i'm looking at going to the dark side and getting a road bike (as an addition to my mountain bike, not a replacement!!!!) and quite like the look of a Bianchi via nirone. Really liked the look of the 105 equipped one, but for a few quid more they do one with a carbon rear end and campag veloce groupset. I've only ever used shimano for road and off road so don't know what the italians stuff is like. is it to be avoided or is the old adage "campag doesn't wear out, it only wears in" true?

Would be grateful for any opinions either way. thanks

High end campag stuff is really nice, lower end not so great apparently. I've got Chorus 11 speed on mine and its lovely.
105 is good stuff, depends whether you WANT campag really as road stuff doesn't wear out like mountain bike kit anyway and isn't affected by the conditions so pretty much always works. The SRAM stuff seems good value too.

I've got Veloce on my Wilier, and it's fine. Nice clean 'clunks' when it shifts, which I like, though that's obviously a personal thing. Had no issues with it whatsoever in 14 months, looks nice too.
However I doubt there's any perfomance advantage over 105. In fact the new 105 is meant to be excellent…

I like it, I have it on my road bike and I had 9 speed ultegra / 105 on the last one. The shifting is not as direct as shimano and is more fiddly to set up, but when set up its sweet. I like the gear change over shimano too, although I suspect it isn't for all. And it looks a lot better on my bike (the main reason for choosing it!!)

Campag on all my road bikes.
One of those never ending arguments Campag v Shimano. Both good + when set up work well.
Get the one you like the look of + which shape shifters/hoods you prefer.

thanks guys(girls?) will try and have a go on both. TBH if both frames were equal i would go for the shimano just because that is what i know (boring i know) however as the campag one has carbon stays for not much more money i am tempted by that just to take the sting out of my ageing back 🙂

i use campag, and it is fine. The most important consideration when selecting is the shape of the brake levers. Pick the ones that fit your hand, shimano, sram and campag all work, it is really just which is most comfortableto use that matters.

Some people do not like the hoods on Veloce brakes.

Carbon stays won't make a lot of difference to be honest, but they look nicer so that's a good enough reason for me. As for campag/shimano debate, has to be campag as the name is nicer 😛

I've got a 105 equipped, aluminium stayed Via Nirone from a couple of years back, and can't really fault it. The misses has a (low end) Campagnolo equipped version of the same, and it also can't really be faulted.
We both chose which groupset based mainly on the shape of the levers/hoods, and would do again, but the new Shimano ones have changed recently I'm sure. I'd rather have have Campagnolo myself, for no good reason, and if carbon stays are going to make a sportive bike a bit more comfortable, then that's what my preference would be, but it would probably come down to the levers again.

Campag Veloce on my Bianchi took a while to bed in and for me to get used to it. I like it now I'm used to the front ring changes requiring going down the block to be smooth.

I have a road bike with Centaur and can't fault it; main thing is that the cable routing looks a lot nicer with Campag, and a Bianchi road bike surely 'goes better' with a Campag group.

What hubs does the bike have?
Campagnolo only seem to do Record hubs these days. This is possibly because of the problems that they have had with their Veloce/Mirage/Athena hubs.

Their Ultra-torque bottom brackets are an odd design.
http://roguemechanic.typepad.com/

Anybody using Campag on their cross bike?

your decision should be based on which levers and hoods fit your hands best. i use shimano because i have to move my hands outwards to use the thumb lever, it's fine in the drops but i have to move my palm off the hood when changing using the hoods.

I'm a Campag user.

Both campag and Shimano (and SRAM) work very well – there's really little difference in function – it's really more about preference and anyone who insists otherwise is frankly talking b******s 😉

For me, I prefer the shape of Campag hoods and the more definite (or clunky depending on how you view it) shifting – I find Shimano a bit too light action.

I ride almost exclusively on the hoods so that's also a consideration. If I rode on the drops a lot, Shimano might be more ergonomic.

"Shimano wears out, Campag wears in" is a myth. Campag wears (chain, cassette, chainrings) at a similar rate to Shimano though possibly Campag shifters are a little more long lasting before rattles start to settle in but it's marginal.

And FWIW, I do actually reckon that carbon stays make a difference – I was pretty sceptical when I got my first bike with a carbon rear end (I only got one with a carbon rear because you couldn't/can't really get many decent frames without) but I was constantly caught out by how much smoother it felt over bumpy roads and that seems to be quite a consistent difference when trying different combinations.

On my CX bike, I use Campag shifters (10 speed) to keep things consistent with my road bike but use it with Shimano cassette, chain, mechs (all 9 speed) using the hubbub method/bodge here which works perfectly:
http://www.ctc.org.uk/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=3946

also remember that with campag you have fewer cables visible on the bars – directed through the levers so looks neater!
(unless shimano have also started doing this).

I've got both, Campag on 2 Road bikes and 105/Tiagra on the other.

The Campag stuff is lovely, it hides the cables, the shift is good, very little maintenance and it looks great. It’s just very high quality stuff and you notice it.

The downside is Campag likes to go it's own way, so you need a different BB tool, a different Cassette tool, the free hub is specific so you can't swap wheels around and spare even brake blocks cost a small fortune.

All the Shim / SRAM stuff is cross compatible between road and MTB and each other so from that point of view makes a lot of sense.

Shimano have done the under bar tape routing for the latest Dura Ace and possibly for Ultegra (I can't recall for certain…)

Italian frame = Italian groupset.

/thread closed.

Go with what you like and is comfortable for you. I have Campag Athena on my road bike. Used to have 105 on the old one. Campag is less clunky in shifting but it's not as 'amazing' as I was led to believe it would be. The way it shifts three gears in one movement of the lever when you want it to, and can trim the front mech to stop it rubbing is ace tho

I was a long term Campag user, sadly STI's work better for me. I had issues with the hood length and thumb shifter.
All work very well, but I think Shimano has it over Campag when it comes down to the base level chainsets.
And IMO the basic Campag stuff though it works well looks cheap.

Money no object Record all round, but Ultegra is untouchable for the money.
Edit, not a big problem, but Shimano spares are a tad easier to buy on a Friday afternoon, talking chains cassettes jockey wheels here.

Italian frame = Italian groupset.

/thread closed.

pegoretti and dura-ace for me. thread opened.
use what is comfortable/easy to use not what fashion dictates.

Loads of pros use Campag, but I had proper trouble using the thumb shift from the drops surely I'm not the only one.

john_l – Member
Italian frame = Italian groupset.

/thread closed.

Always a funny one.

Italians don't think this at all (just look at what they ride on club rides, let alone the pros) so clearly this rule is just for those trying to out Italian the Italians 😉

Try hard!

Oldgit – I agree but it's not really an issue for me as I almost exclusively ride the hoods.

I use Campag on my cross bike, with no issues – although it does eat through the bearings (2 set's this winter). I have now installed some Ceramic ones, so will see how they survive the winter.

I've used Campag on my cross bike since 1996. I have Campag on my other road bikes, and my SO has Campag on her road and cross bikes.
I also have used UT cranks since 2007 with no problems.
It all comes down to how the brake/shifters feel TBH and whether the "brand" you project suits your insecurities.

Ride both a Shiman & a campag eqipped bike and see which is more comfortable on your hands & arms. I've always used campag on my road bikes, and the only time I've ridden a shimano equipped road bike the hoods were truly, truly, painful.

Oldgit is right, using the thumb shifter from the drops can be awkward, but it is possible – maybe easier to shift in the drops than the shimano lever system??

campag every time from a maintanence point of view its so much easier as it hasnt been over fiddled by shimano it just works and i have been running veloce on the commuting bike for three years no probs in fact the only thing i ve replaced is the chain which isnt bad after three years of abuse and salt of the roads, get the campag!! It looks better than shimano too

Campag and shimano on road bikes over the years.
Try it and see, both functioally very close.

Oldgit is right, using the thumb shifter from the drops can be awkward, but it is possible – maybe easier to shift in the drops than the shimano lever system??

I like some of the Campag stuff, but prefer the action of Shimano. I find Shimano shifting in the drops (usually upwards, natch) dead easy, Campag less so.

The only thing I really don't like about Shimano is the exposed cable (I run 6600 Ultegra).

oh and campag isnt totally specific well not the 10 speed stuff im running a sram force chainset with centaur group on one of my bikes and its great you can also run shimano chains with campag and it works great so dont be put off by the spares issue.

thanks again all. sorry not replied earlier but been at work and can't use STW there. 🙁

Will go and try a bike with both on and try to get a feel for which i prefer. from most of the comments that seems to be the major difference, along with the shift feel. i agree the cable routing on Campag is neater

Macavity the hubs on the campag bike are FAC michelin racing, versus shimano WH-R-500 on the other bike. Tried to look up these hubs up but can't find much. I did go along the same thought process as john_l "italian frame italian grouppo".

Have also found the bike with carbon stays and shimano 105/ultegra but that is another £200 😯