How do you compare Campagnolo to Shimano? IBike's Del Woodford put's forward his views in the first of a regular column from bike shop's around the country.

 

To some there is no comparison, one is just so much better than the other. Both camps can come up with some pretty good arguments as to why they prefer one to the other. Many of today's riders have only ever used Shimano and with its silky smooth changing and reliability it gives them very little or no reason to change to Campagnolo. But to others who have been brought up on Campagnolo nothing will ever compare to the quality that comes out of Italy.

 

To understand this you have to go back in time, back to the days when to get something like a racing bike you had to buy the frame and then all the bits to build up your bike. The choices were limited and everything else seemed like a poor cousin to what Campagnolo was able to produce. The likes of Simplex, Mavic, Zeus and Gaili to name a few, all worked, some would say well but really nothing could compare to Campagnolo.

 

Campagnolo�s manufacturing activities began in 1933 in a small workshop in Vicenza. In the sixties Campagnolo went on a period of expansion and by 1968 had produced its first complete group set as we know it today. Shimano began in 1921 manufacturing single speed freewheels. Shimano expanded in the 50's and produced a derailleur that led to more sophisticated derailleur's and multi speed free wheels. Through the 60's, 70's and mid 80's the name Campagnolo had dominated the world of cycling but this dominance was about to get a shake up.

 

Around 1980/82 Shimano group sets were starting to be seen on top-end European racing bikes. When the great Italian Francesco Moser changed from Campagnolo to Shimano it almost led to civil war in Italy. Then came S.I.S (Shimano Index System) linear response braking, and finally, STI (Shimano Total Integration). Now the pressure was really on Campagnolo, who it would be fair to say, had sat back and lived on their previous history forgetting all about development. Their first attempts at index were pretty average, even for the die-hard Campagnolo fan it was hard to take. You could never fault the finish or quality of product but it just did not shift that well.

 

Shimano's history at developing product in association with some of the world's top teams was paying off. Their share of the racing market had increased at the expense of Campagnolo and to a greater degree the likes of Simplex, Zeus and Mavic (apart from rims) were going out of business.

 

The Italian company was not about to throw in the towel and throughout the late 90's have come up with some great product innovations. The introduction of 9 then10 speed group-sets and their use of carbon fibre and titanium have certainly taken the fight back to the Japanese Company. Their wheel sets are also very good but that's another review. Shimano may have just sat back a little bit too much over the last 4 or 5 years but word is that's about to change in 2004.

 

So who has the best group sets?

 

Record � well is there a challenger?

 

In my view, no.

 

Dura Ace comes close but lack a bit of Italian flair and finish. Here are a few other reason why I have rated Record above Dura Ace:

 

�       Campagnolo moved the bar up a notch when they went to10 speed and introduced carbon fibre & titanium into its group set.

�       The alloy finish on their components is as stunning as ever and the Ergo carbon levers are beautiful to look at, to use, and the cables being hidden under the bar tape, that's a real winner in my view.

�       The shifting is positive & precise and the 10 speed shifting is smoother than the older Record 9 speed.

There are areas where Dura Ace has an edge on some Record bits:

 

�       The likes of the Octalink Crank set and bottom bracket, both lighter than Record and being revolving weight, the savings are greater than a few grams on the seat post.

�       The Dura Ace shifting is suburb, lighter and smother than Record, though record 10 is a lot closer than the 9-speed version.

 

The down side for me is that Dura Ace still looks much the same as its earlier STI versions, it's still 9 speed, there is no carbon fibre and those gear cables really should be hidden. Shimano have big plans for 2004 but will it ever be able to match the finish of the Italians?

 

Only time will tell.

 

Below is a component list of the main parts in the group sets with weights and a rating out of five for each part based on weight, looks and performance.

 

As you can see out of a possible 65 Record scored 60.5 points and Dura Ace 57.

 

I have left out pedals and wheels, as both these products should be reviewed against other pedal and wheel manufactures.

 

	Dura Ace Weight	Campagnolo Weight		Dura Ace Performance	Campagnolo Performance
Rear Derailleur	195	187		4.0	5.0
Front Derailleur	79	91		5.0	4.0
STI/Ergo	432	342		4.0	5.0
Brake Callipers Pair	317.5	348		4.5	5.0
Crank Set	594	632		5.0	4.5
Bottom Bracket	173	190		5.0	4.0
Front Hub	178	181		4.5	5.0
Rear Hub	376	316		4.0	5.0
Cassette	159.5	188		4.0	4.0
Chain	304	279		5.0	4.5
Head Set	101	104		5.0	5.0
Seat Post	195	180		4.0	5.0
Aesthetic Value				3.0	4.5
Total Weight	3,104	3,038	Total Score	57.0	60.5

 

 

 

As for the mass market, yes for the bike we can buy off the shelf at a price that most of us can afford, Shimano is the way to go. Why? Well there are hardly (if any) bikes being specified with Campagnolo Chorus, Centaur, Veloce or Mirage in our part of the world. Until that changes it is pretty hard to know what group set a product manager would specify from the Campagnolo range to go head to head with the likes of Ultegra, 105 & Tiagra.

 

So how do you pick between Ultegra, 105 or Tiagra?

 

Bang for your buck the 105 group set is great value, only 109g heavier (see weight chart below) than it's more expensive big brother Ultegra.

 

The Tiagra group also offers awesome value for money (totally under rated in terms of performance) and with the money saved you could upgrade to a light set of race wheels. Your performances could make the odd poser look twice.

 

When shopping around for a bike in the $2-$4k price range there is often more to the bike than just name on the rear derailleur, cranks and STI levers. The most important thing on a bike is the frame, fork and wheel set. If you are doing a lot of km's ie 16/20,000 a year then the Ultegra rear derailleur, chain rings and STI levers will generally out last the equivalent 105 or Tiagra.

 

On all group sets the chain should be replaced every 2500 � 3000km. By doing so you will extend the life of your cassette and chain rings.

 

Enjoy the ride.

 

 

	Ultegra	105	Tiagra
	Weight	Weight	Weight
Rear Derailleur	215	228	265
Front Derailleur	88	89	113
STI Levers	485	495	490
Brake Callipers Pair	335	353	355
Crank Set	643	645	776
Bottom Bracket	221.5	250	311
Front Hub	198	207	205
Rear Hub	410	411	425
Cassette	210	236	270
Chain	304	304	304
Total	3,109	3,218	3,514