Haven't used Campy for 20 years....what's it like?

[Duck!]

Do you still have to pedal a Campag equipped bike?

Yes, but it's quite effortless.

Even EPS won't take that function away from you.

[Xplora]

Those who are enthusiasts, which is most of us in this thread will get so much use out of a selected group set that the purchase price will not be that important in the scheme of things

No way Mike, the consumables on Chorus are already frightfully exxy, Record makes me wince and I don't even look at SR. My first bike cost less than a rrp SR cassette.

Either way, campy ergonomics smokes up to 6700 gen Shimano, 9000 is getting there but still more than 5 years behind. Multi gear changes up and down missing from Shimano is rather unforgivable as well. I don't find the actual shifting much "better" but it is eye opening how different the changing is.

[morini]

A bit late but........I've been riding on a 1998 Chorus 9 speed groupset, average 8000km/yr for most of it and the only things that have broken or been replaced were the 2 of the original Chorus cassette cogs, a frame, one set of cables (because of the frame breaking) and I had to re-spoke the rear wheel due to the rim splitting. The shifters are only just starting to become a little dodgy and they feel like I've returned to somewhere between friction and index. But it's bearable and I can rebuild them back to new again so I definitely don't have any reason to complain.

[Comedian]

So I've been riding campy for a couple of years now. Chains last 2.5 times as long as my shimano ones used to, and when I wear out a cassette I'll report in. The first one I bought is up to 22,000k and still working absolutely perfectly....

I did break a shifter paddle (I suspect it got hit in the bike cage) but even it was an easy fix and was done in a couple of days. Shimano shifter parts? Never heard of it... here... buy a new groupset sir...

[ValleyForge]

So I've been riding campy for a couple of years now. Chains last 2.5 times as long as my shimano ones used to, and when I wear out a cassette I'll report in. The first one I bought is up to 22,000k and still working absolutely perfectly....

Are you on 11S? I find the 11S chains last about 10K, and this is allowing more stretch than recommended.
I changed front chainrings at 30K; with the rear cassette each 15K. I can't afford a new SR cassette every chain.

[Comedian]

So I've been riding campy for a couple of years now. Chains last 2.5 times as long as my shimano ones used to, and when I wear out a cassette I'll report in. The first one I bought is up to 22,000k and still working absolutely perfectly....

Are you on 11S? I find the 11S chains last about 10K, and this is allowing more stretch than recommended.
I changed front chainrings at 30K; with the rear cassette each 15K. I can't afford a new SR cassette every chain.

Yes - 11 speed record and super record is what I run. I change the chains as soon as they approach "worn". I don't let them ever go past the recommended max wear. Even with this practice they last 2-3 times the shimano ultegra chains. I've also find they don't break either with their peened joiner...

I'm starting to learn that Campy Cassettes when new don't like chains that are approaching the wear limit. However, once they have more age on them they seem to become tolerant of chains with wear (makes sense I guess). I'm not sure how worn they have to be to skip with a new chain.. I guess that's end of life for that cassette. As I mentioned the oldest cassette I have is up to 22k now and it is still behaving perfectly. The bike it's being used on now will probably need another chain in 3-4k or so I guess that will be the real test to see if it can take another new chain at 26k.

[dohab]

Having always risen Shimano if thought I'd try Campag Athena 11 speed on a Colnago master build. Why did I wait all those years to try Campag. If I had the money all my bikes would be running Campag.

[richbee]

Why did I wait all those years to try Campag. If I had the money all my bikes would be running Campag.

All my bikes are running Campag
The 11 year old Chorus 10s on my spare/touring bike is still shifting as well as it did on the first day I fitted it (and probably a little better but I've no scientific way of proving that) while my 2012 Chorus 11s on my best bike is now approaching some 30000k's of hard training and racing in all conditions and has never felt better.

[Comedian]

Having always risen Shimano if thought I'd try Campag Athena 11 speed on a Colnago master build. Why did I wait all those years to try Campag. If I had the money all my bikes would be running Campag.

There is this weird thing in the bike community. It seems with the rise of the internet people are experts in everything and will willingly mock products that they haven't used.

I'm running exclusively Campy now after 2 years of Shimano and am constantly amazed with the quality of it's shifting and durability. If it plays up - allways look for the issue. IE it will be a cable or a bent or loose derailleur. Strangely all my friends who have never use it tell me it's rubbish. Sure thing.