ranger39000 said:
Hey Eastway, what aspect of the quality, or lack therof did u notice most? Lifespan, smooth functionality? Durability? U seem reasonable, convince me more. And how much more would i actually be partin with as compared to shimano?
... oh, yea, Let's not forget the tat fella's, I'm still in a conundrum
With the 600 group it was that all the fixtures and fittings (nuts, bolts, adjusters) were such low quality that they either seized, broke or just corroded in what seemed to me a short time (given that I was used to 60s/70s campag gear that lasted decades). The hubs wore out in a couple of years despite proper maintenance (I've raced on Campag hubs that were thirty years old!). The general finish wasn't great either. Although to be fair I know the 600 group wasn't top of the range. Since then I've had a few Shimano components but again, wasn't wildly impressed, especially with a Tiagra chainset (couldn't bear to fit it to the bike, it was so shoddy) and some 105 calipers (looked secondhand after a few weeks). Again, to be fair I've got Shimano on all my mtbs and it's mostly good, durable stuff, and the road stuff I've actually used was mostly low-end (A friend has a full DA group and the quality looks superb). But then most of my Campag stuff (my training bike and wife's two bikes) is only Mirage/Veloce and I'm perfectly happy with that –*thousands of miles and no issues at all. Only my race bike claws its way up to Centaur!
Functionality, it's really just what you're used to. I like the way you can change more than one gear at time with a single sweep of the lever or push of the button at the rear, and the way the front allows you to finesse the position of the front der (also, front shifter works double or triple no problem), I like the concealed cables (if you're going to go to the trouble of concealing one, why not both?), and I like the looks - I just think the Shimano shifters are so damn ugly. On the subject of looks, I think the current DA crankset looks awful too. Oh, I also like the way Campag have always tried to keep as much back-compatibility as possible, and the fact you can buy just about anything as a spare part.
Anyway, as I say, it's all opinion.
As for changing over, if you're happy with what you've got, stay with it. The trouble is you ideally need to make a wholesale change. There are ways round using Campag shifters with Shimano kit, and some people swear by them, some say they don't work (Everyone has a different idea of what 'works' - as you can tell by going to any race and seeing just what mechanical noise/scraping of gears many people are not only prepared to put up with, but don't even notice). The crankset and front der won't make a difference - you can use what you like, despite what the manufacturers will tell you but you'll need shifters, rear der and (and this is the tricky bit) the right cassette, which means the right wheels, as Shimano and Campag aren't compatible.
Price? Campag's a little more expensive (about 800 pounds sterling for an '06 Record group, about 700 for DA). But hey, a Ducati's more expensive than a Suzuki, right...