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Any experience of Campag Record EPS

by ianrobo
Mon, Jan 19, 2015 21:16
18

As I posted last week I was buying a new bike and finally decided on one. It was a straight choice between tbasically the same model with either Dura Ace Di and Campag Record EPS. I went for the Campag as my experience with the mech chorus was very positive. On the test ride for both I felt Campg was far better.

Has anyone had experience of these and can give any hints, tips or warnings, money was not an issue on the choice.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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18 comments

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ianrobo | 10 years ago
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Of course as soon as I get it then it will go up on the bike thread.

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Mrmiik | 10 years ago
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Pic please of whatever bike you go for.

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ianrobo | 10 years ago
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OK thats great mate I appreciate the feedback. I am very happy with my choice and I think there are marginal differences but all you hear is Shimano this etc .

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velondon | 10 years ago
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I've run EPS since May 2013. No problems with it at all. I have owned Ultegra Di2 since December as well. There's little between them but I've not owned Di2 long enough to really get a feel for it and its not really fair to compare Record with Ultegra. So with all that in mind:

Campag likes:

1. Easy to setup and reset
2. Easy to fine tune on the move
3. Positive feedback when shifting
4. Hood ergonomics
5. Thumb lever
6. Ability to shut the system down with a magnet - useful when bike is being packed up or not ridden for a while

Campag dislikes:

1. Can't customise shifting at home - but have never felt the need to

Shimano Likes

1. TBH I prefer Campag for all of the above aesthetic & ergonomic reasons. However I have not attempted to fine tune or setup Di2 yet. I'm sure it will also be v easy.
2. Shifting is smooth and responsive
3. Customisable tuning
4. Ability to link with other systems

Shimano dislikes

1. Ugly - compared to Campag (IMHO)
2. No way of manually shutting down the system
3. Not Mac compatible
4. No feedback when you change gear
4. Hard to differentiate between levers with winter gloves on

I've also run Mech Chorus on a bike since 2008, it's been faultless the entire time. I still think Campag stuff wears better than Shimano...

EDIT - worth pointing out that very few LBS' are properly qualified in either system. e.g in London there are only 3 Shimano qualified stores. We've put Mechanics through both, they were far more impressed by the Campag training.

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Mrmiik replied to velondon | 10 years ago
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This:

velondon wrote:

I've run EPS since May 2013. No problems with it at all. I have owned Ultegra Di2 since December as well. There's little between them but I've not owned Di2 long enough to really get a feel for it and its not really fair to compare Record with Ultegra. So with all that in mind:

Campag likes:

1. Easy to setup and reset
2. Easy to fine tune on the move
3. Positive feedback when shifting
4. Hood ergonomics
5. Thumb lever
6. Ability to shut the system down with a magnet - useful when bike is being packed up or not ridden for a while

Campag dislikes:

1. Can't customise shifting at home - but have never felt the need to

Shimano Likes

1. TBH I prefer Campag for all of the above aesthetic & ergonomic reasons. However I have not attempted to fine tune or setup Di2 yet. I'm sure it will also be v easy.
2. Shifting is smooth and responsive
3. Customisable tuning
4. Ability to link with other systems

Shimano dislikes

1. Ugly - compared to Campag (IMHO)
2. No way of manually shutting down the system
3. Not Mac compatible
4. No feedback when you change gear
4. Hard to differentiate between levers with winter gloves on

I've also run Mech Chorus on a bike since 2008, it's been faultless the entire time. I still think Campag stuff wears better than Shimano...

EDIT - worth pointing out that very few LBS' are properly qualified in either system. e.g in London there are only 3 Shimano qualified stores. We've put Mechanics through both, they were far more impressed by the Campag training.

Can I add that Campy went out of the way to give the shifters more 'feel'. Di2 really is like button pressing, whereas EPS feels more mechanical. Personally I hate Shimano shifters, campag is my fav, followed by SRAM.

Nothing beats hitting the thumb shifter when you are in the drops descending! 16

Don't worry about LBS support, never known one that couldn't support campy, and there is little difference. Hell, with 11 speed you can run sram or shimano cassettes, and thus shimano free hubs on campy drive trains.

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il sole replied to velondon | 10 years ago
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velondon wrote:

I've also run Mech Chorus on a bike since 2008, it's been faultless the entire time. I still think Campag stuff wears better than Shimano...

I guess the old adage still rings true, shimano wears out, campag wears in!

Based on that, which someone told me when I bought my first Veloce equipped bike, i've only ever been a campag man. regarding ergonomics, I've got the new style of ergo levers on my winter bike running 2015 athena and i'm not convinced on the new shape of the thumb shifter...I think i still prefer the pre 2015 shape.
BTW i've also just upgraded my summer bike from chorus to super record mech, as good as chorus is/was, SR is so much nicer, and you can't deny how gorgeous it looks 16

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sorebones replied to il sole | 10 years ago
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il sole wrote:
velondon wrote:

I've also run Mech Chorus on a bike since 2008, it's been faultless the entire time. I still think Campag stuff wears better than Shimano...

I guess the old adage still rings true, shimano wears out, campag wears in!

With replacement parts costing roughly twice as much, it needs to last longer! e.g. Chorus cassettes costing around £80 compared to £40 for Ultegra 3

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Mrmiik replied to sorebones | 10 years ago
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sorebones wrote:
il sole wrote:
velondon wrote:

I've also run Mech Chorus on a bike since 2008, it's been faultless the entire time. I still think Campag stuff wears better than Shimano...

I guess the old adage still rings true, shimano wears out, campag wears in!

With replacement parts costing roughly twice as much, it needs to last longer! e.g. Chorus cassettes costing around £80 compared to £40 for Ultegra 3

Chorus is not comparable to Ultegra. Campy insist that Chorus is comparable to Dura-Ace - rightly or wrongly. I'm loathe to agree.

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ianrobo | 10 years ago
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yep mentioned them on the LBS thread and they are great, knowledgable and small which means proper service. Other LBS's provide the same but find a lot of them are getting too big in many ways.

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notfastenough | 10 years ago
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Sounds good. Nice support of the LBS too.

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ianrobo | 10 years ago
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In the end I went for a Focus Izalco Max 2.0 2014 model. The primary reason was it came with the groupset and loved how it went. Plus the bike mechanic at the LBS is a Campag registered fitter now of EPS.

For equilivant Dura Ace models for same standard frame was a bit more expensive but in terms of overall cost only fractionally so.

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notfastenough | 10 years ago
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If cost wasn't an option, I'd just pick the one that suited the bike - so if it's an Italian, French or British frame, Campag. I didn't see your other thread, what did you buy?

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ianrobo | 10 years ago
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yep understand that on cost grounds, I was int he lucky position of cost not being an issue.

I see SRAM have now trialled in Australia a wireless electronic gear set so as usual it never stands still !

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Judge dreadful | 10 years ago
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I test rode a new bike with the Super record EPS, and compared it with the Chorus set. The advantage of the EPS seemed to mostly be with the increased crispness of the cassette shift, and felt particularly different (better / sharper) with regards to shifting up and down the chainrings. I found that the front mech action was the noticeable difference between the 2 sets. For that reason (I don't do the sort of riding that would justify the extra cost benefit) I went with mechanical Chorus set.

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Scrufftie | 10 years ago
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I am struggling to come up with any good reason to favour EPS over Di2, other than aesthetics and compatibility with existing kit.

Di2 offers a more complete solution: ANT+ transmission, integrating with cycling computers; interchangeability with XTR Di2; easier to tailor with a PC at home.

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truffy replied to Scrufftie | 10 years ago
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Scrufftie wrote:

I am struggling to come up with any good reason to favour EPS over Di2, other than aesthetics and compatibility with existing kit.

Ergonomics?

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ianrobo replied to Scrufftie | 10 years ago
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Scrufftie wrote:

I am struggling to come up with any good reason to favour EPS over Di2, other than aesthetics and compatibility with existing kit.

Di2 offers a more complete solution: ANT+ transmission, integrating with cycling computers; interchangeability with XTR Di2; easier to tailor with a PC at home.

Yes I understand that about the compatibility but for the actual shifting etc ?

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Flying Scot | 10 years ago
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I really don't think there is much between the electronic gruppo's, I have heard of problems with both and that Shimano have run out of 10'speed spares.

I would buy the one you like, or that suits the bike.

It would be Campag for me, but only if I were stuck with an electronic only choice, I still don't fancy it over mechanical, but then I mainly ride steel with friction shifted Record!

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