Shimano vs Sram Vs Campagnolo
Discussion
I am looking to aquire a new bike currently, and have been discussing the issue with colleagues who have more experience in this sort of thing than me.
I have been advised that I am better off going for an alluminium frame with better mechanicals than say a carbon frame with basic.
What are the pros and cons of the above set ups? Money is an object I am afraid so can't be going super premium on everything.
Also, what is the differences between Tiagra/105/Ultegra. My current bike has a Sora set up, and it's pretty clunky.
Any advice from those wiser than me is appreciated.
I have been advised that I am better off going for an alluminium frame with better mechanicals than say a carbon frame with basic.
What are the pros and cons of the above set ups? Money is an object I am afraid so can't be going super premium on everything.
Also, what is the differences between Tiagra/105/Ultegra. My current bike has a Sora set up, and it's pretty clunky.
Any advice from those wiser than me is appreciated.
where to start? your budget would be helpful on the frame material issue
In short people will tell you loads of subjective b
ks about Shimano being the best functioning but soul less. Campag being superior because it sounds Italian despite most of it now being made in Romania and SRAM being somewhere between the two in terms of looks and function but fewer people use it.
In reality, it all works if you keep it clean and learn how to maintian it but the more you pay, the better quality materials used, the more precise the shifting and the better it looks.
wikipedia has the hierarchy of each manufacturer.
In short people will tell you loads of subjective b
ks about Shimano being the best functioning but soul less. Campag being superior because it sounds Italian despite most of it now being made in Romania and SRAM being somewhere between the two in terms of looks and function but fewer people use it.In reality, it all works if you keep it clean and learn how to maintian it but the more you pay, the better quality materials used, the more precise the shifting and the better it looks.
wikipedia has the hierarchy of each manufacturer.
[cough]1150quid for UDi2 http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/road-parts/t...
rhinochopig][cough said:
1150quid for UDi2 http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/road-parts/t...
SRAM Red for....... £1150 
http://www.shinybikes.com/Sram-Red-Groupset-2012.h...
pablo said:
rhinochopig][cough said:
1150quid for UDi2 http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/road-parts/t...
SRAM Red for....... £1150 http://www.shinybikes.com/Sram-Red-Groupset-2012.h...
Vocal Minority said:
I am looking to aquire a new bike currently, and have been discussing the issue with colleagues who have more experience in this sort of thing than me.
I have been advised that I am better off going for an alluminium frame with better mechanicals than say a carbon frame with basic.
What are the pros and cons of the above set ups? Money is an object I am afraid so can't be going super premium on everything.
Also, what is the differences between Tiagra/105/Ultegra. My current bike has a Sora set up, and it's pretty clunky.
Any advice from those wiser than me is appreciated.
The only differences that really matter to you (the rider) are the shape of the hoods and the means of operation: none of them are any "better" than the others. It's all in the setup and maintnance, anyway: I'd rather ride a well setup Sora than a badly setup Super Record.I have been advised that I am better off going for an alluminium frame with better mechanicals than say a carbon frame with basic.
What are the pros and cons of the above set ups? Money is an object I am afraid so can't be going super premium on everything.
Also, what is the differences between Tiagra/105/Ultegra. My current bike has a Sora set up, and it's pretty clunky.
Any advice from those wiser than me is appreciated.
re. Shimano. In their current form:
Tiagra: 10sp, "external" (I can't think of the correct term, beyond "clothesline"!) shifter cables. Not sure if compatible with 105 and upwards as shift rations may be different.
105: "internal" (?) shifter cables, lighter than Tiagra
Ultegra: same as 105, only a bit lighter, some better quality internals (metal vs. plastic, etc).
the problem is alu varies just as much as carbon in terms of quality so you cant really compare them like for like. to say that a £1k carbon bike is better or worse than a £1k alu bike is nonsense. even if you start researching materials and start comparing 6061 alu against 7005, a lot then depends on the quality of the welding etc. technically 7005 would be preferable but if its been welded together by the likes of me you wouldnt go near it....
I am none the wiser for all the research I did as I bought a frameset and needed to source everything else myself or through my local bike shop who has been surperb in helping me to suggest parts and ordered them and also are building the bike for me.
I just went for the shifters I wanted, ie, SRAM 2x10 Double Tap flat bar and bought other SRAM bits based on that, eg SRAM Red crankset, SRAM XO mech etc etc.
I guess if you pay good money then I am sure its all going to be half-way decent, unless you like a specific look. I like the Campog and some Shimano stuff looks cool as well and seem to be widely popular, people seem to have a preference for one make, sort of like a Ferrari person not liking an Aston Martin, or football team supporters hating the competition :-).
I agree with an earlier post, get a good frame, you can upgrade the components as and when.
Good luck
I just went for the shifters I wanted, ie, SRAM 2x10 Double Tap flat bar and bought other SRAM bits based on that, eg SRAM Red crankset, SRAM XO mech etc etc.
I guess if you pay good money then I am sure its all going to be half-way decent, unless you like a specific look. I like the Campog and some Shimano stuff looks cool as well and seem to be widely popular, people seem to have a preference for one make, sort of like a Ferrari person not liking an Aston Martin, or football team supporters hating the competition :-).
I agree with an earlier post, get a good frame, you can upgrade the components as and when.
Good luck
Few manufacturers fit Campagnolo Veloce to their low-mid range road bikes even though it is excellent, relatively light and good value if your buying it as a groupset. It tends to be offered more frequently by brands who offer customisable bike build options rather than large high street retail brands.
Most manufacturers stick with Shimano for their £600-£1k roadbikes but I'd prefer Sram Apex personally. It is little different to Sram Rival and weighs very little more than the latest Shimano Ultegra and substantially less than either 105 or Tiagra let alone Sora.
Most manufacturers stick with Shimano for their £600-£1k roadbikes but I'd prefer Sram Apex personally. It is little different to Sram Rival and weighs very little more than the latest Shimano Ultegra and substantially less than either 105 or Tiagra let alone Sora.
ewenm said:
I'd go for the best frame you can afford. It's a lot easier to upgrade the components when you have the funds than it is to upgrade the frame.
Jimbo. said:
The only differences that really matter to you (the rider) are the shape of the hoods and the means of operation: none of them are any "better" than the others.
pablo said:
the problem is alu varies just as much as carbon in terms of quality so you cant really compare them like for like. to say that a £1k carbon bike is better or worse than a £1k alu bike is nonsense.
OP: the three quotes above are all spot on. They are all pretty similar and it's really a matter of personal preference really. As far as Shimano is concerned 105 is the workhorse of the range...it's probably the right balance between quality and cost...yes Ultegra's better but you might be better off spending the cash elsewhere on your bike i.e. wheels.
Not sure if this still stands but when I bought my bike three years ago the bloke at the bike shop (Condor FWIW) told me that Shimano pedals are the best....he said he has Campag gear on his bike but Shimano pedals because the cleat system was the best. One of the reasons I went with Condor was that you could spec the bike exactly how you liked and mix groupsets.
Not sure if this still stands but when I bought my bike three years ago the bloke at the bike shop (Condor FWIW) told me that Shimano pedals are the best....he said he has Campag gear on his bike but Shimano pedals because the cleat system was the best. One of the reasons I went with Condor was that you could spec the bike exactly how you liked and mix groupsets.
Not sure if this still stands but when I bought my bike three years ago the bloke at the bike shop (Condor FWIW) told me that Shimano pedals are the best....he said he has Campag gear on his bike but Shimano pedals because the cleat system was the best. One of the reasons I went with Condor was that you could spec the bike exactly how you liked and mix groupsets.
Still stands: Shimano bearings are the best in the game. And the cleats don't wear down horribly when walking. And the pedals are servicable.
Still stands: Shimano bearings are the best in the game. And the cleats don't wear down horribly when walking. And the pedals are servicable.
Just getting back into bikes afte a few years lay off
Was recently given the following advice by someone with loadsamoney for his bikes.
1)Carbon frame better than ali as it has a little bit of spring to it where as ali is very britle. Top quality steel frame better than ali
2)If you are going for shoes go for mountain bike ones as the cleats are recessed and its therefore easier to walk in them
I still use toe clips...
Look forward to comments on the above, to see if anyone agrees
Was recently given the following advice by someone with loadsamoney for his bikes.
1)Carbon frame better than ali as it has a little bit of spring to it where as ali is very britle. Top quality steel frame better than ali
2)If you are going for shoes go for mountain bike ones as the cleats are recessed and its therefore easier to walk in them
I still use toe clips...
Look forward to comments on the above, to see if anyone agrees
Skyedriver said:
Just getting back into bikes afte a few years lay off
Was recently given the following advice by someone with loadsamoney for his bikes.
1)Carbon frame better than ali as it has a little bit of spring to it where as ali is very britle. Top quality steel frame better than ali
2)If you are going for shoes go for mountain bike ones as the cleats are recessed and its therefore easier to walk in them
I still use toe clips...
Look forward to comments on the above, to see if anyone agrees
Not sure what sort of bikes the bloke who to,d you that rides, but if you're getting back into road bikes, I'd consign both points to the bin. Was recently given the following advice by someone with loadsamoney for his bikes.
1)Carbon frame better than ali as it has a little bit of spring to it where as ali is very britle. Top quality steel frame better than ali
2)If you are going for shoes go for mountain bike ones as the cleats are recessed and its therefore easier to walk in them
I still use toe clips...
Look forward to comments on the above, to see if anyone agrees
Skyedriver said:
Just getting back into bikes afte a few years lay off
Was recently given the following advice by someone with loadsamoney for his bikes.
1)Carbon frame better than ali as it has a little bit of spring to it where as ali is very britle. Top quality steel frame better than ali
2)If you are going for shoes go for mountain bike ones as the cleats are recessed and its therefore easier to walk in them
1. I think "brittle" is the wrong word there. Aluminium is very rigid, so can give a harsh ride, but it's very robust, you'd have to try very very hard to break a frame. Was recently given the following advice by someone with loadsamoney for his bikes.
1)Carbon frame better than ali as it has a little bit of spring to it where as ali is very britle. Top quality steel frame better than ali
2)If you are going for shoes go for mountain bike ones as the cleats are recessed and its therefore easier to walk in them
2. I have MTB cleats on a road bike, if I bought again I would get road ones. I don't walk very far in my bike shoes. Even if I did, cleats aren't very expensive, so it's not a big issue if they get worn down over time. I think that the benefits of road shoes (better power transfer) outweigh any benefit that comes around from being slightly easier to walk in.
In terms of this guy and his knowledge of cycling - you're posting on a forum full of people like that...
I went from a cheap aluminium Carrera with Sora to a full carbon frame with Ultegra SL. For me the difference was huge but then this was to be expected given the price differential. Basically there was no more clunkiness but extremely slick changes and fantastic brake feel. The frame was always going to be like night/day but my carbon frame feels like it transfers every drop of power to the road whereas I could feel my Carrera bending up the hills.
I spent a long time choosing my bike and tried all sorts of aluminium and carbon combinations i.e. full alu to alu with carbon forks and/or stays. I even got to try bikes with either Shimano or Campag. It may be different for you but to me, full carbon and Shimano just felt 'right'. The pro Italians would sneer at me for buying a Bianchi with Shimano but I couldn't give two hoots.
Although I preferred the change action of Campag I just couldn't get on with the hoods and don't like the thumb change either. My Shimano hoods feel fantastic by comparison and coupled with compact bars make riding a real pleasure.
If feasible try a range and see what you think. I don't know what it's like for others but I knew what I preferred straight away and have been happy ever since. I really don't think there is a 'best' as we all want different things from a bike and any material can be designed to give a rigid or flexible character.
Good luck!
I spent a long time choosing my bike and tried all sorts of aluminium and carbon combinations i.e. full alu to alu with carbon forks and/or stays. I even got to try bikes with either Shimano or Campag. It may be different for you but to me, full carbon and Shimano just felt 'right'. The pro Italians would sneer at me for buying a Bianchi with Shimano but I couldn't give two hoots.
Although I preferred the change action of Campag I just couldn't get on with the hoods and don't like the thumb change either. My Shimano hoods feel fantastic by comparison and coupled with compact bars make riding a real pleasure.
If feasible try a range and see what you think. I don't know what it's like for others but I knew what I preferred straight away and have been happy ever since. I really don't think there is a 'best' as we all want different things from a bike and any material can be designed to give a rigid or flexible character.
Good luck!
pablo said:
Campag being superior because it sounds Italian despite most of it now being made in Romania
I know this is an old thread, but just to set the record straight in case anyone else reads this thread - I've just built a bike with Campagnolo Veloce (their bottom of the range) and it was all made in Italy. It all built up well, and shifts superbly and silently. It's lovely.
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