Comments on: Campagnolo’s design- what am I missing?

By: Al Dente

Al Dente — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:49:57 +0000

To me the silver finish Athena group is pretty hansom but do they really have to plaster big Campagnolo and Athena logos on the crank and R changer? Everyone can tell from a glance they are Campy so a subtle logo would have been better. Other than the silver finish alloy Athena group I’m with you; the new gruppos are butt ugly. Then again, most of what Shimano and SRAM produce are butt ugly as well.

By: jack

jack — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:49:28 +0000

I think this author is totally wrong. The new dura-ace with the flat black finish looks cheap and probably saves Shimano a lot of polishing money which they pocket. The Delta brakes were very heavy with zero modulation and were not good brakes. Pretty doesn’t make it at 45 m.p.h. The best gruppo ever made was the 7800 dura-ace. the cranks are beautiful and the parts shine and shift a lot better than the new dura-ace. But Shimano needs to keep on selling the consumer something that they don’t really need. They make hollow chainrings which cost $250 to replace. How many of you out there are going to buy a $5000 Campy electric gruppo? Maybe Mr.Lance Livewrong………

By: Mechanics Matter

Mechanics Matter — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:29:23 +0000

Personally, I really like where Campag has gone with Chorus – Record – Super Record, and now EPS. Campag would have been dust in the wind if they never changed their styling.

Can anyone here honestly say that new Ultegra and Dura-Ace are attractive groups? Campag have gone Formula 1 while Shimano has gone Mechano/Tonka.

The UltraTorque crank design is strong, stiff, and beautifully serviceable… rebuildable shifters are a godsend in a world where a replacement set of Dura-Ace shifters will cost you $620 online, Red shifters go a little under $600, and Campag have no standard shifters that cost more than $500.

There are a LOT of technical reasons to like Campagnolo, and I love what they’re doing with their better groupls. Athena, on the other hand….. I’ve just recently completed a Cervelo R5 VWD with Athena for a customer, and the group is horrible!

By: A Yarrow

A Yarrow — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:57:01 +0000

I like the looks of Tiso! They make very stylish campy Compatibles.
Perhaps Campagnolo should contract them to head a new groupo for a wonderful start.

By: Alex Liauw

Alex Liauw — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 04:42:16 +0000

Just my 2 cents – I think the current campy when put on a modern frame does look great, complementary, and not overwhelming. On the other hand Shimano is just ugly. The current Ultegra and Durace cranks just look awful. As a crank / object – they look fine, but assembled on a bike they are overwhelming.

I actually like the look of the new electronic campy too – it looks robust, and calculated. And I think thats not a bad aesthetic for an electronic group. It also seems that it is all about form following function, or form follows technical package. And theres nothing wrong with that.

I also know if I had the money for a $6500 carbon from – it would definitely run Campag. and if I was getting a Pegoretti it would have Campag. The current aethetic goes with both.

And as far as design and function, there is no better brake lever / hood design than campag. It fits your hands, and shimano simply does not. And I find it amazing that shimano cannot come up with something better.

Of course all my opinion, and I am running campag chorus on my road bike – switched from ultegra.

By: Sprawl

Sprawl — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:19:20 +0000

If you thought Campy’s rear derailleur was ugly, wait until you’ve seen the front one!
http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/news/2011/11/07/1320693868707-195gmfilpl3xp-670-75.jpg
Avert your eyes before clicking – it’ll give you nightmares.

By: James Thomas

James Thomas — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:21:55 +0000

Bob, perhaps the juxtaposition of images of the two derailleurs from different eras is a bit misleading. I certainly don’t think Campagnolo should be rehashing iterations of designs from the past, but I do think they have lost something in the way that they unify the aesthetics of their groupos. You may not personally like the “automotive lines” of the newest Dura Ace group, but it is hard to argue that those components were not designed to visually work as a complete set.

I absolutely agree that Campy components should have a completely different aesthetic from their competitors’ products, and I have no problem with their choice to embrace carbon. Unfortunately though, I think that the carbon material itself is the only unifying element in the Record and Super Record grouppos. The front and rear derailieurs look unrefined, not because of the material, but because of the form (which was never the case with old Campy designs).

You may be correct in stating that it makes sense for them to design components that suit the modern carbon frames from Italian companies. Those brands still have loyal followers, but I personally am not a big fan of the curvy, over-shaped Pinarello frames with Onda forks, and similar overdesigned carbon frames. I think those designers are the ones who need to “go back to design school”, but that’s just my opinion.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:26:45 +0000

Hmm… I disagree.

If one don’t see the exact same design principles, in both those derailleurs, just separated by technology eras, then that person needs to go back to design school.

Everyone will have an aesthetic that they prefer, but to think or even suggest that Campy should be still designing in over-weight aero sculpted aluminium is to not see what the industry focus has become.

Campagnolo are still the industry leaders in design and technology. I have yet to see a full carbon rear derailleur at the level of Super Record from either Shimano or SRAM.

Sure, it looks “different”. Sure it looks out of place on a Cinelli Supercorsa or XCR, but it’s made for a Pinarello, Colnago or De Rosa…. full carbon.

It would be foolish for Campagnolo to not design their components to suit those bikes and even more foolish to imitate automotive lines/form like the others.

By: Nicholas Hardrath

Nicholas Hardrath — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:07:12 +0000

This post opened my eyes a little, I’m no doubt a Campy guy. I have, unlike many, used all 3 component manufacturers – Shimano, SRAM & Campagnolo. I’m a little confused on why people see lack of innovation, there’s plenty of innovation, the problem is there were huge gains in technology in the 70′s & 80′s, and Campy was a frontrunner. Now the technologies trickle in a bit slower so they aren’t as evident, but still there. Ultra-torque, skeleton shifters, 11 speed, and they DO have their own carbon weave (wheels). These are all pretty cool things and perhaps overlooked. I like that SRAM is US based, and they were totally overlooked as a competitor, the design and direct marketing efforts proved that wrong. They no doubt make some decent stuff, but no where even remotely close in craft as Campagnolo. Example: I bought a new cross bike this year with new SRAM rival, the less than 6 months I blew out a rear shifter, blew out the external BB cups, and lost shifting many times. The good news is SRAM sponsors the Race Support and they replaced everything stating they knew some of my issues were known – that is pretty good service. But it doesn’t take away from the lack of quality manufacturing within the product. Now, if it were Campagnolo, I would of had a much harder time replacing and/or fixing those parts, but it’s more than likely those parts would not of broken either. I’ve had 11 speed Chorus for over a year now and have never had a better riding experience, everything is beyond crisp and more ammo than I truly need. The parts are beautiful and highly functional (black parts on a black bike – not any different than highly polished 80′s parts on a beautifully lugged bike). Just my 2 cents, as a designer, bike racer, bike & parts connoisseur and truly skillful product tester.

By: art

art — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:23:03 +0000

You’re not missing anything. The last of the silver finished Campy hardware is so visually distinctive, you could spot it five wheels up in a pace line. The new carbon stuff is practically camouflaged. All of the carbon weave might turn the geeks on when it’s in a display case, but out on the road it just disappears.