Campagnolo Veloce vs Centaur vs Shimano 105

I am planning on building a new bike at some point next year. However, I am not sure which of the groupsets to go for. I would like to know your opinions.

I will use this bike for commuting and long bike trips with friends. The bike will be locked up securely in a compound when I do commute.

Ah the old 'Kabul Commute'

Sram 'FORCE!' for you Sir.

SRAM Force is so much more than the groupsets I mentioned haha

I would take veloce because i like the feel of campag hoods. 105 is a step up from veloce in the equivalent hierachies, the SRAM is by all accounts fantastic and compatible with shimano too for upgrades, spares.

They are all great groupsets that will do the business for what you need though

Could I ask what the difference between the Centaurs and the Veloces are exactly? From what I read it seems that the Centaur has a few parts in the group that are carbon and that's about it.

the SRAM is by all accounts fantastic and compatible with shimano too for upgrades

Err. SRAM uses a 1:1 cable pull actuation whereas Shimano uses 2:1 therefore making them incompatible. Only thing they share is the same freehub spline pattern

And cassette spacing- i run a da 7900 cassette with sram force shifters and mechs.

Campag Centaur is slightly up the scale from the Veloce kit. I currently have 2 bikes with campag components, one with Veloce and one with Record. The Record shifting is noticably heads and shoulders above the Veloce. Given it's a few years old now, new Centaur kit on probably close to /on a par with my Record groupset. I say go with the best you can run to.

Hmm I was just wondering if the extra £80-£110 was worth upgrading from the Veloce to the Centaurs

work out your budget

then decide whose shifters feel most comfortable in your hands

buy the ones that feel most comfy

you spend more time holding the hoods than shifting gears

they all shift gears, so which one can you hold for a long time?

Running Veloce on my road/commute steed after a recent conversion to the Italians from bottom line Jap stuff, far more comfortable than low grade Shimano hoods, better shifting, and tidy cable routing. Only regret not getting SRAM groupset when I could afford it, next bike maybe...

comfort of hoods is so subjective, it's like saddles

That's a sore point.

Depends somewhat on use.

I love my roadies SR, its simply sublime in both form and function. I dont think I'll ever move away from Campag for a road bike. The hood shape and 'one lever- one function' just works for me.

It has to be said that 105 gives the best bang for your buck though. So personal taste aside, for a roadie, that would be the logical chioce (campag user talking about logical chioces, LMAO).

I would also look at Sram Apex for a multi-use bike. It offers a huge selection of gearing set-ups.
http://www.cyclingbargains.com/product_info.php/sram-apex-groupset-p-457

I currently have a 50/34 chainset, and a 11-32 cassette, on my all-purpose bike. Its a nice versatile set-up.

I would also look at Sram Apex for a multi-use bike. It offers a huge selection of gearing set-ups.

I would have thought that SRAM is now the obvious choice for any general bike. Having the Apex rear mech/cassette in such a wide ratio, mean's that it'll do you for everything. Fair enough, you're not going to need the range for commuting, but if you're doing long rides, it means you never have to think about swapping anything.

I also really like the fact that the road and mtb stuff is all interchangeable... maybe it's not something you'll ever use, but the idea appeals to me for long term versatility.

Altho on the SRAM point, Dov said somewhere that next seasons is getting a serious upgrade. I don't know if that'll effect the Apex stuff.

Plus (because it does matter) at the moment SRAM are probably the best looking groupset manufacturer.

Are all the groupsets as durable as each other? I'm planning on having a new steel frame built up and attaching a groupset to it so I would like to make sure the bike lasts. When exactly will the new SRAM products come out?

I would have thought that SRAM is now the obvious choice for any general bike. Having the Apex rear mech/cassette in such a wide ratio, mean's that it'll do you for everything. Fair enough, you're not going to need the range for commuting, but if you're doing long rides, it means you never have to think about swapping anything.

Lots of folk, including myself, have been riding MTN/road hybrid drive chains for years. Usually on bikes that may have to carry the odd load, or pull a trailer. The Apex groupset is a neat way to achieve the same OTP.

I also really like the fact that the road and mtb stuff is all interchangeable... maybe it's not something you'll ever use, but the idea appeals to me for long term versatility.

I run 9speed deore with DA TT shifters. The new 10speed shimano MTN stuff is not compatible with their road shifters. So I'm looking to Sram for my next build, using an X9 mech and a TT900 shifter (1x10).

Plus (because it does matter) at the moment SRAM are probably the best looking groupset manufacturer.

The curvy nature of Campag, will always make me dig that little bit deeper into my pockets. Pure style. The newer style Shimano levers with the cleaner cable routing. Look purposeful to me. As do the cranksets. The Sram levers are just plain, and understated. OK if you like that sort of thing.

Remember reading the relative weights of the groupsets and 105 is by far the heaviest out of Veloce, Apex and 105.

Bit of a difficult question, but I suppose that having shimano/sram gives you LOADS more options in terms of wheel builds/factory builds, chains, etc etc. Campagnolo is good if you like it, but a little bit less flexible in terms of what you can pair it up with.

I've got Apex on my CX bike, cannot fault it- I've been trying to notice a difference in performance between that and the Force groupset on the road bike, and there really is not much in it.

It's probably as heavy as sin, but I've not bothered to find that out.

Plus (because it does matter) at the moment SRAM are probably the best looking groupset manufacturer.

Woah, steady on there fella. At best I'd describe SRAM as functional looking

Campag stuff is the best looking by quite a long way. Massively subjective obviously

I think we should all recommend Apex. For no better reason than it not being in the OPs shortlist.

Done! That and I personally find Campag ugly- the bendy hoods look like an oast house roof.

Complete groupset, £399:

http://www.fudgescyclestore.com/index.php?p=107020

Are all the groupsets as durable as each other? I'm planning on having a new steel frame built up and attaching a groupset to it so I would like to make sure the bike lasts. When exactly will the new SRAM products come out?

AFAIK they're all pretty durable.

For a nice steel frame, I'd go with some alu Athena. Looks, cormfort, and funtionality (IMHO).