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Does switching to Campagnolo turn you into a Snob?

17K views 154 replies 39 participants last post by  Cyclegent 
#1 ·
Or make you look down your nose at others running perceived lesser group sets?
 
#4 ·
Doesn't make you snobbish at all, it just makes you rightly look down on the unwashed peasant masses.
 
#7 ·
Campy is the symptom of snobbery... not the cause. IE- not all snobs run campy, but everyone with campy is a snob.


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#96 ·
Campy Snob?




Don't think I am a snob, just know what I like.

I have two bikes equipped with Campy (Mirage Triple and Athena 11 speed) and one with SRAM. I have ridden Ultegra many times on friends/loaner/rental bikes. While all groupsets are solid, I much prefer Campy shifting dynamics to the others. The throws are shorter and mimic how the chain is moving across the cassette or between chainrings. Can "sweep the cassette" with the thumb shifter to move 3 gears at a time. Also prefer that the brake lever concentrate on its job, not do double duty as a shifter.

Was once told that while Shimano "wears out," Campy "wears in." I have found this to be true. Only downside is the relatively high expense. One day I hope to upgrade to Athena 11 EPS, but will need to save my pennies, first...
 
#9 ·
Campy chorus and above are so quiet and smooth through the gears... you won't be a snob... but you may be feeling pity for other less fortunate riders when you hear the deafening buzz and clatter of their shimano and sram junk as you silently pass them.
 
#10 ·
Campy chorus and above are so quiet and smooth through the gears... you won't be a snob... but you may be feeling pity for other less fortunate riders when you hear the deafening buzz and clatter of their shimano and sram junk as you silently pass them.
Not if you have a Campag freehub, lol.
 
#12 ·
I have a Chorus bike, have to admit it shifts nicely and looks good but doesn't have anything on Shimano IMHO, both are reliable, both have quick and positive shifts and both are quiet, what more can you ask for?
What I can't get over, however, is that thumb shifter, WTH were they thinking with that?
 
#21 ·
The Stringbike groupset is much better than Campy, only a matter of time before Campy falls by the way side and real snobs convert to this......

Stringbike
 
#22 ·
I mix and match Campy and Shimano on different bikes. Snobby is the wrong word IMO. Discriminating I believe is more accurate. Some if not many aren't discriminating.
A bicycle with controls like a John Deere tractor is fine...like Shimano or Sram.

To me, Campy has superior shifter ergonomics...on many levels. Shifting system to me for racing is better with Campy. I prefer Shimano cranksets and brakes. But lever type preordains cable pull rate and so if I want to run Campy shifters without a Shiftmate, then is has to be Campy derailleurs. On 11s Campy bikes, I generally run Shimano 11s cassettes + Shimano free hub.

I ran DA 9000 for a season as an experiment and to me Chorus or Record is head and shoulders better including tactile shift feedback..more of a snap with Campy into gear versus a Shimano softer click.

I never feel any snobbiness about preferring Campy any more than I feel snobby about a wheelset or a saddle or a handlebar. Yes, I feel that the public is largely ignorant about bicycles including many long time riders which they are.
 
#39 ·
I do my best, takman. :thumbsup:

'84 Columbus SL/SLX lugged frame, original Campy Super Record drive train, friction shifters, seat post, brakes, cables looping out of the top of levers! "Banana catchers," one riding buddy always said.

Those little 42-23 hill attacks always work great! I'll pass 'em all at 100 rpm, just like Contador. That 21 pound steel wonder climbs like a bandit. Not only that, it passes everyone on the descents atop those silky smooth Campy bearings. We'd get some good laughs out of it!
 
#34 ·
Shimano is to Microsoft as Campy is to Unix.

Shimano - Cheap. Not so serviceable, so it's throwaway time. Not so reliable. Don't care so much about compatibility between components as time progresses, introducing headaches when forced to migrate.

Campagnolo - Reliable. Serviceable. Much less having to deal with incompatibility crap as time progresses.

Campy also makes great wheels. Still running 15 year old Campy Neutrons (and have been using them for CX racing!).

Gee, doesn't everybody know this already? :p
 
#44 · (Edited)
Shimano is to Microsoft as Campy is to Unix.

Shimano - Cheap. Not so serviceable, so it's throwaway time. Not so reliable. Don't care so much about compatibility between components as time progresses, introducing headaches when forced to migrate.

Campagnolo - Reliable. Serviceable. Much less having to deal with incompatibility crap as time progresses.

Campy also makes great wheels. Still running 15 year old Campy Neutrons (and have been using them for CX racing!).

Gee, doesn't everybody know this already? [emoji14]
Not sure that this is an apt comparison. I have 10 year old Performance branded Neuvation wheels and 20 year old Mavic cxp 33 wheels with Dura Ace hubs. As to the BS about serviceability of Campy components, in theory, yes. In reality, it’s a bear trying to find aftermarket parts

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#42 ·
Campy can finally boast of a return to being premier groupsets, worthy of snobbery on par with Red and DA

...now that they offer hydraulic road disc brakes.

however, they're still behind the curve on 1x drivetrains ;)

(hey I was actual shopping for a Campy groupset this week. seriously. non disc)
 
#43 · (Edited)
A reviewer at Road Bike Action thought Campy hit it right with their disc brake offering. I wouldn't be surprised.

Let's hope Campy skips the whole one chainring madness. First bike I bought as an adult had one gear in front and 4 in back. It shifted great. Can't imagine the technical challenges of an 11 gear spread in back. Seems like a screwy way to shave off weight.
 
#48 · (Edited)
another cool thing about Campy - it is the only stuff in cycling that holds it value long term - at least the vintage stuff. A very active retro market for anything campy still. I have been thinking of selling my 28 yr old Athena groupset to get a new Veloce groupset. I can sell that old stuff for nearly as much as the new group will cost. The old C Record stuff sells for the MSRP it was new, in some cases (if it was cheaper I would have bought it for my 80s frame). I paid as much for 30 yr old chorus toe clip pedals last year as I did for my new Ultegra clipless

like jewelry

(weighing my options on this update. the one sticking point is I have Record screw-on hubs and this complicates upgrading to Veloce 10, though I could just buy a cassette hub)
 
#51 · (Edited)
I would not be surprised to the the orange SR de rosa goes for well over 2k though, in the auction.

both droolworthy . C Record w delta brakes is a prime choice among collectors, though . I like seeing SR bikes - they used to be ubiquitous but I haven't seen one on the road in years. Well I guess I have not seen a bike on the road with C record in years either, but there were not so common as SR in the 70s 80s because Shimano was kicking butt with index shifting by the late 80s, early 90s. I had a custom spx marinoni frame with all C record delta I bought new in like 1990 for $2200 all in - stolen a year later :cryin:
 
#55 ·
I would not be surprised to the the orange SR de rosa goes for well over 2k though, in the auction.

both droolworthy . C Record w delta brakes is a prime choice among collectors, though . I like seeing SR bikes - they used to be ubiquitous but I haven't seen one on the road in years. Well I guess I have not seen a bike on the road with C record in years either, but there were not so common as SR in the 70s 80s because Shimano was kicking butt with index shifting by the late 80s, early 90s. I had a custom spx marinoni frame with all C record delta I bought new in like 1990 for $2200 all in - stolen a year later :cryin:
Man, that hadda hurt.
 
#54 ·
ride what you like. if believing you are riding a better group set than everyone else does it for you then do that, if you like the shifting better, that's also fine. me, i'm a shimano guy.

I'm sure campy is wonderful, but so is dura ace. i could never justify the added cost. it's all good.
 
#71 ·
A little topical Campy NOS pr0n:

This is my Chorus 8-spd NOS I found on ebay a few years ago, right out of the box, brand spanking new.



That's a brand spanking new Record 12-23 cassette I mated it to. New cables and chain too, of course.

Rig for silent running! Like buttah through the gears. Stealth, style, sophistication, silence and speed. That's the NOS Campy difference.[SUP]tm[/SUP]
 
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