Cycling UK Forum

What do people think of the comparative merits of the top range groupsets? I'm used to Shimano, but not one of their lightweight racing groupsets (being a touring cyclist). Basically I'm going to have the money to buy a really nice frame and want to equip it with one of the above, just because of the beauty of it (and also to race around Richmond Park on)! I suppose I'm really interested in comments on gear levers/shifters, crankset, derailleurs, composition/weight and of course value for money.

If there have been threads on this before please could you point me to them?

I'm a Campag fan.

But there really isn't anything to put between C and (higher end) S. I like C because it has more flair and beauty.

The main difference is in the Brake/Gear levers. S has ugly cables sticking out, and C has them all neatly secreted away.

I believe that the S system is smoother and silkier, but C has more 'feel' and is crisper. But it's all subjective and anecdotal.

It's when you come to replace bits that you find out their true colours. C has a spares back-up, right down to the nuts and bolts - everything is available. S don't do that, they don't even come near.

Also, I can't subscribe to the fact that S equip bikes right down to the £50 specials in supermarkets. C doesn't appear on cheap and nasty bikes. If you have C, you must have a quality bike. Everyone seems to have S, even the kid down the road.

Strike out and have something posh!!!

Mick: like you I am a C fan, but they have changed stuff a lot in recent years and have not cared for back compatibility. It has taken me two years to find a long cage pre-2002 rear mech.

And Campag are doing the Gillette blades thing by going to 11-speed ! Another round of incompatibility!

hamster wrote:Mick: like you I am a C fan, but they have changed stuff a lot in recent years and have not cared for back compatibility. It has taken me two years to find a long cage pre-2002 rear mech.

And Campag are doing the Gillette blades thing by going to 11-speed ! Another round of incompatibility!

That's my problem too. I've just done a 'Shimergo' and got the best of both: Ergo's and a beautiful Chorus triple chainset from Campag and cheaper cassette + rear mech from Shimano, safe in the knowledge that I'll easily be able to replace them in another 5 years time.

Anyway, I presume that such a posh bike will probably get upgraded so I can only suggest that you ride the three different systems!
Further consideration needs to be given to chainset - standard racing doubles are fine for all but some top-end groupsets don't do a compact (or at least didn't, I've not checked in a while!).

Either way, do enjoy indulging yourself!

Mick F wrote:The main difference is in the Brake/Gear levers. S has ugly cables sticking out, and C has them all neatly secreted away.

I thought the new Dura-Ace had dual cable routing options? They've taken a log off the Campag v Shimano fire, or have they added one by copying Campag?

New to me. I didn't know!

Check this out, has some pics.
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/n ... ypes-15742
How do you shorten links? I've been asking myself this question lately.

robwa10 wrote:How do you shorten links? I've been asking myself this question lately.

Not wishing to hyjack the thread ....

To shorten a link, all you have to do is to put [url=http:// and your www website address, and finish it with a ]

Then use the words you want to be displayed in blue to refer to your link.

Then do a [/url] at the end.

Go on, try it!

I've always used Shimano,not consciously initially i just bought a bike and it was fittted with a 105 (7sp) groupset,but in recent years definately consciously simply because it works so well and also the interchangability at the back end ie any Shimano rear mech works with any Shimano changer STI,d/tube or b/end,MTB or road.which means if my back mech packs up either in Southport or South America any Mech Tourney upto Ultegra or XT old or new will work.that and the fact if I run STI's and one packs up all I neeed to carry is a D/tube lever.

To the OP don't buy Dura Ace go for Ultegra the difference is minimal (grams perhaps) though compatability is assured not so with D/Ace

Campag would be out for the reasons mentioned above by Campag fans,search back and see MickF's problems with Campag hubs.

IMO sram make good chains but I think their road groupset need to be around a bit longer to get any real Kudos.

I'd steer clear of Shimano chains.

Don't care either way. Campag certainly retains a deal of kudos from the days Record hubs (or Gran Sport for us impoverished youngsters) were the only ones worth buying but I ride Japanese and Italian without prejudice, only drawing the line at painted rather than polished equipment. We seem to have gone as far as practical with cable operated derailleur systems and there's room for a third party to stand on the research shoulders of the big boys but to bring out a specialist touring range which used the best aspects of MTB and road equipment, especially since they'll try to wean us onto electronic systems within the next 10 years (and probably sooner).