What's the big fuss about Campag?

Not comparing the entire output of two companies but I am surprised. The lower bracket on the Campag (Athena) post is roughish bent/formed mild steel that's been factory spray painted. While on the Shimano it's cast and polished ally, much nicer. Even the Allen Bolt on the Shimano is better quality.

Which Shimano model is it? Athena was Campag's third tier groupset (of just three) in the early 1990s so you might not be comparing like with like.

Which Shimano model is it? Athena was Campag's third tier groupset (of just three) in the early 1990s so you might not be comparing like with like.

Shimano 600 Ax, aero seat-post. The difference in price was about 30 quid and in my opinion the Campag wasn't worth the extra, although I admit the engraving is pretty.

Campagnolo as well as Shimano had their good and their bad things.
With the Triomphe and Victory series, Campagnolo did certainly not have the best series.
When the indexed shifting, internal brake cables, brifter, clipless pedals products started, Campagnolo was far behind.
On the other hand, first years D/A and Ultegra STI's were a nightmare, too.
First 2 types road SPD's were no success (although SPD-R was and is popular for trackies).
In the old days, Campag was simply better. Material, finish, function. The last decades, it's going up and down.

I've got a record aero and its lovely, i only take it out of the box to look at it i can't bring myself to use it

So that's it, it suffers from "RetroVintageness" syndrome.
It's not necessarily useful/up-to-date anymore, it just sells a lot.

sells a lot?
what you mean there is lots of it about as it was used for all kinds of frames for the 40 years while it was in production before it was replaced by steels with better material properties? (725 in 1976 and all the other steels that followed)
or that reynolds sell a lot of it?
only it hasn't been made for years (apart from the special reissue sets for doe-eyed collectors)

I have always thought that the Shimano Aero levers were better than campag. they are a better more comfy shape and lighter, also the rubber hoods on the campag. seemed a sloppy fit unlike Shimano.

I've got a record aero and its lovely, i only take it out of the box to look at it i can't bring myself to use it

I'm using some old threaded Corsa Record 28h hubs on my fixed bike... however they're not as shiney as they used to be.

Campagnolo as well as Shimano had their good and their bad things.
With the Triomphe and Victory series, Campagnolo did certainly not have the best series.
When the indexed shifting, internal brake cables, brifter, clipless pedals products started, Campagnolo was far behind.
On the other hand, first years D/A and Ultegra STI's were a nightmare, too.
First 2 types road SPD's were no success (although SPD-R was and is popular for trackies).
In the old days, Campag was simply better. Material, finish, function. The last decades, it's going up and down.

Do you recall campags SGR pedals, pneumatic saddle and aero thermal bottles ?
i think the best campag item i have is the Big Corkscrew.

@blodnik and @wiganwill

:p
Ooooouuuuuuccchhh! that fkin huuurts!!!

OK, so just to sum-up for andyp and others we've determined that Shimano is generally better than Campag but doesn't have the same ethereal label kudos of Campag. Sort of like Toyota being better than Fiat, mind you most things are better than Fiat - including Final Demands and Genital Herpes.

@blodnik and @wiganwill

:p

I blame your post-preganancy hormones. That's the only explanation I can come up with for this outrage.

sells a lot?
what you mean there is lots of it about as it was used for all kinds of frames for the 40 years while it was in production before it was replaced by steels with better material properties? (725 in 1976 and all the other steels that followed)
or that reynolds sell a lot of it?
only it hasn't been made for years (apart from the special reissue sets for doe-eyed collectors)

Sells a lot meaning it as been one of the few tubings that still has it's credentials up there^, it's still sought after, still makes people pay the extra pound for it; reason? maybe that same syndrome, too much hype; obsolete? probably, but then... v

...working on a bike that I expect to take a few knocks and still be usable with dents and dings in it and not to suffer from sudden catastrophic failure if it gets a crack in it but which is still relatively strong and light and comfortable...unless you can afford titanium.

Campag or Shimano - discuss......

One's Italian, one's Japanese.
One will always look beautiful and one will always work.
One's going to be slightly more challenging to set up and service and one is not.
One is made and the other is built.

The difference between Italian and Japanese products is that there will always be significant demand for both but for fundamentally different reasons.

I work for Italians and have done for 15 years - I should know.

"Campagnolo" is more fun to say than "Shimano" in a mock accent of their respective countries of origin.

"Campagnolo" is more fun to say than "Shimano" in a mock accent of their respective countries of origin.

I like!

That's the thing though ^ the Campag post is entirely let down aesthetically by the lower half of the clamp and the Allen Bolt. Pretty it ain't, at least not in comparison to the Shimano post.

"Campagnolo" is more fun to say than "Shimano" in a mock accent of their respective countries of origin.

But in the same test 'noodle' is more fun than 'pizza'.

tagliatelli is better

nothing beats "moshi-moshi" .... italian is only "pronto"

^ Arigato!

'Arigato', actually descends from 'Obrigado', in Portuguese ; )

It actually descends from the french 'Gateaux' which means cake. Japanese historically show their appreciation/thanks by baking cakes.

Ari-gateaux.

Ari in Japanese means "Have some"...

Seriously - Shimano is the best ... cheap and ubiquitous .... Campag is great and all but Shimano is almost a universal standard now.

shimano make fishing gear ...................nuff said!

It actually descends from the french 'Gateaux' which means cake. Japanese historically show their appreciation/thanks by baking cakes.

Ari-gateaux.

Ari in Japanese means "Have some"...

I had this info from a friend, a guy with a PHD in English History:

• The Portuguese were the first western civilization to get to japan,
  somewhere around the 16th century, once there, they found a much
  more developed society/empire ruled by the Samurai laws, they had however,
  the lack of a word for appreciation/thanks, they used to only bow.
  The word 'obrigado' was then taught to express/replace/fill the lack of one.
  It then, with all the phonetical obstacles and time, morphed into 'Arigato'.
  Dunno, to be honest... made all sense 'til now, 'til you gave the cakeandbake version.
  I guess you live and learn.
  Cake FTW.