Cycling UK Forum

Campag., for a time in the 80s and early 90s seemed to stick to providing bomb-proof bits without much regard to weight and marketing issues. They produced such things as gear levers compatible with other manufacturer's systems and other user-friendly products. You could replace the cups in their hubs so that they would effectively last forever.

Then the Japanese ate their lunch and they fought back. Now such things as clipless pedals and slant parallelogram derailleurs are a good idea. Much else new is not and driven by marketing rather than sense.

The Shimano freehub was a big step forward, because it spaced the bearings out. The Campag. freehub placed the drive side bearings even further inboard, and is a daft design, in my view.

And now, Campag have gone the other way and are offering exotica as you couldn't imagine a decade ago. Campag. probably can't afford the metal working tools required to make complex forgings as Shimano make (hollow aluminium cranks and so on) which I believe has driven their advocacy of carbon fibre.

The roles have certainly reversed; the Japanese were known as quirky and prone to bring out new stuff each year with no back-compatibility, whilst the Italians and French turned out much the same stuff, and supported what was out there. Now, the opposite is true.

I buy European, because I'm a European. If that didn't concern me, I'd be buying Japanese.

I subscribe to PWs reasoning - Shimano rear ends, campag for the rest. I'm set up Chorus 10 Ergos and 9 speed ultegra back end, hubub style. Works faultlessly!
The reason I ditched Shimano was that front mech indexing - just couldn't get on with it. When on big chainring/big sprockets and I tried to trim, I'd press to hard and up un the little ring, but maybe thats me being too heavy handed. Anyway, who decided that we needed indexed front mechs - I'm quite capable of trimming it using my own judgement.

Most of my mates have duraAce best bikes, because they want their bikes to have the best of a groupset and duraAce is much cheaper than Record.
I reckon from a purists angle Campag fits best with names like Colnago, Pinarello, Bianchi et al and Shimano is for giants, Treks, Scotts et al.

With regard to the Shimano/Camag debate I think i've posted this somewhere else on hear,so at the risk of repeating myself this is the story.

I've got a Raleigh audax type bike 531 frame and forks of early nineties vintage equiped with a 7sp 105 g/set with RSX STI's.The bike has covered approx 50,000mls and the things that have been replaced (other than chains and cassettes)are; axle cones and a head set,as I found the bearing races on both items slightly pitted. I also replaced the 7sp freehub not because it failed but because there was a tiny bit of play in it and it is one item when out on the road you couldn't repair,so for £16.50 it wasn't worth the risk.These items i replaced LAST JULY(ish).The STI's have never, ever,missed a change. so folks I think I've had me money's worth.

One other thing the bike had Mavic MA2 rims which I thought could do with changing, was lucky enough to find some MA40's new old stock so had the wheels rebuilt with them at the same time.See if you can find a modern Mavic rim that will last that long.

I know cheap / most Shimano is Chinese and it works fine but are you SURE where Campag is made?
I don't know the answer to this but most engineering of this type now somes out of the far east so I wonder.

to be honest, the frame that i bought came with a campag seatpost and campag wheels, so i've tried to buy all campag, only non-campag is the chain and the brake levers

i'm not a campag snob, but i found the bits i wanted at a price i was willing to pay!

I prefer Suntour of yesteryear sourced over the web often via ebay.
I'm especially fond of their rear mechs where the chain can be removed from the mech without the need to split the chain. Shifters are good too, be they thumb, downtube, trigger or bar end.

Comparative modern stuff I prefer Italian such as Campag or Miche. Shimano is like Honda, very reliable and well made but completely souless and dull !

[quote="velomaniac"]I prefer Suntour of yesteryear sourced over the web often via ebay.
I'm especially fond of their rear mechs where the chain can be removed from the mech without the need to split the chain. Shifters are good too, be they thumb, downtube, trigger or bar end.

I agree entirely and I am still sourcing Suntour stuff the same way. Most of it has lasted at least 10 years and longer. Well made, durable, good looking, innovative and designed around the functional requirement. I have some Shimano stuff (distress purchases usually) and it invariably wears out in no time. I remain keen on older Campag hubs and ditto old Mavic rims (MA2, MA40, M3, M4 - a lovely pair of old M4 650B rims on a tandem with 3 Wolber NOS tyres carefully hoarded for the future)

Car? never had a licence wrote:choice between Shimano and Campy. hmm difference between cyclist and bicycle rider?

No, I think it's the difference between tourist and racer. Campag haven't in my view, been tourist friendly. E.g. the smallest inner ring for their double chainsets was 42T: I used a 42 as my outer ring on a TA double. Campag brakes worked well, I believe, but gave precious little mudguard clearance. I did have a rear wheel made with a Campag hub - the thread stripped on the free wheel late on a Saturday afternoon in the middle of the Brecon Beacons during an Easter tour. Their bar end changers required the lever to be dismantled to replace the gear cable. As you can gather, I'm not a fan.

On the other hand, Suntour and Shimano produced decent touring equipment at a reasonable price.

I also remember with dread the Benelux gear fitted to my first touring bike, a second hand Lincoln Imp (made by Elswick) The jockey wheels were mounted on a spiral of spring steel. The mechanism was forever going out of adjustment and was murder to dismantle and reassemble. I couldn't believe how good the Suntour V was that I bought to replace it!

Funny innit.

I've used Campag for years and years and years. Never a fault.

Ever.

Mick F. Cornwall

Mick F wrote:Funny innit.

I've used Campag for years and years and years. Never a fault.

Ever.

Mick F. Cornwall

I could say the same about Shimano (touch wood )

Yes. Touch Wood too!

Mick F. Cornwall

I remember when a Campag Gran Sport rear mech was the tops in techncal equipment.
For years I used Campag ergo's with Shimano rear mech, something that apparently is not supposed to work.
I'm all Shimano now, I think it gives a smooth change, but who's to say which is the best.
Use what you like, if you don't like it, change it (does it apply to wives?).

NO.

They change you?

Mick F. Cornwall

Gavsdad wrote:Use what you like, if you don't like it, change it (does it apply to wives?).

I'm not sure Gavsmum would appreciate that sentiment!

I've had an equal mixture of Campag and Shimano parts, they've both served me equally well over the years.