Why We Never Feature Campagnolo On This Channel - Super Record S First Look

[@dtsybulskyi]

After making this review, I dont think Campagnolo will send any of their future drivetrains to you again 😅 but great job at making an honest independent review! ❤

[@systemsbroken]

He found exactly what he was looking for. I have been on Campy for over 30 years, never, not once ever had an issue (cant say so much for Shitmano). I will NOT ride Shitmano on any bike. (SRAM on my MTB). And, if you cant afford Campy, well, your life failures are not the fault of the Italians.

[@goffl8644]

@@systemsbrokenglad they have at least a few loyal customers

[@systemsbroken]

@@goffl8644 I also Drive Italian cars but for an AMG. Shimano bought into the market by selling things at a loss to all of the sheeple. The fact is they make a good product but the sheeple cannot even comprehend the fact that the cranksets have been patently dangerous and people continue to buy them. That said, the Italians in general have terrible business practices and then they wonder why they go away sooner than later. Using voice text please excuse punctuation

[@nomadcarpenter8549]

​@@systemsbrokenso salty. Is your name brine?

[@HermanTerekhov]

@@systemsbroken wow, you even defend them for free, with your own money spent. Great job , pal. +500 sociale credito points.

[@danwentcycling7952]

I deny that it’s beautiful. That rear mech is gopping

[@Ninjump]

That front mech is atrocious too

[@deabreu.tattoo]

Even the levers shape is questionable

[@Shadowboost]

Levers with the upper lower buttons, ugly. Front and rear mech, disgusting. Cranks, mehhhhhh. We're a long long way away from Super Record mechanical 11 speed

[@daydreaming_aristocrat]

It reminds me of a lobsters claw

[@timothyvanhorn7618]

Fit and finish looks terrible, and the rear mech looks like a real clunker.

[@StopTheRot]

The old, mechanical Groupset is epic. I bought mine in 2011 and it’s still absolutely perfect. The modern stuff, at that price, is crazy.

[@krisbowditch827]

Mine too outlasted shimano 3 times over 👊

[@shoff535]

Mine too, 2013 SR 11sp

[@brentlewis4570]

2011 campy chorus, mechanical - going strong.

[@adam__smith]

Ditto. Rode my 2006 10-speed Chorus today, it’s still super smooth.

[@joaom2057]

Mine is chorus 2003. Still working beautifully. Never had to change any component.

[@larsronning8132]

My wife and I have 10 speed manual Campag on all of our bikes. Super Record, Record, Chorus, Centaur, Veloce, you name it. It just works. And it looks fantastic. Some of it I have been riding for more than 20 years, never had an issue. I started out with a Benotto 3000 with Super Record 4000 and 6 speed back in the early 80's. Those were the days!

[@marcocasamassima389]

As an Italian, I'm very sad saying, that Campagnolo is just victim of its own self-referential behavior.

[@YaniofWigan]

Peaked with EPs from a few years back

[@redknocker31]

looks horrible

[@AdamRice-qv4xy]

Exactly. That Hirth joint on the bottom bracket is a perfect example. It's as if they asked themselves "How can we make this more expensive and harder to work on for no real reason?"

[@keithjenkins7919]

@@AdamRice-qv4xy They lost their way, still ride a racing triple circa 1990/2000 and works a treat.

[@AdamRice-qv4xy]

@@keithjenkins7919 Hah! I have their racing-T on my tandem.

[@HannuPulkkinen49]

When I was a student 50 years ago, I could afford to buy a Colnago bike with Campagnolo Record parts. Now there are no more chances. I still have that first bike for rare occasions and everything worked great.

[@malcolmjcullen]

I managed to build up a '98 Tecnos frame in 10 speed Record over a few years without selling both my kidneys. I think their 10 speed gruppo was the high point.

[@rogerwatt8491]

I still have my 1965 Urago which I finally fitted with top Campag kit back in the 1980s. . . it's now the back I wanted back then but could never afford!

[@nomadcarpenter8549]

I love that you guys didn't even bother with bar tape because in all likelihood, it wasn't worth the extra effort.

[@georgeforeman89]

Hell yeah lol. They’re just going to take it back off anyways. Bar tape is too much of a bitch to take on and off

[@gerhardw.933]

And a missing bar tape is your only question? You must be Italian...

[@petermcculloch2118]

They need to send it back 😂

[@perlund100]

I ride a chorus for the last 10 years. Mechanical and rim brake. I just love the feel of the hoods and crisp shifting. Just a awesome groupset for a fair amount of money. Roughly 1000€ back then.

[@matthiaskettner6686]

Still sounds like a lot of money if you think about how prices increased in ten years. I bought a complete Ultegra di2 disc groupset for 1399 Euros two weeks ago. Best value for money today.

[@S2Sturges]

Same... I bought my Chorus group back in 2012, and it has been brilliant, and continues to be so... In saying that, I have no reason or desire to go down the electronic shift and disc brake path...

[@julianmorris9951]

@@S2Sturgesnobody needs disc brakes or electronic shifting, it’s all utter bollocks 🤷

[@matthiaskettner6686]

@@julianmorris9951 no one needs a bike, you can just walk

[@l.d.t.6327]

@@matthiaskettner6686you can still buy a chorus groupset with rimbrakes for 950 euro. Price hasn’t gone up in 10 years.

[@rrluthi1]

I've had chorus mechanical for years and it's always been super nice.

[@shamuslamont100]

Chorus is aligned with Dura Ace and just slightly below Red in terms of quality features and spec. It's a serious win for the price comparatively.

[@Hippiehansie]

I would like to point out that Campagolo Ekar is not overly expensive and is a very good mechanical gravel group. I have SRAM Eagle Axs on my MTB and nothing but problems with the battery mounting. The contact points. I have had ekar on my gravel bike for a while now and have never had a problem. and no, I am not a campagolo fanboy. But Ekar is simply a top groupset .

[@asmaco1]

Can confirm your experience. I run Ekar now for 6000+ km and did not even have to adjust the cable for the derailleur, and it still works sweetly. For me, Ekar demonstrates the KISS-principle, simple and well-done.

[@wildejagd]

Will also confirm also. Its rock solid.

[@colletjulien]

Test Chorus and Ekar, beautiful groupset and very well priced. The main issue is that as a youtube channel you cannot rant on Shimano or SRAM, but you could on Campagnolo and still live. Became sort of fashion to do so, and you are in the mould.

[@robertgray9807]

I’ve been on Campagnolo for 40 years and like a marriage that may seem stale, my loyalty, having the tools, trust in the quality (especially the wheels) prevents me changing. I just ordered and am waiting to receive my admittedly ludicrously expensive 2025 Dogma F, but I’m at a point in life where I can afford to make myself happy. I’m glad you took a critical stance-that’s what is best about tech reviews. The Campagnolo customer service is a big issue, one in which they are trailing Shimano and SRAM. But an Italian bike with Italian gruppo, saddle, and wheels, makes sense for me (even if all the Italians I know have switched to Shimano. LOL

[@krisbowditch827]

Nice 👍

[@markd2925]

agree, just got my new dogma F with super record eps and Rim brakes 😁

[@OriginalTrev]

I expected there were more dentists watching this channel

[@stephenpoole6015]

Back in 1991 a friend broke some Campag parts while we were in Northern Italy. The old guy in the local bike shop didn't have any spares and basically said "Everyone uses Shimano around here." On the same trip I had no problems with 7400 STI (v1).

[@nspattak1]

So their customer service doesn't match their luxurious branding/price, is that it? And still you are buying? Just because of habbit?

[@alastair7399]

Chorus 11 speed that just works so well it’s hard to change (fear of anything else just not working as well). Campagnolo Neutron wheels are amazing - still no dramas after 17 years (couple of spokes)

[@kovie9162]

Centaur 10 speed here, which granted isn't as slick as Chorus, after 21 years still works great for me. It just works, exactly the way it's supposed to, never any worries that it won't, because it hasn't ever not worked properly (except when it was my fault for not maintaining things properly). And I love that you can rebuilt the shifters, which I've done twice so far.

[@samdowling4674]

Neutron wheels. Best bang for the buck wheelset ever.

[@UKBROOKLYN]

Sad that the venerable company seems to be living on another planet.. But I have to say my 2015 Super Record is still a fantastic groupset.. I ride it every day .. Oh and yeah have to concur, Campag wheels are probably what they use on Gods chariot of fire...

[@williwacker2774]

Do they still use cup-and-cone bearings?

[@archieman123]

@@williwacker2774yes the USB hubs

[@UKBROOKLYN]

@@williwacker2774 Absolutely.. the best and classic..

[@chrischevalier6107]

Remember the Lambo Countach had Campagnolo wheels!

[@robbchastain3036]

I want the Campagnolo components I had on my Colnago in the '80s. They were plated and they were gorgeous. And they were Italian and the gold standard.

[@stephanw.1179]

You missed a crucial argument regarding the Campa groupsets. I ride all three groupsets: SRAM Red (Cervelo S5), Dura-Ace (SL7), and Campa Super Record Wireless on the Colnago C68, covering over 120,000 meters of elevation gain per year. The Super Record’s braking offers the best modulation, with stopping power on par with Dura-Ace. The SRAM Red struggles a bit on long Alpine passes, though I have a system weight of 95-98kg. For me, Dura-Ace offers the best price-performance ratio, but the Super Record comes close and I’d install it on my next bike despite the higher price. Shifting performance is nearly identical across all three groupsets, but there are bigger differences in braking. The Campa breaks are so much better, the shifters are gorgeous with feedback feeling and great functionality, better than SRAM in my opinion, if tester on youtube would ride 1000km with this new Campa like me, they would change their mind, this groupset is not for the mainstream, better and only for connoisseurs 😊

[@graysonwolf1216]

Super Record mechanical 12 speed with rim brakes. Couldn't be happier.

[@ejacosta174]

Record here, on all of my Colnagos. Couldn’t be happier.

[@brianpalmer2613]

i've had record 12-speed mechanical on my ritchey for over five years. don't want electrics or discs, so i'm more than happy.

[@anthonyguglielmino971]

Same….. love my Super Record mechanical…..

[@Analogue_Cyclist]

Agreed but bloody heck setting up that front mech gave was challenging. . . .of course it was a lot easier when I read the instructions and watched the online videos🙄

[@tomhowell9074]

Super record mechanical, Bora WTOs, Colnago master PR28…just as it should be. Epic!

[@cyclingonandoffroad]

Campagnolo was discussed regularly here. Mainly stating they got left behind with electronic and discbrakes. Thinking of campagnolo mechanical with trp mechanical discbrakes for my next bike. Because i ride campa mechanical for decades now and it is realy good, and to be different to be honest.

[@whichwayiszigzag]

Their disc brakes are amazing, use mineral oil and are easy to bleed. Much better than SRAM IMO.

[@andrewpercy7166]

I've chorus disc on both my bikes and love it. But I'm not sure I would upgrade to super record even if I had the money.

[@Shadowboost]

Shimano 9100 rim is peak mechanical IMO

[@pierrex3226]

It's 2024, don't get mechanical disc brakes. You'd get most of the negatives of discs without much of the benefits

[@l.d.t.6327]

@@pierrex3226there are some very good mechanical disc brakes out there like growtac, trp, Paul,…

[@scottmalone2332]

I upgraded my 1993 Eddy Merckx with 12 speed Super Record mechanical with rim brakes this year. I also bought a Campy wheelset. The price was cheaper than getting a new Specialized. It is not cheap but I love it.

[@aser885]

As someone who runs only campag rotors I can confirm they look amazing.

[@rg807]

Dura Ace here, but Campag rotors simply because they look so good. They work fine, too.

[@Tsnor150]

funny. love it.

[@AlistairMartin99]

The previous generation SR EPS was fantastic and looked so much better not having those massive derailleurs, also had the thumb levers which I can’t believe they’ve got rid of. Got my groupset and WTO45 wheels for £4k in 2019 when they used to do autumn deals before the madness of Covid and mental pricing look over.

[@Cycle.every.day.]

Mechs are bulkier than they need to be , and i like their thumb shifters.

[@graemefk6519]

@Nic - I have built multiple Scotts at the UCI with WRL (identical in that respect to SR-S) so I don't know why you had a problem? Maybe you should have called? 140 caliper works fine with the relevant adaptor ... ditto Enve and Specialized. Pricing: DuraAce group at RRP - £3,579.99 Campagnolo SR-S at RRP - £3,525.90 SRAM Red Excl. Chainset but incl. Hammerhead - £3000.00 So directly comparable - the "more expensive" mantra just isn't true ... SR WRL (the earlier version of the same with some other, lighter tech built in) is positioned above Dura Ace & SR always has been. It's not a direct group to group match anyway - and one could argue that there's no real reason (apart from convenience) that the groups should be pitched against one another directly ...

[@twatts4436]

I genuinely believe that at this point Campag needs to focus on the rim and mechanical sector of the market at a more reasonable, price

[@larisonjohnson]

Great video about a group set that nobody cares about, summing up why nobody cares about it, why you don’t like it, and why mechanics don’t like it. Nice!

[@ejacosta174]

@@larisonjohnson the mechanic who doesn’t like Campy is the same guy who ranted against chain waxing because using quick links is “not safe.” Total nonsense. I don’t how good he may be with a spanner, but I am completely unimpressed with his rants.

[@zachduncan-tessmer393]

One thing that is never mentioned in these reviews about the price is that campag is made in the EU. There are labor and environmental laws that make it more expensive to produce. I don't know where Dura-ace or Red is made, but I imagine those companies are chasing the regulatory benefits wherever they can find them. I would really like to see a comparison of the three companies' factories. What are we paying for? Are conditions better? Is waste dealt with in an environmentally appropriate way? Do you give a shit?

[@paulgrimshaw8334]

Be sure to include video coverage of morning latte, grappa breaks, work-team lunch, and afternoon espresso, knocking off for an hour or two to watch a soccer game, then a union meeting to discuss how to oppose automation. I’m not criticizing labour laws that make this a worker right or the Italian lifestyle (which seems attractive on certain levels) but everything comes at a cost. Oh, and you’re paying for it. [The environmental angle is a good one though]

[@ziodonnie]

Campagnolo has a factory in Romania if I am not mistaken, so not everything is made in Italy. Also the brakes are magura licensed, not certain who actually manufacturs those.

[@simonleeofficial]

Some campag stuff is made in switzerland. English brands like chater lea, or royce? What price there?

[@graemefk6519]

@@ziodonnie Campagnolo have three plants in Europe - the factory built by Tullio in Vicenza, and two factories that they built and are wholly owned by them, in Romania. They have a subsidiary small business in Taiwan, too. Environmental controls are good, IME. I've regularly visited and have been impressed by everything I have seen inside and out.

[@fennec13]

I would like to see you guys talk about and test brands like Microshift Sword. That would be of much more interest to budding cyclists than Campag. imo I ride on gravel and road (I have a full GRX810 2X grouptset on my bike) the Ekar has always been interesting, but years later the price of the groupset has still put me off, and if I needed to find replacement components or anything , its a wait for it to come in the mail and I'd have to re-hub my wheelsets. Yeah, it's put me off and I really don't see anything special from them for road groupsets either , as compared to Shimano or Sram. I don't ever see myself running a campag groupset. tbh

[@Hurricane2k8]

+1 for a video about Microshift Sword. I have the 1x10 Sword on my Surly Preamble and I think it's amazing for an entry level groupset. Main reason I got it is because the brake levers are sooo much better and more ergonomic than the cheaper Microshift stuff that came on the bike. Also, the 11 - 48 cassette provides huge range for 1x setup with "only" 10 gears.

[@zvl_____h]

I love my microshift sword as well!

[@fennec13]

Nice! I have heard a lot of good things about microshify sword! I'm thinking Shimano, with their Cues line, is going to have a lot of competition from them.

[@Bear-Jew]

I think it's Shimano and SRAM who need to catch up with Campy on the rear hub. You can put 8/9/10/11/12/13-speed cassettes on Campy hub, while anything over 11-speed on Shimano or SRAM will require you to re-hub your wheel.

[@williwacker2774]

@@Bear-Jew Well, at least XDR is an open standard. The one time SRAM DID NOT put a patent on their stuff. Yet Shimano came up with MicroSpline for the 12 speed GRX cassettes and they don't even offer a 12 speed GRX cassette compatible with HG freehub (which SRAM do with their 11-44 cassette). Campy's N3W freehub body is not ideal. Reduced contact area which caused a lot of creaking for Ekar cassettes. Was fixed with the Ekar GT cassettes from what I heard.

[@alessandroortiz]

I don't know if I can't find the good deals for shimano or sram, but I've always found Chorus to be very reasonably priced and effective. I usually order it from europe and with a sale, shipping and everything, my 12 speed mechanical/rim groupset came out to more than 105 but less than ultegra. But I also only have a 2003 Look and 2008 Bianchi so electronic and disc are not usable.

[@andras.89]

We love your Triban contents, keep them coming :)

[@AndresDiazChencho]

I’m younger and never experienced Campagnolo in its heyday. Fortunately was able to find the new standard Super Record Wireless on sale, and it has been superb. Wholly agree full price is ludicrous, but with a near 50% discount I can’t say I regret my purchase at all. The rear derailleur shifts better than anything I’ve ever experienced. The levers can be adjusted/brought in to remove some of the spongy feeling. I think it looks gorgeous, even if a bit larger silhouette to the derailleurs, you get used to it

[@alwaysmorecowbell]

I just built a record/super record bike and also noticed the brakes felt spongy - at first. They feel very different after a few hundred miles. Very crisp.

[@H20-Paul]

Best Campag groupset was the “old” 11 speed mechanical Chorus from about 7 years ago. Beautiful design, shifting and ease of set up. Lucky to have 2 bikes with it on.

[@ratef42]

lol. Absolutely spot on with everything. Love to see your take on it

[@Hribster]

I would like to se something about Microshift. I have it and its supernice!

[@Hurricane2k8]

Yes, it would be great if they could take a look at the Sword groupset. Really good option for budget gravelbikes imo.

[@bengarside79]

@@Hurricane2k8 yes - I also love Sensah Empire.. put it on a Gravel bike build this summer (old Marin frame and forks) and it is amazing for £125 for full groupset!!

[@kellymorris10342]

Agreed! Would love to see the Sword put up to battle.

[@Silidons91]

@@Hurricane2k8 Is the full groupset even that much cheaper than GRX 810?

[@thomasfitzgibbon1675]

@@Hurricane2k8I just swapped my mullet 105/SLX groupset (with a wolf tooth tanpan) out for sword. Shifting is perfect front and rear. Hood ergonomics are perfect. Brake modulation is improved with my Growtac equal mech calipers. The only negative is funky downshift button placement that makes it difficult to reach from the drops and a very faint plastic rattling. Also I’m using a different crankset because the Microshift crankset is heavy as sin. All the other components are of a modest weight

[@dredredre93]

Honest and funny, this channel is gold as always ❤

[@АнтониоРодригес-ф4т]

I'm a happy owner of a campa mechanical 12 speed record gs and a ultegra 12 sp di2 and I gotta say, I love the way campa works❤

[@zinpaw]

I have Campagnolo on three of my bikes, 11s SR, 12s SR (both mechanical) and Ekar. I think it looks great, the ergonomics for the shifters/hoods are the best I've come across, and it works great. Your biggest criticism seems to be the price, but that's based on MSRP. When you compare real world prices, it's not as bad. Merlin Cycles has Ekar and Chorus 12 speed disc groupsets on sale at the moment for less than $900.

[@rafaeldegiacomoaraujo8778]

@zinpaw yup. Spot on. Exact same price as dura ace, and people keep saying how more expensive to shimano it is. Mental...

[@danwentcycling7952]

You’re both right, if you compare discount campag with RRP Shimano it doesn’t look so crazy…

[@williwacker2774]

Chorus still has the old/small thumb shifter paddles which may not be comfortable to reach from the drops. Even on sale it's facing fierce competition in the form of 105 12-speed mechanical.

[@ansamilano]

TPC had complete ekar groupset 38T 9-42 for under $400 I bought three sets total

[@dd776]

Reminds me of that episode of Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected (80s British television series). The episode "Facts of Life" is one of the best episodes, but the funny part is when the kid wins loads of money in the casino and the first thing he says is that he is gonna buy a Campag groupset.

[@alexenderwayne3994]

For anyone wishes to try 12 speed mechanical. I have been running 12 speed chorus with 12 speed aliexpress cassette and duraace chain and it’s an absolute dream. 5tkm in barely any chain stretch and it solves all computability issues. Price wise is around a 1000e and about 2.2kg for the entire group set. Beating this electric nonsense issues

[@whichwayiszigzag]

yeah that's almost a kg less than Rival - which shifts and brakes like junk.

[@Tsnor150]

why this: "12 speed aliexpress cassette" ? Do you put any miles on your bike ? I'd be afraid to use a potmetal cassette.

[@alexenderwayne3994]

@@Tsnor150 Its Spedao cassettee, 11-32 is about 220g at 80ish euros, it is of great quality and very well reviewed and allows me to use campy with a normal HG freehub

[@Tsnor150]

@@alexenderwayne3994 nice. good luck with it. (I looked for 7 speed road cassettes recently and finally chose a heavy shimano steel MTB cassette for my road bike rather than risking no-name aluminum alloy. Too many horror stories on wear and assembly. No "new old stock" ultegra that I could find.)

[@glennoc8585]

I've got an 11spd mechanical campy groupset on a classic italian framed retro build that i ride occasionally. My regular bike is di2 disc but i have to say the campy mechanical groupset changes gear well and fast. The crank is light and still and spins smoothly.

[@KitHinders]

YOU GUYS HAVE A COOL WALL!!!!! I deseperately want to make one of these and fill it with opinions. Love you guys.

[@wildejagd]

This year I bought a fancy new custom hand made steel italian bike with campagnolo all around, and it was about as expensive as other similar tier mass produced carbons with shimano or sram in them. It works flawlessly, except the indexing is a bit moody, but I attribute that to the lbs I have been frequenting and my lazy ass not doing it myself. It just wants me to do it, easy enough to learn im sure

[@davidellis578]

Having ridden many Campagnolo equipped bikes since 1968, I can be considered either a dinosaur, or someone with firsthand knowledge of technological advances with cycling equipment over many years. I tried Dura-ace AX and loved the pedals and cranks, loved Zeus 2000 for its light weight, love modern Dura-Ace for its quality and value. However...Campagnolo makes the best rim AND disc brakes of the big three, they led the way with ten, eleven and twelve speed cassettes on the road, by years I might add. I routinely ride twenty and thirty year old Campagnolo wheels and groupsets that still work extremely well, whereas I threw away others by different manufactures, as they just didn't work for me, but I am certain were perfect for other cyclists. I can still mount a 12 speed cassette on my twenty year old wheels, as until just recently, since Campagnolo believes long lasting components should work a long way into the future. Yes, they are expensive, but I have never regretted the purchase, no matter how painfully expensive, whereas with some other manufacturers, regretted ever buying them. I am certain every manufacturer has proponents and distractors, so don't judge, but accept that, just like the world SHOULD be...enjoy the diversity and what each brings to the enjoyment of cycling.

[@alistair410]

As they say "Campag is wearing in as Shimano is wearing out".

[@kovie9162]

As someone who's ridden the same Campy-equipped road bike for the past 21 years, I can attest to the fact that they make (or made, back then) high quality parts that if you maintained them properly would last a long time and operate reliably and properly. And I'm talking about Centaur, not Chorus and higher. When it comes to major purchases, bikes, cars, furniture, appliances, etc., I always try to get the best that I can afford at the time, because it ends up being cheaper in the long run--and more enjoyable. But, they just haven't kept up with the times, at least for the vast majority of cyclists who don't have very deep pockets, don't need ultra high quality gruppos, and just want to ride. So they've become a niche company making and selling niche parts for a niche market. It's not about quality, but rather about not serving the needs of most cyclists today. And even at the high and expensive end its competition make really high quality products, and generally for less. So the only people likely to still go with Campy these days are affluent people and/or Campy fanatics. There's just no reason to otherwise, which is a pity.

[@MichaelWilliams-iv6dj]

I was a Campy user for decades. I think they lost their way when they stopped offering the Chorus group set with equivalent feature to Record. The cost difference between Record and Chorus was never something I could justify, but you still got a great group set that was just a little heavier and not as nicely finished. Sadly, I have moved on from Campy and the incompatibilities of 12sp means I won’t be coming back.

[@Xarx42]

​@@kovie9162 I am a "younger" cyclist with my 35 years. I Don't have any reason to buy a new groupset, however it would be great to test Campag, just for the experience. But despite renting bikes regularly during the holidays I have never seen one. There is really no reason for me to ever consider Campag currently. I don't know the demographic of Campags customers, but I wouldn't be surprised if it looks pretty grim and it doesn't seem to me the company decided to ignore that for whatever reason.

[@Hugh23132]

I had Campagnolo 12 speed mechanical on a bike which I just sold. My local mechanic was always ranting about how much he loves Campy, but for me Shimano is just better. For example, the gear change on the Campy had a definite "snap", which was slightly disconcerting. Everything about Dura Ace is smooth IMAO

[@nitronaf]

is your tyre a bit low mate?

[@wiseoldman5841]

I have pretty much had it with all the electric nonsense. Cars..motorcycle and bikes included. Get me back to a key and cars that don't shut off when you stop! A motorcycle where I don't have to scroll through layers of options while trying to ride, and back to mechanical shifting and a god blessed triple set of chainrings on a bike! Btw.. a small front chainring was called a granny gear for those of you that prefer 1x system. Lol.

[@brianisimo76]

*deep sigh whilst pinching fingers* I get it, really. And they are hella $$. As a long time fan of the brand, I hope you all DO continue to consider Campagnolo in some capacity. Love, love my new Chorus set I got last year. Mechanical and lovely--on a bike that I was influenced by a certain build in the past: Superstar. Wireless makes me weary, frankly.

[@andrewotter8163]

Built my wilier cento uno up with campag record 11 speed back in the day. Awesome shifting. Proper Italian thoroughbred. Recent purchase of a new Bianchi with D2i Ultegra seems a bit sacrilegious but it works a dream.

[@michaelanderson001]

I use Campag 10 (Ultrashift) levers on my bikes (two Centaur, one record). I combine that with Campag 9or 10s front and rear derailleurs and Shimano 105 rear hub and Shimano 9s cassette. Works well for me. I have several spare cassettes (Shimano still make a 9s groupset), frontand and rear derailleurs. I have since found out that I should be able to use a Shimano 10s GRX rear derailleur on my setup if I wanted to, so I have sort of future-proofed myself for a few years yet. I use rim brakes and am sure wheelbuilders will be around should I ever need additional wheels building for me.

[@krisbowditch827]

Campagnol super record mechanical is the best groupset ever 🏅🏅🏅😀👊 and lasts forever 😳🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@izabela-56751]

My first proper road bike was on Campag Veloce. The aluminum F.Moser bike with a carbon fork. I absolutely loved it!

[@rogerwatt8491]

I found this SO sad as, back in the '60s, Campag was the Holy Grail and we ALL lusted after it. My 1965 Urago frame (made in Nice, France, bought new for me by my mum!) is now the bike I always wanted it to be back then (but couldn't afford) as, forty + years ago, it finally got the top Campag equipment from the late '60s/early '70s. Because of all the happy memories, it's been tough to watch Campag lose their dominance and their way over the years but, from watching this excellent video, it sounds like they've only got themselves to blame. PS: compared to groupsets of the past, I don't think this one looks all that great either . . . they used to be sculpted art!

[@marcopalmeri8492]

Campag mechanical shifting with disc brakes are still very nice groupsets. They should really make sure to keep making high-end mechanical, since no on else does, and rim brake as well.

[@MrZeroNegative]

Love the channel, the presentation is top notch and the content is actually relevant and interesting without being populist. Kudos and thanks for the effort! Feel like Campag are slowly making themselves irrelevant for most cyclists. But I guess that's good for innovation and new companies.

[@sa3key]

I agree with the “God Tier” for the wheels. I’ve had my Bora Ultra WTO’s for 2 years and just love them.

[@darreneaton2145]

One of my favorite bikes I rode back in the 80's was Guerciotti with Campy, loved it

[@71CMM]

That's nice. How does your opinion of a 40 year old group set relate to this review?

[@paulgrimshaw8334]

Keep it real guys. Well done! There’s no future for group sets that only the Beckhams can comfortably afford.

[@Tsnor150]

Think they said that about porche/audi/bmw/mercedes when Honda and Toyota first entered luxury car business. Campy needs to make a value prop. People will pay for quality.

[@DP-PhD]

I have Campagnolo record, 10, 11 and 12-speed (rim brake) mechanical group sets. All are drop dead gorgeous looking works of art. They are all super smooth running, dead easy to maintain (once you have the tools!) and light weight. All the EPS (first electronic) group sets were fine, but a bit quirky in set and maintaining! Any of the new Campagnolo wireless group sets, nope not for me! To my well trained Campy eyes 👀 they look ordinary at best, the price now is just way too much, and it’s a sad day that I would now not even consider Campagnolo in preference to Shimano or SRAM 😢

[@charlesblithfield6182]

I have a vintage Chorus groupo and the quality is exceptional and timeless. Campagnolo will IMHO always hold a special relationship to the history of cycling.

[@stuartguy4479]

Even bikes around £1000 used to come with lower end Campag like Veloce and Xenon around 10 years ago but there didn’t seem to be any trickle down components like you’d get with Shimano and SRAM. Lack of spares means these were hard to maintain so people just stopped specifying it

[@sc5725]

My first premium groupset buy was 1981 Nuovo Record. I didn't like the "style" of Super, so I got the SR brake levers (drilled), the front mech (cut-out), some SunTour chainrings (looked like SR) and kept the beautiful NR rear der. That combo made me want to rider every single day. I loved it. The last group I bought was a mechanical Record 11 that hung on a Pegoretti Marcelo. It was ... "OK." The group I have left (because I'm old and have sold most all of my bikes) is a Record 10 group circa 2005 on a titanium Merckx Majestic (built by Litespeed). I still love that. I think Campagnolo have lost their way. Maybe it started with 11, but fate was probably sealed with the electronic transition.

[@01banksjon]

Jimmy on rule number 1 made me lol!!! This is exactly why I watch you guys! Keep it up guys!

[@danrees5614]

Interesting to see! I have Super Record EPS 11-Speed (so now quite old), and on another bike same era Super Record mechanical. Both, the EPS in particular, are awesome. EPS works, is smooth, customisable, changes well even under heavy load, looks great and has none of the reliability issues that Di2 has (or at lest had historically). Battery charging is once every ~2-3k miles. Unfortunately I have never been to recommend it to anybody because on a value for money basis it doesn’t stack up to the competition. This sounds similar (I.e., if money is no object you might love it…)

[@MichelBertrand]

I still ride 2 mechanical, rim brake Campy groupsets (and wheels), and they are still god-tier to me :)

[@FredsRandomFinds]

Would rather have that £150 groupset TraceVelo showed in the last vid. May not be electronic shifting but far better value for money with reasonable performance?

[@chrischevalier6107]

Is it really that expensive? I never run a Campy chain (they are roughly the same price) the cassettes are more but not much. What else breaks? Their wheels are a bit more at all grades but they are the best hands down

[@lucasherculano5563]

That’s true, I’m actually gonna get that for a project on my Raleigh steel frame

[@chrischevalier6107]

​@matth6487 hey Matt. A quick search found that Campy rotors and pads are less expensive than the sram and Shimano units. A complete brake and cable set is $60. I have not used the Campy pinned chain. The official tool is expensive but the others are not. Now I will grant that shops do not stock Campy as much, but in the age of the internet parts can come next day. As a "more seasoned rider" is have learned to keep spare consumables. This goes for my Sram bike too. As far as cables breaking, I have never had a cable (brake or shifter) snap. They are available separately. There are also many aftermarket companies that make consumables for campy along side sram and Shimano. A lot of this just come down to preference and perhaps having something functional AND beautiful vs a fishing reel.

[@grantbeerling4396]

What shame. I'm still riding the 2006 Camapag record (the super record had yet to return by that date). I was thinking record/s/record mechanical/rim brake, but I won't bother. No brand is too big to fail.

[@averyhillroad235]

I have been using Campag since I started cycling as my main activity in 1985. In 1986 I bought Sup Rec groupset. I was still using the SR brake calipers up until 2016, but had to stop because they were no longer campatible with modern levers. I bought Campag for the style and quality of finish. However, very sadly, I don't think I will be buying again. Too expensive and I don't like matt black. Campag should consider producing retro components, its what they did best, and I think there is a market beautiful anodised or polished aluminium.

[@MichalBrat]

I totally agree with the wheels part. I ride Levante on my gravel bike and they are lovely.

[@khanscombe619]

Restoring a vintage Bianchi road to city conversion. Had Campy set. What is a good smooth reliable group set to take its place ?

[@brettalexander3028]

I just recently built up a Chorus 12s mechanical shift with Disc Brakes. It works very well, brakes are very good. I feel the sweet spot for Campag was 11s Record. Chorus 11s is close. Not really feeling the need for electronic shifting, however a lot of the newer frames are now set up for this, leaving mechanical internal cable routing a bit of a nightmare to install.

[@JR_Dinosaur_JR]

I have five bikes. Four of which run mechanical Campagnolo. I am, however, the only one locally that I know of that runs it…

[@slighter]

Same here, I am the only one.

[@martindumont5553]

And again. But I love my thumb shifters on my Black & Red group set which matches my bike.

[@huwsalway4099]

One thing they still do better than their direct competition is wheels whether Campag or Fulcrum. They may not be THE most aero but hooked tubeless without the need for rim tape is priceless for me and incredibly reliable. I’ve switched to DA 12speed Di2 as I don’t like the look of the new SR wireless or the sram like gearing options but stuck with Fulcrum for the wheels for the above reasons.

[@1anad9mit77]

Advice to Campagnolo: Return to the days of rebuildable components. I have a 2001 Bianchi with a left Mirage shifter that controls the rear derailleur. I have cerebral palsy on the right side of my body, so at that time using Campy was the only effective way I could ride a road bike. Rebuildable components would also appeal to riders who like classic looking lugged steel bikes, as well as those who wanted mechanical solutions for adaptive setups.

[@dinodaniel2237]

The irony is the Campagnolo was the one to revolutionize cycling. I’ve always had a bike outfitted with their mechanical groupsets and have never encountered any problems.

[@ziodonnie]

Problem with Campagnolo is that it's basically a family business and they never wanted (or possibly couldn't) go global when the shift to mass manufacturing in Asia happened. Also they don't have the same budget as a global conglomerate as Shimano. The writing was on the wall when Suntour (another pioneer) closed down because they couldn't keep up. Campagnolo is basically legacy now, boutique for those that can afford it.

[@LukeGJPotter]

I thought that after leaving the World Tour, that Campag would direct their Marketing Budget towards Influencers.

[@dodoslovensko]

1990 ties deltas hidden fift spider arm on crankset ,all super polished . BRING THAT BACK NOW !!!!!!

[@vlahovicsamira7084]

I have the Campa Ekar group set, but not in UK ... It's simply fantastic. You can adjust both lever (brake and shifter) with screws embedded in the levers. I fully understand your issues with presenting that brand, but I'm not sure that SRAM Red is much cheaper, regarding that it's made in China (I Guess), and Campa made in Italy. You could have presented the Chorus group set, which is more affordable😊 I like your videos, and the manner you do it.

[@SeanHogan_frijole]

Love this channel

[@JanGoh-jb5ge]

Mechanical Campy Chorus is my favourite groupset ever. Nothing shifted better, needed less maintenance or looked better. But I run SRAM now because SRAM is what I can afford. As a cyclocross racer, I raced what I could replace, and it's EASY to destroy a derailleur in a season if you're unlucky and racing hard. I love Campy, but I need to be making twice as much money to even think about it. (Still care about it, just can't buy it.)

[@DeadBird-wp9of]

Most bike tech doesn't make sense at all - a carbon frameset for 6,000 Euro e.g. I bought an Van Rysel with Centaur for 830 Euro - it is ok (the only bothering thing is speedy multi gear shifting - shitty as a SRAM, but better levers. Shimano cranks are a hazard & SRAM brake fluids are the most toxic - I really don't know what to buy at all - the bike shops have become a shit show by themselves with sudo bike fitting and service costs that equals car repairs (one reason I bought a Parktool stand immediatly - not to get burned, again - you give a bike to service and can buy a new bike at the total of the second service bill). Of course I remember what I've paid in the past, when I did bike racing - if the UCI would care about the riders - we would have a regulations without gimmicks like disc brakes (+ 500gr), aero carbon wheels, e-shifting and monocoque carbon frames, but these suckers don't give a shit about sport & fair competition.

[@JuanAsencio-jc2ms]

Campag wheels for Life!

[@locklannnn]

6:28 can thank magura for those discs

[@abksh1011]

You can setup a button to switch the front derailleur, not two buttons for two directions. You only got two chainrings in the front, won't a button action that switches them be alright? Also,campagnolo ekar ain't that expensive to feature in a range of videos. Am I wrong??

[@kellypaws]

I have Campag on all my bikes. But, they were all built at a time when Campag was a thing called ‘affordable’. Well, relatively affordable. They’re brilliant. But, what’s happened to Campag in the last 10 to 15 years is really saddening.

[@H457ur]

Sad but not that many people give a crap about it. I’ve been riding it for literally 45 years and I’ve had every single generation since the mid 1970s except wired EPS. I recently built up a Battaglin with Super Record 12-speed wireless, and I think it’s brilliant. Obscenely expensive, yes, but it’s an absolute joy to ride. I know that this is subjective, but I also own both the latest SRAM Red AXS and Shimano Dura-Ace but I still like Campagnolo better, and I even like the fact that they got rid of the thumb button. I prefer the brakes by far over SRAM (Dura-Ace brakes are spectacular and I won’t claim otherwise), and the shifting feels nicer to me than either of the other two. I will note that I have 160mm rotors front and back, and then I can stop the bike with a single finger.

[@iansingleton]

Top review guys I think you hit the nail on the head and most probably in the coffin lid too! One thing you did miss was the missing logo! I couldn't see it anywhere! If I'm riding a campi group set I want everyone to know I am! Where's that beautiful campagnolo signature? Sad!

[@bladesdna]

Campag should embrace their small slice of the market and just cater to niche markets. I for one would love a polished aluminum no black finishgroupset to put on older bikes, vintage restorations, and modern steel bikes. Bring back delta brakes for those of us that don't have disc brake mounts. Reissue limited edition classic groupsets of yore. I'm sure collectors and enthusiasts alike would rejoice.

[@curtvaughan2836]

Yes, they should continue to produce and refine their mechanical group sets, and continue to offer rim brakes and wheels ... and at least make the prices reasonably competitive. Now that Shimano and Sram are phasing out mechanical group sets and rim brakes, Campy could fulfill a needed niche. They need to get out of the electrics.

[@simonleeofficial]

Sheriff stars with freehub.. white brake hoods.. JUST TAKE MY MONEY NOW

[@PatrickCallum]

I care about Campagnolo! Of the three big groupset manufacturers, they are the only one to still offer rim brake mechanical shifting sets at higher end products. Coupled with a set of Campy Shamal Ultra clincher hooked aluminum wheels, my Campy outfitted Record 12 speed, Trek Emonda SLR bike is quite light and I can do most maintenance chores myself. I don't particularly love their thumb shifters but I've trained myself to tolerate them. As for the cost...well it would be nice to have more options in the marketplace.

[@neil4701]

I love my Campag, but I'm still using 11sp EPS with rim brakes on my two best bikes. I've no desire for discs, and if I did have I'd be looking at 12sp wired SR, as 1) I've no desire for the unnecessary complications of wireless, 2) I love the thumbshifters, and 3) it's now a sensible price if you can find it. Moving away from the thumbshifter was a massive mistake IMO, as it alienates existing Campag fans while there's nothing in the new groupset to atract people awat from Shimano or SRAM.

[@graemefk6519]

Note for potential customers re derailleur pairing - it is simple and quick. Its possible Nic had a problem because there was something else in the locality interfering with the BlueTooth, or he made a mistake in the initial pairing and (from what he said) he had to "dump" the pairing data and start again. A final possibility with a demo group, is that one part or another may have been previously paired with a different group, so the pairing data cache needed to be cleared. Under normal circumstances, the sequence is: Do not instal the batteries into the derailleurs in the 1st instance. Fully charge the batteries (later, can be done either on or off the bike) Switch the ErgoPower levers on. Instal the FD battery. Instal the RD battery. Make sure that you have given all the components a "shake" so that they are all "awake". The components, unless they've been previously paired with another system, will pair automatically. Once the pairing sequence is set, the levers can be switched on / off or the batteries refitted / removed in any sequence, It only has any importance on initial set up.

[@dibqip]

They should make top tier mechanical sets to undercut the main two for people that want to avoid the electronic ones until they can make a nice electronic one.

[@andyfrizzell4352]

Yeah need to find a market niche. How can you market yourself as top of the line racing group set when no tier one pro team uses the stuff?

[@grantwilliams2912]

I used to run Campag, and would like to, but it’s become harder to run it across my bikes due to frame designs biasing towards electronic. I’ve gone to d i2 even tho’ this may not be the best move from an environmental perspective?

[@datchucktaylor]

Looks great on the Wiler though. Lovely

[@kovie9162]

When I built up my Ti road bike 21 years ago I went with Campy for the drivetrain. There wasn't really much of a question about that for me. It wasn't just snobbery, although I'd be lying if there wasn't a bit of it in my thinking. It wasn't just my yearning for years for a Campy equipped bike someday. It was because, for my budget and needs at the time, it just make the most sense to me. I simply preferred the Ergo shifters with the thumb mechanism that could be fairly easily rebuilt, unlike Shimano, and everything followed from that, at least with the drivetrain, and even then it wasn't completely Campy. Because I'd already purchased a wheelset with a Shimano hub, I had to go with a Shimano-compatible cassette, which Campy didn't make. I'd also already bought Shimano Ultegra brakes, which I preferred. And I ended up with Shimano Dura-Ace SPD-SL pedals, because those seemed better at that price point than anything Campy made. But the shifters, derailleurs and crankset were all Campy Centaur, which along with the frame is the heart of any bike. And I've never regretted that decision even a little bit. Fantastic bike, for my needs, super smooth pedaling and shifting (I had to respace the cassette to make it work), as good now as it was then. Back then at least, they made some seriously quality gruppos, even below the Record and Chorus level. But if I were building up or buying a bike today I'd probably not go with Campy. Way too expensive and there's too much funkiness from what I've read with their electronic gruppos. Plus they're way more of a niche company now than they were back then. I hope they get back in the game, but right now, they're not.

[@patrickdrewello4196]

I use Campag disk rotors on an all Sram setup - they look and work fantastic!

[@mrvwbug4423]

Campy, when Dura Ace and SRAM Red feel too low brow haha. Even Pinarello doesn't spec them anymore, most Dogmas are rolling Dura Ace or Red, with Ineos rolling Dura Ace. My friend's Cervelo has SRAM AXS on it.

[@danielsotelo3942]

Sad but true... Campagnolo was at their height in the 60s and 70s. I bought and proudly worked with 2 beautiful wood cased Campy tool sets in case something broke or wore out I had backup while I replaced the item. I used the sets quite a bit as I handled all the (celebrity) pro bikes in an LA shop. I saw the first crack in the late 80s early 90s, when they tried to be cool by entering the MTB market. By then I had a company called onZa with a very strong MTB rebel type image always working with Yeti founder John Parker the king of Kool. I say this because it was key in Campys MTB story. The first year Campy MTB did not do well with their Euclid group that looked and was heavy. But Valentino (founder's son) thought it was not doing well because it didn't have that cool image. So he hooked up with Yeti, then contacted me at onZa asking me to spec onZa SS granny C-rings on his MTB crank-sets in an effort to add some cool. I simply couldn't say no, it was like God asking for help... But I knew right then Campagnolo Italy was in for the fight of their lives going against Asia. I can still remember John Parker complaining about his team riders saying how terrible their Campy equipment worked. Parker had no choice but to end their Campy team relation. When that happened Campy MTB simply had to fold. Here we are 2024 and Campagnolo at this point has to make a very important decision. FYI: I love unions but it's not working for them, it's killing them. From my experience inside the industry, Campagnolo should partner up with a top of the line Chinese derailleur manufacture, and start a whole new chapter and just level all competitors. Or have Shimano or Sram buy out Campy and do a Honda/Acura thing. Either way and bottom line is they need to carry on the name and not let it die a slow death. Sincerely Dan Sotelo

[@nextsibling]

I'm old enough to remember Campag's first efforts at index gearing. The less said about it, the better, but the trend of their downfall can be traced from there - beautifully made, way-over-priced parts, forever playing catch-up with the superior engineering of their competition.

[@l.d.t.6327]

Campa 9-10 speed was superior engineering. Dura ace 9100 is imho better shifting than anything 11sp that campa made. But just saying your comment is nonsense. Campa made some of the best index gearing of them all. I rebuild quite a few 9-10 speed ergopower shifters and those still work flawlessly 20-25 years later. You won’t find many working STI from that era.

[@mathewrose2951]

I still have my 11 speed Super Record with the thumb shifters. Other than a few hundred dollars each year to keep it on the road, I wouldn't change a thing and go for the newer version.

[@aaronvandyke2597]

I was wondering where Campy went, but then I remembered Fulcrum wheels, so they might be more prominent they get credit for. Since you seem to still like Campy wheels, any opinion on Fulcrum?