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View Full Version : Re: WTB: Campy brake levers- All Shimano goes.


Paul Kopit
August 3rd 03, 04:03 AM
On Sun, 03 Aug 2003 00:39:13 GMT, "bob" > wrote:

>But, I will not ever spend a penny on a Shimano product. The idea is to
>replace all Shimano as it makes sense.

Don't abandon Shimano so fast. You will miss out on a lot.

I happen to have a special liking for Campy but I would not abandon
Shimano.

Repair parts for Campy are costly if you don't do the repair yourself.
The typical G springs repair and a set of hoods will set you back $70.
That's $10 for the springs and $35 for the hoods plus $25 labor. A
set of housing is $35. Within 3 years of normal riding you can expect
to pay $105 for replacement parts on a set of levers that you can buy
for ~$100. And remember, nothing broke. The replacement rear
derailleur cages cost like the entire unit. The majority of local
shops don't have a clue as to how to work with Campy components and
don't even stock them. Repair parts? The shops don't even like to
order them. Remember, those that participate here on usenet are very
savy consumers and many skilled mehanically.

The story is not untypical. A guy I train with on Wed. had a broken
right Record lever. Takes to decent local shop. Day 1, Mechanic
needs to take lever off to see that a spring carrier and springs are
needed. Bar tape gets mangled. Day 2, orders parts from Quality who
sends via UPS and that takes 4 days. A week plus later the mechanic
assembles the shifter and installs new cables and housing too. The
customer winds up paying $85 and losing the use of the bike for over a
week. The price is cheap because the shop likely had to spend 1 hour
playing with the stuff. He does have new bartape and probably needed
the cables and housing too. Frequently, the local shop just boxes the
lever and sends it out to someone who knows how to repair and it winds
up costing the customer about $100.

Other than the levers, what component in particular do you feel is a
great deal better in Campy than Shimano? I'd have to give plus signs
to shimaNO for a splined bb, choices of cassette ranges, availability
of aftermarket parts, hubs, and dual pivot brakes for both wheels that
are comparatively inexpensive. Campy plus is a front shifter that is
not indexed, internal derailleur cable routing (derailleur cables need
replacement more frequently) and a brake lever that is independent to
the shift paddle. I can shift any Shimano 9, Campy 10 and Campy 9
cassette with my 10 sp Ergo and I like to feel the clicks/snaps when
shifting.

Specific to my tandem, the shifters, rear derailleur, and stoker
crankarm are Campy. Everything else is Shimano and I wouldn't change.

My singles are Ergo from Record down to Mirage and, to Campy's credit,
they all work the same and I'd expect that they'll have the same
lifespan.

Mike Latondresse
August 3rd 03, 05:14 AM
Paul Kopit > wrote in
:

> The typical G springs repair and a set of hoods will set
> you back $70. That's $10 for the springs and $35 for the hoods
> plus $25 labor.

Why do you need new hoods, mine have done 35,000k and are worn but
still OK.

> A set of housing is $35.

Housings??

> The majority of local shops don't have a clue as to how to
> work with Campy components

You must really live in Podunk.
>
> The story is not untypical.

Sad story.
>
> Other than the levers, what component in particular do you feel is
> a great deal better in Campy than Shimano?

So both do well, something I would agree with but you can rebuild the
Campy at far less than you have claimed.
>
> Specific to my tandem, the shifters, rear derailleur, and stoker
> crankarm are Campy. Everything else is Shimano and I wouldn't
> change.
>
> My singles are Ergo from Record down to Mirage and, to Campy's
> credit, they all work the same and I'd expect that they'll have
> the same lifespan.

Just don't replace the hoods un-necessarily and you will be way ahead.

Pete Biggs
August 3rd 03, 07:02 AM
Mike Latondresse wrote:

> Why do you need new hoods, mine have done 35,000k and are worn but
> still OK.

They can develop splits in uncomfortable places.

~PB

Mike Jacoubowsky
August 3rd 03, 07:47 AM
> How much does it _normally_ cost to get a pair of Campagnolo G-springs
> installed? Not the $85 horror story version. More like $35
>
> How much does a similar repair (replacement) cost with Ultegra/Dura Ace?
> $200? $300? And usually that's about the same mileage increment as an Ergo
> rebuild.
>
> There are good and poor aspects of both brands but shifters and shifter
> service are a clear Campagnolo edge.

But how many perfectly-good Shimano levers are tossed because nobody
realized they just needed a bit of powerlube (available at better auto-parts
stores everywhere) shot into them? It's my experience that a Shimano lever
will, with nothing more than a shot of powerlube now and then, go quite a
bit longer than a Campy will before it has to be rebuilt.

There's also Campy's current attitude that virtually nothing is defective,
vs Shimano being pretty lenient about things that are actually sent back to
them.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"A Muzi" > wrote in message
...
> "Paul Kopit" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Sun, 03 Aug 2003 00:39:13 GMT, "bob" > wrote:
> >
> > >But, I will not ever spend a penny on a Shimano product. The idea is
to
> > >replace all Shimano as it makes sense.
> >
> > Don't abandon Shimano so fast. You will miss out on a lot.
> >
> > I happen to have a special liking for Campy but I would not abandon
> > Shimano.
> >
> > Repair parts for Campy are costly if you don't do the repair yourself.
> > The typical G springs repair and a set of hoods will set you back $70.
> > That's $10 for the springs and $35 for the hoods plus $25 labor. A
> > set of housing is $35. Within 3 years of normal riding you can expect
> > to pay $105 for replacement parts on a set of levers that you can buy
> > for ~$100. And remember, nothing broke. The replacement rear
> > derailleur cages cost like the entire unit. The majority of local
> > shops don't have a clue as to how to work with Campy components and
> > don't even stock them. Repair parts? The shops don't even like to
> > order them. Remember, those that participate here on usenet are very
> > savy consumers and many skilled mehanically.
> >
> > The story is not untypical. A guy I train with on Wed. had a broken
> > right Record lever. Takes to decent local shop. Day 1, Mechanic
> > needs to take lever off to see that a spring carrier and springs are
> > needed. Bar tape gets mangled. Day 2, orders parts from Quality who
> > sends via UPS and that takes 4 days. A week plus later the mechanic
> > assembles the shifter and installs new cables and housing too. The
> > customer winds up paying $85 and losing the use of the bike for over a
> > week. The price is cheap because the shop likely had to spend 1 hour
> > playing with the stuff. He does have new bartape and probably needed
> > the cables and housing too. Frequently, the local shop just boxes the
> > lever and sends it out to someone who knows how to repair and it winds
> > up costing the customer about $100.
> >
> > Other than the levers, what component in particular do you feel is a
> > great deal better in Campy than Shimano? I'd have to give plus signs
> > to shimaNO for a splined bb, choices of cassette ranges, availability
> > of aftermarket parts, hubs, and dual pivot brakes for both wheels that
> > are comparatively inexpensive. Campy plus is a front shifter that is
> > not indexed, internal derailleur cable routing (derailleur cables need
> > replacement more frequently) and a brake lever that is independent to
> > the shift paddle. I can shift any Shimano 9, Campy 10 and Campy 9
> > cassette with my 10 sp Ergo and I like to feel the clicks/snaps when
> > shifting.
> >
> > Specific to my tandem, the shifters, rear derailleur, and stoker
> > crankarm are Campy. Everything else is Shimano and I wouldn't change.
> >
> > My singles are Ergo from Record down to Mirage and, to Campy's credit,
> > they all work the same and I'd expect that they'll have the same
> > lifespan.
>
> Paul, I think you were correct and evenhanded so far as it goes but-
>
> How much does it _normally_ cost to get a pair of Campagnolo G-springs
> installed? Not the $85 horror story version. More like $35
>
> How much does a similar repair (replacement) cost with Ultegra/Dura Ace?
> $200? $300? And usually that's about the same mileage increment as an Ergo
> rebuild.
>
> There are good and poor aspects of both brands but shifters and shifter
> service are a clear Campagnolo edge.
> --
> Andrew Muzi
> www.yellowjersey.org
> Open every day since 1 April, 1971
>
>

Paul Kopit
August 3rd 03, 02:39 PM
On Sun, 03 Aug 2003 04:14:59 GMT, Mike Latondresse
> wrote:

>Why do you need new hoods, mine have done 35,000k and are worn but
>still OK.

I really do believe that within 3 years of use, most users will
replace one set of G springs, hoods, cables and housing, and bartape.
When the lever is off to replace the G springs, the rest of the items
are likely to be near replacement.

If you do it all yourself like lots of people that participate on
rec.bicycles.* on usenet, it is a simple and inexpensive job. If you
are an average consumer it will cost way more. If you use a local
shop that knows how, you will really pay $100+.

I live in Los Angeles and went into several large, reputable shops to
buy G springs. Not in stock or only for sale to someone having the
shop install. One shop wants to give me levers for the repair because
I'd turn around faster than their regular fixer.

Andrew Muzi mentioned that the spring replacement is a $35 job but I
haven't found one person that had the job done that didn't wind up
with a $50+ repair. And, yes, Campy is reparable and my favorite
stuff by far but I would not abandon Shimano. Actually, I don't know
why anyone would want STI vs Ergo, but that is my opinion.

And, my favorite reminder, since 90+% adult bicycles will go less
than 2,000 miles in their lifetime, longevity is not a factor for the
garage bicycles.

Paul Kopit
August 3rd 03, 02:41 PM
On Sun, 3 Aug 2003 07:02:38 +0100, "Pete Biggs"
> wrote:

>Mike Latondresse wrote:
>
>> Why do you need new hoods, mine have done 35,000k and are worn but
>> still OK.
>
>They can develop splits in uncomfortable places.

I ride on the hoods and will wear the hoods at the rate I wear the
bartape. The hoods get very thin and uncomfortable for me.

Paul Southworth
August 3rd 03, 03:42 PM
In article >,
Paul Kopit > wrote:
>
>Repair parts for Campy are costly if you don't do the repair yourself.
>The typical G springs repair and a set of hoods will set you back $70.
>That's $10 for the springs and $35 for the hoods plus $25 labor. A
>set of housing is $35. Within 3 years of normal riding you can expect
>to pay $105 for replacement parts on a set of levers that you can buy
>for ~$100. And remember, nothing broke. The replacement rear
>derailleur cages cost like the entire unit. The majority of local
>shops don't have a clue as to how to work with Campy components and
>don't even stock them. Repair parts? The shops don't even like to
>order them. Remember, those that participate here on usenet are very
>savy consumers and many skilled mehanically.

I always assumed people come here so they can become more savvy
consumers and more skilled mechanically, I think it's reasonable to
tell people the parts and instructions they need to fix it themselves.
A frugal person will use the information and a lazy person with
lots of money will patronize the bike shop. Both ways are OK, I don't
think less of the guy who pays someone to work on his bike.
I think anyone with reasonable use of their fingers can learn to
take apart an ergo lever, and if they think they can't well they
should have gone to a bike shop instead of to rec.bicycles.tech.

I am not surprised to learn that a shop wasn't prepared to do
this work, but depending on which city you're talking about, there
is probably a shop in the area that has the parts on hand and
knows how to use them.

The person in the example you mentioned apparently hasn't learned
about keeping a spare bike yet? :-)

--Paul

Qui si parla Campagnolo
August 4th 03, 02:07 PM
paul-<< If you
are an average consumer it will cost way more. If you use a local
shop that knows how, you will really pay $100+. >><BR><BR>

$92 at my shop-

<< Andrew Muzi mentioned that the spring replacement is a $35 job but I
haven't found one person that had the job done that didn't wind up
with a $50+ repair. >><BR><BR>

Ask any of my or Andy's customers...typical OVH and spring replace is $33...

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

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