thoughts as to which would be better for an occasional racer (5-10 race/year) but a heavy rider both in terms of weight (190) and miles and intensity of training. thanks everyone. -pc

 

[RC2]

A can of worms is right.

If you look at weight, you'll find for instance that some DA components weigh less than Record, and vice versa. Haven't seen a side-by-side on a like gruppo. Functionality is more of a personal preference thing, but I've often heard talk of Chorus as roughly the DA equivalent (which would put ultegra-centaur in the next notch w/Record in its own class)...but I'm not sure I'd put any creedance into that. 1 out of many opinions...you are correct and so is the bike store guy believing what he wants to believe.

 

[wilmar13]

you are correct and so is the bike store guy believing what he wants to believe.

BS! Campy is way better! j/k... Yeah it isn't really apples to apples. It is like comparing pasta to sushi. Both have strong points, both are good, but me...I prefer pasta. In terms of marketing position Centaur would really be between 105 and Ultegra, although I would not hesitate to race with Centaur, but not with 105. Test both and see which suits you better.

If your ultimate concern is reliability... go with Campy as it is all servicable and Shimano isn't.

 

[boudreaux]

just wondering because i was under the impression they were until i went into abike store today (didnt sell campy) and he said it is 105 level. i disagreed but may be out of my league. any impressions on the two comparison wise. no need for heavy debate, but just some thoughts as to which would be better for an occasional racer (5-10 race/year) but a heavy rider both in terms of weight (190) and miles and intensity of training. thanks everyone. -pc

Ya know, it really depends on which fit your hands better and which shifting system you prefer. Disregarding nebulous and subjecive and argumentative comparisons, the Campy has the advantage of rebuildable shfters.Anything else is just hooey.

 

[boudreaux]

........ although I would not hesitate to race with Centaur, but not with 105.

That's nonsense.

 

[wilmar13]

That's nonsense.

105 blows... Ultegra is the lowest component group that isn't heavy as hell and designed for fat guys on touring bikes... campy is only for racers

 

[boudreaux]

105 blows... Ultegra is the lowest component group that isn't heavy as hell and designed for fat guys on touring bikes... campy is only for racers

Hip boot and shovel time.

 

[wilmar13]

Hip boot and shovel time.

Whispered to all those that can't read sarcasm: Shimano and Campy are for all intents and purposes both good and equal... it is just that Campy is better!

 

[ilovestacy]

so what makes it positioned between 105 and ultegra. am i wrong in assuming that it is actully lighter as a group than ultegra? thanks again.

 

[cydewaze]

lol! As soon as I saw the title of this thread, I thought, "Campy vs Shimano war!!!"

Well I'm slow as hell, and not getting any thinner, but I still ride a Dura-Ace bike, so go figure. I've always wanted to try a Campy bike though. Something about the Campy brake/shift levers just looks... better thought out. I dunno.

 

[king4wd]

To paraphrase Napoleon(the pig)- all groups were created equal, but some are more equal than others.

On a more serious note, price-wise 105 and Veloce are in the same range as are Centaur and Ultegra. Note that this shop, like the majority of U.S. shops, did not sell Campy. Thus they probably weren't sure how it matched up, but would rather have you buy what they had. At the level of all of these mentioned groups functionality is pretty even. The big differences are weight and durability. Again 105/Veloce are in the same weight ballpark as are Centaur/Ultegra. Buy what you like and what you can maintain. If you're going to have your LBS do all the work on your bike, and they're a Shimano only shop. Then you'd be better off with 105 or Ultegra. (Sad as that sounds )

 

[strummer_fan]

To paraphrase Napoleon(the pig)- all groups were created equal, but some are more equal than others.

On a more serious note, price-wise 105 and Veloce are in the same range as are Centaur and Ultegra. Note that this shop, like the majority of U.S. shops, did not sell Campy. Thus they probably weren't sure how it matched up, but would rather have you buy what they had. At the level of all of these mentioned groups functionality is pretty even. The big differences are weight and durability. Again 105/Veloce are in the same weight ballpark as are Centaur/Ultegra. Buy what you like and what you can maintain. If you're going to have your LBS do all the work on your bike, and they're a Shimano only shop. Then you'd be better off with 105 or Ultegra. (Sad as that sounds )

To do some detailed price / weight comparisons, you could use the Group Calculator at http://www.competitivecyclist.com. It is under Road Bikes, Components / Gruppo Calculator. You can compare the campagnolo and Shimano components for price and weight, as well as seeing detailed photos of each. I have ordered from this shop and they seem great.

Good Luck!

 

[boudreaux]

so what makes it positioned between 105 and ultegra. am i wrong in assuming that it is actully lighter as a group than ultegra? thanks again.

Is ligiter or not all there is to it???

 

[jitteringjr]

.....price-wise 105 and Veloce are in the same range as are Centaur and Ultegra.
.....The big differences are weight and durability. Again 105/Veloce are in the same weight ballpark as are Centaur/Ultegra.

My last bike was Ultegra, this one is Centaur. Based on King's comments and my personal experience, I would say Centaur is Ultegra level. Both operate flawlessly for me, however I prefer Campy due to mostly personal preferences.

 

[wilmar13]

so what makes it positioned between 105 and ultegra. am i wrong in assuming that it is actully lighter as a group than ultegra? thanks again.

That is my opinion... You can't do the Record=Dura Ace, Chorus=Ultegra, Centaur=105 for many reasons that if you don't know why, you won't understand. It is mostly marketing position: Record is positioned as premium, chorus as a top performer, centaur as a good performer, etc. To be honest you will never really tell the difference to take it for a ride, unless you are hardcore and even then it will be subtle. 105 is the entry level racer group from ShimaNO, and Veloce is (was?) entry level for Campy. Forget about the wieght differences as a comparision as that is only one parameter to consider (besides, skip 2nds at dinner and drink beer only a few nights a week and it will make a bigger difference as you can shave grams from your ass and gut much more cheaply). The real difference as you go down the foodchain is 1) mark-up 2) fit and finish 3)weight 4) functionality... there is more to it than that but you get the idea. As far as the difference between Shimano and Campy, it is like saying Ford vs. Chevy, OK that isn't fair because both Ford and Chevy suck, but you get my point. Just buy what you like better after trying both.

 

[strummer_fan]

Is ligiter or not all there is to it???

Using the numbers from competitivecyclist.com:

Shimano Ultegra-10 Double = 2576.0g at $1015.91
Campagnolo Centaur-10 Double = 2549.0g at $718.00

That makes Centaur Lighter and cheaper than Ultegra.


Cheers!

 

[jitteringjr]

.... OK that isn't fair because both Ford and Chevy suck.

Dems Fightin wurds.

Kidding, never owned either.

 

[jitteringjr]

Using the numbers from competitivecyclist.com:

Shimano Ultegra-10 Double = 2576.0g at $1015.91
Campagnolo Centaur-10 Double = 2549.0g at $718.00

That makes Centaur Lighter and cheaper than Ultegra.


Cheers!

Repartocorse.com has Ultegra 10 at $769 and Centaur at $759 so that is a little misleading.

 

[strummer_fan]

Repartocorse.com has Ultegra 10 at $769 and Centaur at $759 so that is a little misleading.

That is good to know. I was really just answering the weight question and was surpised to see the cost difference.

thanks.

 

[chch_legend]

Now for my 2cents worth.
I think it comes down to personal preference, I bought my first road bike and it had Campag on in, I got used to it and have never used Shimano and have no intention to change. I'm now on my 3rd bike with campag.
If you like something then go with it. Also think campag looks neater, no wires out of the brakehoods.