Campy Chorus or Campy Centaur?

[Wasatch5k]

I recently bought a frame and am in the process of looking for things to
“hang on” it. I decided I should buy Campagnolo. --BTW have you guys
seen Sheldon Brown’s “Shimagolo” kit? Ingenious!!

What is the difference between Campy Chorus and Campy Centaur? Are the
differences worth the ~300 price difference? Currently I am leaning
more towards the Centaur as I will be using it for group rides and
"prenteding I'm Lance" rides only. (I know, Lance uses Dura Ace)

Thanks for your help,

Wasatch5k

[Super Slinky]

Wasatch5k says...

> I recently bought a frame and am in the process of looking for things to
> “hang on” it. I decided I should buy Campagnolo. --BTW have you guys
> seen Sheldon Brown’s “Shimagolo” kit? Ingenious!!
>
> What is the difference between Campy Chorus and Campy Centaur? Are the
> differences worth the ~300 price difference? Currently I am leaning
> more towards the Centaur as I will be using it for group rides and
> "prenteding I'm Lance" rides only. (I know, Lance uses Dura Ace)
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
> Wasatch5k

Unless you have money to burn and want the extra status of having
Chorus, the choice is a no-brainer to me. I have Centaur on two bikes
now, and I'm glad I didn't give in to the temptation to pay more. I've
tested bikes with Chorus and Record and they were all functionally
indistinguishable to me.

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

wastach-<< What is the difference between Campy Chorus and Campy Centaur? Are
the
differences worth the ~300 price difference? >><BR><BR>

Chorus-carbon shift levers and rear der body. Lighter BB, aluminum vs plastic
adjust plate on the hubs, more sections of the cogset 'spidered together.
Single pivot rear brake caliper.

Why not Chorus BB and crank, all else Centaur??

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

[Jim Rogers]

I have a 10 year old Athena group (what Centaur used to be called) on
my primary road bike. At the time I bought that group, I, too,
wondered if I should get Chorus.

After 10 years and MANY thousands of miles on two different frames, I
can say that I'm very happy with my decision to go with Athena. The
group has been uterly reliable-- I rarely ever even need to adjust
anything. It just works, year in, year out.

I also was recently in a bike shop and did a little shifting on a bike
with a Record group. I was somewhat suprised to find that my 10 year
old 8sp Athena Ergopowers felt pretty much the same as the brand new
Record shifters!

Peter Chisholm, the expert on Campy stuff, has often explained that
there is no fundamental difference between Chorus and Centaur
shifters, and my experience is that he is absolutely right. (However,
the Chorus BB/Crank might be a bit better than Centaur.)

On the other hand, I once bought a used frame with 8sp Ultegra STI's
on it. Don't know how many miles they had on them, but the right one
quit working within a month! Got it kinda working with the WD40 flush,
but I dumped them, put my Athena group on the frame and have not had
the slightest problem since.

--Jim Rogers

[Russell Seaton]

I have 1998 Chorus on one bike. 2003 Centaur on another bike. Every
time I shift the Centaur Ergo shifters, I wish I had bought Chorus or
Record Ergo shifters. Every other component is indistinguishable for
performance. The Centaur shifters do not shift as easily as the
Chorus. Now this could be due to the many thousands of miles and
shifts on the Chorus compared to a thousand miles or so on the
Centaur. But I do not recall the Chorus Ergo shifters being as stiff
when new as the Centaur Ergo shifters are. If I could do it over, I'd
gladly pay the extra $100 or so for the Chorus or Record shifters.
The finish on the 1998 Chorus components is much nicer than the 2003
Centaur. The Chorus has a higher quality look to it.



Wasatch5k > wrote in message >...
> I recently bought a frame and am in the process of looking for things to
> “hang on” it. I decided I should buy Campagnolo. --BTW have you guys
> seen Sheldon Brown’s “Shimagolo” kit? Ingenious!!
>
> What is the difference between Campy Chorus and Campy Centaur? Are the
> differences worth the ~300 price difference? Currently I am leaning
> more towards the Centaur as I will be using it for group rides and
> "prenteding I'm Lance" rides only. (I know, Lance uses Dura Ace)
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
> Wasatch5k

[Paul Kopit]

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 02:23:19 -0600, Wasatch5k >
wrote:

>What is the difference between Campy Chorus and Campy Centaur? Are the
>differences worth the ~300 price difference? Currently I am leaning
>more towards the Centaur as I will be using it for group rides and
>"prenteding I'm Lance" rides only. (I know, Lance uses Dura Ace)

My two bicycle are setup with 2003 Record Ergo and 2003 Centaur Ergo.
The 2003 Record is same as 2004 Chorus. I find zero difference
between the 2. I like the finger hole in the shift lever on the
Centaur. Rear derailleurs are 2003 Record and 2000 Record respecively
and that makes zero difference.

I also have 1999 Daytona with 2003 Centaur rear derailleur on tandem.
That works as well as as the newer stuff. It needed a spring carrier
and set of 'G' springs since I bought it.

[Paul Kopit]

On 28 Oct 2004 08:33:39 -0700, (Russell
Seaton) wrote:

>I have 1998 Chorus on one bike. 2003 Centaur on another bike. Every
>time I shift the Centaur Ergo shifters, I wish I had bought Chorus or
>Record Ergo shifters. Every other component is indistinguishable for
>performance. The Centaur shifters do not shift as easily as the
>Chorus. Now this could be due to the many thousands of miles and
>shifts on the Chorus compared to a thousand miles or so on the
>Centaur.

In my experience, differences in feel between the various Ergo
shifters, Mirage - Record, is what brand and the cableset is, how the
loops of housing are made and routed, and how smooth the passing of
the cables at the bottom bracket is. The original Campy cableset is
hard to beat.

[Ronald]

> What is the difference between Campy Chorus and Campy Centaur? Are the
> differences worth the ~300 price difference? Currently I am leaning
> more towards the Centaur as I will be using it for group rides and
> "prenteding I'm Lance" rides only. (I know, Lance uses Dura Ace)

The only noticeable difference will be the bigger Q-factor on Centaur when you'll
be using a double crank set. The rest is weight, looks and finish.


"Wasatch5k" > wrote in message ...
> I recently bought a frame and am in the process of looking for things to
> “hang on” it. I decided I should buy Campagnolo. --BTW have you guys
> seen Sheldon Brown’s “Shimagolo” kit? Ingenious!!
>
> What is the difference between Campy Chorus and Campy Centaur? Are the
> differences worth the ~300 price difference? Currently I am leaning
> more towards the Centaur as I will be using it for group rides and
> "prenteding I'm Lance" rides only. (I know, Lance uses Dura Ace)
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
> Wasatch5k

[sfcommuter]

Wasatch5k Wrote:
> I recently bought a frame and am in the process of looking for things
> to
> “hang on” it. I decided I should buy Campagnolo. --BTW have you guys
> seen Sheldon Brown’s “Shimagolo” kit? Ingenious!!
>
> What is the difference between Campy Chorus and Campy Centaur? Are the
> differences worth the ~300 price difference? Currently I am leaning
> more towards the Centaur as I will be using it for group rides and
> "prenteding I'm Lance" rides only. (I know, Lance uses Dura Ace)
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
> Wasatch5k

I actually built-up a road bike based on the "Shimagnolo kit" (link
below) and researched it extensively. I went with Centaur derailleurs
but with the Chorus shifters (that use sealed bearings on the pivots).
It's interesting to go to the Campagnolo site and look at the detailed
diagrams that show every single part for each component. If you
compare the Chorus vs. Centaur derailleurs, for example, you'll only
find a few parts that are actually different, probably mainly to save a
few grams of weight (who cares!).

btw, the mix of Shimano & Campangolo components works very well (mine
is a 9sp drivetrain) and was a nice economical compromise in order to
get the superior, imo, shifting action of Campagnolo.

http://home.earthlink.net/~rivromulus


--
sfcommuter

[Donald Gillies]

in my opinion, the 2003 chorus crank was the most beautiful part in
the campagnolo componentry line. No Longer, *sigh*.

campy has 2 unique grouppos dispersed among 6 marketing names. There
is (Centaur, Chorus, Record), where the functionality is nearly
identical for all 3 grouppos, you just get better bushings, nicer
finishes and more titanium and carbon to balance your fatter wallet.
In particular, centaur hubs and cassettes are a screaming good buy.

Then there is (Xenon, Mirage, Veloce), which has stuff that is more
similar and in some case interchangeable with traditional nuovo and
super record designs, e.g. loose bearings, traditional BB's, heavier,
and by all measures, a cheesier finish than Campagnolo has ever
offered in the past ...

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

[Russell Seaton]

Paul Kopit > wrote in message >...
> On 28 Oct 2004 08:33:39 -0700, (Russell
> Seaton) wrote:
>
> >I have 1998 Chorus on one bike. 2003 Centaur on another bike. Every
> >time I shift the Centaur Ergo shifters, I wish I had bought Chorus or
> >Record Ergo shifters. Every other component is indistinguishable for
> >performance. The Centaur shifters do not shift as easily as the
> >Chorus. Now this could be due to the many thousands of miles and
> >shifts on the Chorus compared to a thousand miles or so on the
> >Centaur.
>
> In my experience, differences in feel between the various Ergo
> shifters, Mirage - Record, is what brand and the cableset is, how the
> loops of housing are made and routed, and how smooth the passing of
> the cables at the bottom bracket is. The original Campy cableset is
> hard to beat.

Both of my Campagnolo equipped bikes use Campagnolo cables. The
Campagnolo cablesets come with the Ergo shifters. Both have the same
handlebars and bosses on the downtube. Both are routed the exact same
with the same bends. So this variable has been eliminated from the
equation. The Chorus Ergo shifters are nicer than the Centaur.

[serg]

i would go for chorus cranks and shifters. everything else can be centaur.
q-factor is on thing to look at. the chorus shifters also have ball
bearings instead of bushings. this just makes the centaur shifters a little
stiffer at first.

"Wasatch5k" > wrote in message
...
> I recently bought a frame and am in the process of looking for things to
> “hang on” it. I decided I should buy Campagnolo. --BTW have you guys
> seen Sheldon Brown’s “Shimagolo” kit? Ingenious!!
>
> What is the difference between Campy Chorus and Campy Centaur? Are the
> differences worth the ~300 price difference? Currently I am leaning
> more towards the Centaur as I will be using it for group rides and
> "prenteding I'm Lance" rides only. (I know, Lance uses Dura Ace)
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
> Wasatch5k

[Mark Wolfe]

Wasatch5k wrote:
> I recently bought a frame and am in the process of looking for things to
> “hang on” it. I decided I should buy Campagnolo. --BTW have you guys
> seen Sheldon Brown’s “Shimagolo” kit? Ingenious!!
>
> What is the difference between Campy Chorus and Campy Centaur? Are the
> differences worth the ~300 price difference? Currently I am leaning
> more towards the Centaur as I will be using it for group rides and
> "prenteding I'm Lance" rides only. (I know, Lance uses Dura Ace)
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
> Wasatch5k

I was forced into the Shimaglo kit when my DA brifter died. Should've
bought those Chorus Ergo's before. Now I'm running the Chorus levers
with DA 9spd FD/RD, and a shiftmate. Works flawlessly. In fact, since
I got a good deal on the levers for that bike, I bought another pair for
my Surly LHT. The biggest difference from Centaur to Chorus (2003
aluminum levers), is that the Chorus levers have ball bearings. Since
the price was only $40 difference, I opted for the higher quality parts.
If you shop around, you can find closeouts on the older aluminum
chorus levers for around $190. As for the other campy parts, I don't
know, but I'm pretty much done with shimano STI brifters. That Record
RD does look sexy, but not $275-$300 sexy. :)


--
Mark Wolfe Lakeside, ca http://www.wolfenet.org
gpg fingerprint = 42B6 EFEB 5414 AA18 01B7 64AC EF46 F7E6 82F6 8C71
>Almost any animal is capable learning a stimulus/response association,
>given enough repetition.
Experimental observation suggests that this isn't true if double-clicking
is involved. - Lionel, Malcolm Ray, asr.

[Wasatch5k]

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:

> Why not Chorus BB and crank, all else Centaur??

I think that is what I will do. Do you think it's worth it to get the
chorus levers also?

Wasatch5k

[Antti Salonen]

Qui si parla Campagnolo > wrote:

> Why not Chorus BB and crank, all else Centaur??

I think this made a lot of sense in 2004, but for 2005 Centaur has a
new, lighter, better bottom bracket. No idea about its availability yet,
though.

-as

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

Wasatach-<< I think that is what I will do. Do you think it's worth it to get
the
chorus levers also? >><BR><BR>

Not sure if it is worth it. They work the same as Centaur, have the same
innards, weigh a wee bit less with carbon lever...if ya want the carbon
chi-chi...but functionally no different.

BTW-the Centaur BB for 2005 is identical to Chorus but with a 111mm BB
spindle...so an all Centaur gruppo would be nice, the best value, IMO of
Campagnolo's lineup.

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

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

Ronald-<< The only noticeable difference will be the bigger Q-factor on Centaur
when you'll
be using a double crank set. The rest is weight, looks and finish. >><BR><BR>

Q factor or distance between the crank arms is the same for all Campagnolo
cranks. 59cm center of BB to inside of crankarm. A longer BB does not mean the
pedals are in a different place, since they are matched to the crankarms.

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

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

Don-<< Then there is (Xenon, Mirage, Veloce), which has stuff that is more
similar and in some case interchangeable with traditional nuovo and
super record designs, e.g. loose bearings, traditional BB's, heavier,
>><BR><BR>

No 'traditional' BBs, if you mean cup and ball...all are cart bearings.

Veloce and below hubs are too.

Veloce shifters are the same as Centaur with the difference being a hole in the
shift lever for Centaur.
Mirage is identical to Veloce except for plastic brake lever and shift lever.
Put a 'carbon' sticker on the Mirage shift lever and ya got a Record/Chorus
ine!!

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

[Pete Biggs]

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
> Wasatach-<< I think that is what I will do. Do you think it's worth
> it to get the
> chorus levers also? >><BR><BR>
>
> Not sure if it is worth it. They work the same as Centaur, have the
> same innards, weigh a wee bit less with carbon lever...if ya want the
> carbon chi-chi...but functionally no different.

Chorus Ergos are lighter even without the carbon levers, and have ball
bearings.

~PB

[Pete Biggs]

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
> Q factor or distance between the crank arms is the same for all
> Campagnolo cranks. 59cm center of BB to inside of crankarm. A longer
> BB does not mean the pedals are in a different place, since they are
> matched to the crankarms.

Q factor should measured to the outside of crankarm. Chorus arm is
thinner than Centaur's.

~PB

[Antti Salonen]

Pete Biggs > wrote:

> Q factor should measured to the outside of crankarm. Chorus arm is
> thinner than Centaur's.

But considering that the chainline is exactly the same for all
Campagnolo double cranksets, I have a difficult time believing that
there can be any significant different in the Q factor. Simply because
the Chorus/Record BB has a shorter axle many people seem to think it
means that the Q factor is equally smaller.

It's not even possible - On many bikes if you moved the chainrings that
much inward they would hit the frame.

-as