# Polished Potenza



## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

This is what I'm talking about.









CapoVelo.com | Campagnolo Reprises Classic Polished Finish with Potenza Groupset


----------



## hfc (Jan 24, 2003)

That is nice. Wish they'd change the name though, I can't help but think Goodyear tires.


----------



## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

That's an interesting point. If Goodyear own the name then we could be seeing another naming fiasco - remember "Daytona"?


----------



## 1Butcher (Mar 15, 2011)

hfc said:


> That is nice. Wish they'd change the name though, I can't help but think Goodyear tires.


I'm certain the CEO at Bridgestone is a bit frustrated with the amount of money that the marketing team has spent with a statement like that. On the other hand, the CEO at Goodyear is just smiling.

Potenza | Bridgestone Tires


----------



## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

I think it's junk. To me, it's just making fun of older guys or people that like the classic look.

Does that crank look classic? Does it? You made a heavy metal polished version of your ugly ass crank that was made to copy Shimano... albeit very poorly in the design category. And that's supposed to go on a classic steel bike and look good?

Do those derailleurs really look classic at all? Do they? Boy those composite black bits sure do look great.

Add in the fact that this is a crap level set without ultra shift or ultra torque and you have a real lemon here in my opinion.

There's nothing retro and there's nothing classic about this group. There's also nothing special about it in any way in my opinion other than it's ugly as hell.


----------



## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

MMsRepBike said:


> I think it's junk. To me, it's just making fun of older guys or people that like the classic look.
> 
> Does that crank look classic? Does it? You made a heavy metal polished version of your ugly ass crank that was made to copy Shimano... albeit very poorly in the design category. And that's supposed to go on a classic steel bike and look good?
> 
> ...


Don't sugar-coat it, tell us how you really feel


----------



## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

MMsRepBike said:


> I think it's junk. To me, it's just making fun of older guys or people that like the classic look.
> 
> Does that crank look classic? Does it? You made a heavy metal polished version of your ugly ass crank that was made to copy Shimano... albeit very poorly in the design category. And that's supposed to go on a classic steel bike and look good?
> 
> ...


While I may not be the biggest fan of the crankset, there's no denying the polish stands head and shoulders above what they've offered as of late.

But it's a good thing that you have other choices or NOS so all you'll have to do is avert your eyes when somebody rides by who may decide on this group.


----------



## GKSki (Nov 12, 2014)

DaveG said:


> Don't sugar-coat it, tell us how you really feel


You beat me to it. But MMs is just a hater for Campagnolo anyway.


----------



## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

Why not find an Athena silver group? They're still out there. It has more classic looking cranks and is probably as good or better than the Potenza group that is replacing it. Both have the older Power Shift mechanisms. I bought a Eddy Merckx frame off ebay some years ago and put Athena silver on it, and it looks real nice. It was the first year of Athena and came with the Ultra Shift mechanism, but only black brake/shift levers. The next year it was down graded to Power Shift. I put Chorus on the Colnago I bought recently. It's not silver and pretty, but it shifts really well. I think Chorus is the sweet spot in the Campy line up. The 200 grams you save with Record isn't worth the $450 -- and that's the only difference between the two.


----------



## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

pmf said:


> Why not find an Athena silver group? They're still out there. It has more classic looking cranks and is probably as good or better than the Potenza group that is replacing it.


The thing that the new Potenza group has going for it is the higher quality of polish, more in the line of the pre plastic, uh, carbon Campagnolo. I've got an older aluminum Centaur group on a De Rosa, and it just doesn't have the luster of the Campagnolo of old, which it seems that Campagnolo is recreating in the new Potenza group.


----------



## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

velodog said:


> The thing that the new Potenza group has going for it is the higher quality of polish, more in the line of the pre plastic, uh, carbon Campagnolo. I've got an older aluminum Centaur group on a De Rosa, and it just doesn't have the luster of the Campagnolo of old, which it seems that Campagnolo is recreating in the new Potenza group.


The Potenza chain rings do have a more machined than stamped look to them, but I think Campy dropped the ball with the Shimanoesque Star Wars cranks. Pretty and shiny, but goofy designy. Why they had to go that route on the remake of their 11-speed groups is beyond me. Frankly, I think the first iteration was better.


----------



## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

velodog said:


> The thing that the new Potenza group has going for it is the higher quality of polish, more in the line of the pre plastic, uh, carbon Campagnolo. I've got an older aluminum Centaur group on a De Rosa, and it just doesn't have the luster of the Campagnolo of old, which it seems that Campagnolo is recreating in the new Potenza group.


I have a Potenza group in black so I can't really comment on the polish part. It works fine though. I also have polished Al Centuar and Athena on my steel bikes. I do have to admit the rather industrial look of the Potenza crank doesn't look the same if you are going for a more retro look. This is my Colnago with silver Athena


----------



## GKSki (Nov 12, 2014)

I see someone else still prefers Flites.


----------

