Hi. I just wanna ask if does anyone here in the forum knows a quality brand aside from shimano which is cheaper but doesn't compromise the quality?
Shimano parts
- Thread starter JB Fernandez
- Start date
I would suggest to try the tommaso monza road bike for a start. You can buy it online with cheaper prices. I hope this helps.
FSA, Tektro, Miche, Microshift, Token, etc. A buch of Euro outfits manufacture partial groups or select components, such as Gipiemme.
But, low end shimaNO is about as low cost as you can go and the quality is still very good.
Token if you want something different. It's darned near pro quality, but pretty much Chinese high end.
But, low end shimaNO is about as low cost as you can go and the quality is still very good.
Token if you want something different. It's darned near pro quality, but pretty much Chinese high end.
Bob - I am sitting here with all of my high end bikes fitted with Campy Record 10 speed. This stuff is so touchy to adjust that none of them shifts without making noise or jumping gears once in awhile. Having a shop adjust it left it a lot worse than my own adjustments.
Meanwhile the Shimano stuff I have on the CX bikes shifts smoothly, quietly and reliably. And it is mid-range! I am very likely to change over if I try one road bike and it performs as well as the CX bikes.
My wife has a Colnago and a Mersian from the mid-80's that I gave her with Dura-Ace 8 speed and it still shifts perfect and quietly. Makes you wonder why Campy can't get it right.
Meanwhile the Shimano stuff I have on the CX bikes shifts smoothly, quietly and reliably. And it is mid-range! I am very likely to change over if I try one road bike and it performs as well as the CX bikes.
My wife has a Colnago and a Mersian from the mid-80's that I gave her with Dura-Ace 8 speed and it still shifts perfect and quietly. Makes you wonder why Campy can't get it right.
I have four Campy Chorus 2010-2015 bikes, a 2015 shimaNO 105 bike and a 2016 shimano Ultegra bike. 5 bikes are 39 X 53 and 11-25. The Ultegra bike is 39 X 53 and 11-28, although I very, very rarely use the 28.
I have found no difference in setup, in staying in-adjustment or noise levels. They all shift equally well with some slight differences.
The Campy shifts with higher finger pressure required, but more positively. Campy is faster on upshifts at the rear. Campy offers more shifts at one push of the button or swing of the lever than shimaNO. shimaNO is definitely slower in dropping to the small ring up front. Much slower.
My 105 brakes are noticeably more solid and firm than my Ultegra brakes and both are more solid than my Chorus brakes. The Chorus set will stop me as fast as the shimaNO ones despite the 'feel' difference. Tire adhesion being the limiting factor.
I use Campy Record Pro Fit pedals on the Campy bikes and shimaNO Ultegra SPD-SL redals on the shimaNO bikes. Other than the cheap sounding release noise from the shimaNO pedals, they are just as secure, solid, adjustable for release tension and comfortable as the Campagnolo models at 1/3 the cost.
Both brands of cranksets run equally well with Campagnolo being a bit smoother running and obviously much better looking. Noise levels are about the same.
Cassettes are a dead even match. Both brands are quiet and quick to shift. shimano's shift speed is limited only by their weird shift levers with the built in dwell time.
The 105 stuff is made in Japan. At least some of the Ultegra components come from Taiwan. All of it is good quality IMO.
One of my Campy groups has close to 30,000 miles on it and it operates just as good as when new...shifters included...with the usual replacements of a 53 ring, a bunch of chains and cassettes and one set of shift cables. Brake blocks are still OEM and hanging in there.
Will I get the same service life out of the shimaNO stuff? I don't really care. It's throw away priced stuff and I'm not concerned if it lasts or goes tits up. Replacement components are dirt cheap.
I know a guy that raced hard on his Token Chinese stuff for about five years and he swears it's great quality gear. Pretty much SRAM and FSA and all the rest have stepped their game up. Is Campy EPS still top dog? I couldn't say, but I would certainly not be afraid to bolt it onto any of my daily drivers.
I have found no difference in setup, in staying in-adjustment or noise levels. They all shift equally well with some slight differences.
The Campy shifts with higher finger pressure required, but more positively. Campy is faster on upshifts at the rear. Campy offers more shifts at one push of the button or swing of the lever than shimaNO. shimaNO is definitely slower in dropping to the small ring up front. Much slower.
My 105 brakes are noticeably more solid and firm than my Ultegra brakes and both are more solid than my Chorus brakes. The Chorus set will stop me as fast as the shimaNO ones despite the 'feel' difference. Tire adhesion being the limiting factor.
I use Campy Record Pro Fit pedals on the Campy bikes and shimaNO Ultegra SPD-SL redals on the shimaNO bikes. Other than the cheap sounding release noise from the shimaNO pedals, they are just as secure, solid, adjustable for release tension and comfortable as the Campagnolo models at 1/3 the cost.
Both brands of cranksets run equally well with Campagnolo being a bit smoother running and obviously much better looking. Noise levels are about the same.
Cassettes are a dead even match. Both brands are quiet and quick to shift. shimano's shift speed is limited only by their weird shift levers with the built in dwell time.
The 105 stuff is made in Japan. At least some of the Ultegra components come from Taiwan. All of it is good quality IMO.
One of my Campy groups has close to 30,000 miles on it and it operates just as good as when new...shifters included...with the usual replacements of a 53 ring, a bunch of chains and cassettes and one set of shift cables. Brake blocks are still OEM and hanging in there.
Will I get the same service life out of the shimaNO stuff? I don't really care. It's throw away priced stuff and I'm not concerned if it lasts or goes tits up. Replacement components are dirt cheap.
I know a guy that raced hard on his Token Chinese stuff for about five years and he swears it's great quality gear. Pretty much SRAM and FSA and all the rest have stepped their game up. Is Campy EPS still top dog? I couldn't say, but I would certainly not be afraid to bolt it onto any of my daily drivers.
FWIW ...
Whoever set up your Campagnolo drivetrains must have done something (or, many things!) wrong ...
Regardless, you can probably improve your shifting by replacing the parallel stranded cable housing with EITHER coiled brake cable housing OR (if that offends your sensibilities) you can pony up for some segmented nokon or aztec cable housing ...
Regardless, you can probably improve your shifting by replacing the parallel stranded cable housing with EITHER coiled brake cable housing OR (if that offends your sensibilities) you can pony up for some segmented nokon or aztec cable housing ...
IMO, lubing the derailleur (and, brake) cables with a minimum amount of any thin, petroleum-based grease will be beneficial even if the cable housing and/or cables are coated with teflon.
Microshift isn't all that bad especially their top model, not bad enough that pro racers refused to use it!
Only problem with Microshift is that they don't make cranksets so you would have to spec a lower costing one from FSA.
In all honesty Shimano Tiagra is very good groupset that doesn't cost a lot, my wife has that stuff on her bike for 4 years and it's been very good. Also since the Tiagra is available as a whole groupset instead of a partial one it's actually cheaper then the Microshift Centos (the Centos is supposedly rated to be between 105 and Tiagra) and then having to buy a FSA crankset to complete the Centos deal. All in all I would go with Tiagra and know that you got a good reliable groupset for less money then a piecemeal Microshift mutt grpset.
The reason I didn't recommend Shimano Sora is because there isn't a huge price difference between Sora and Tiagra, but Tiagra is a lot smoother in it's brake and shifting feel, and the bottom of the barrel Tourney is just not worth the money for the headaches. With Sora you will be stuck never being able to upgrade slowly to Tiagra, and with Tiagra you can never slowly upgrade to 105 or Ultegra or Dura Ace without buying a entirely new groupset; so with Sora or Tiagra you're stuck with that groupset forever.
Only problem with Microshift is that they don't make cranksets so you would have to spec a lower costing one from FSA.
In all honesty Shimano Tiagra is very good groupset that doesn't cost a lot, my wife has that stuff on her bike for 4 years and it's been very good. Also since the Tiagra is available as a whole groupset instead of a partial one it's actually cheaper then the Microshift Centos (the Centos is supposedly rated to be between 105 and Tiagra) and then having to buy a FSA crankset to complete the Centos deal. All in all I would go with Tiagra and know that you got a good reliable groupset for less money then a piecemeal Microshift mutt grpset.
The reason I didn't recommend Shimano Sora is because there isn't a huge price difference between Sora and Tiagra, but Tiagra is a lot smoother in it's brake and shifting feel, and the bottom of the barrel Tourney is just not worth the money for the headaches. With Sora you will be stuck never being able to upgrade slowly to Tiagra, and with Tiagra you can never slowly upgrade to 105 or Ultegra or Dura Ace without buying a entirely new groupset; so with Sora or Tiagra you're stuck with that groupset forever.
This is a nice brand that he can get and the good thing is that the Tommaso Monza road bike is also strong and can survive on some tough surface which is amazing. The price is what made me bought it then and got it sent to my country. It is really a nice bike for a beginner as well.
