# I took a blind leap!!



## Nacracer (Oct 27, 2005)

Man, I just purchased the complete Red group for my racing bike and have never even tried the shifters. I'm coming from 15 years on Campy, but want something different. I would luv to hear thoughts from ex-campy fans.


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## Mark H (Dec 12, 2007)

I've never ridden Campy, made the leap from Shimano, but I can't wait for a honest comparison between the two.


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## ghammer (May 21, 2003)

i come from campy to sram. i still have campy on my 2 other bikes, and love campy just the same. recently i rode a friend's bike that has the new style levers - very good.

both share the mechanical feedback that campy lovers like. some folks like the smooth/mushy shimano feel, but i don't. i like mechanical stuff to feel...mechanical. the throw is longer on sram, but not a dealbreaker. i tried red too, it's closer to campy than rival/force as the clicks are shorter. once the setup is tuned and ready, it rtarely goes out of tune. parts on sram are VERY sturdy and have serious longevity, another plus that campyphiles enjoy. parts are less expensive as well, my rival levers have 20,000kms+ and still shift crisp. what i do like about the sram levers is that shifting from the drops is slightly better than with campy - not that campy is bad, but it takes a slight less effort to clik-click-click the gears. what i don't like about sram is that the chain is LOUD. i installed a campy chain instead (with sram connect link),and the whole drivetrain shutup. from zzzz to a very quiet purr. also, the sram rival (polished, not the new black finish) lost its shine from heavy usage. it actually looks pretty beaten up, both lever blades have "rival" logo polished off, and the crank's logos are gone, too. but the functionalituy has not changed, everything works fine, very race-ready and generally lighter, although weight is not an issue for me. i abuse equipment and need things to last, and on that account both brands shine.

now, if i had the money, would I buy red? YES. would i buy super record? YES.

so don't make me choose. comparing both brands is an exercise in torture. to complement this assessment, i also saw and tried the new dura ace. VERY nice. very pretty too, the parts ooze sexiness, but it works just like the previous version. also, the whole grouppo has this cylon look that although captivating, it doesn't seal the deal for me.

i'm a partisan hack, what can i say. sram and campy are very very good for the money.


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## Mark H (Dec 12, 2007)

ghammer said:


> i come from campy to sram. i still have campy on my 2 other bikes, and love campy just the same. recently i rode a friend's bike that has the new style levers - very good.
> 
> both share the mechanical feedback that campy lovers like. some folks like the smooth/mushy shimano feel, but i don't. i like mechanical stuff to feel...mechanical. the throw is longer on sram, but not a dealbreaker. i tried red too, it's closer to campy than rival/force as the clicks are shorter. once the setup is tuned and ready, it rtarely goes out of tune. parts on sram are VERY sturdy and have serious longevity, another plus that campyphiles enjoy. parts are less expensive as well, my rival levers have 20,000kms+ and still shift crisp. what i do like about the sram levers is that shifting from the drops is slightly better than with campy - not that campy is bad, but it takes a slight less effort to clik-click-click the gears. what i don't like about sram is that the chain is LOUD. i installed a campy chain instead (with sram connect link),and the whole drivetrain shutup. from zzzz to a very quiet purr. also, the sram rival (polished, not the new black finish) lost its shine from heavy usage. it actually looks pretty beaten up, both lever blades have "rival" logo polished off, and the crank's logos are gone, too. but the functionalituy has not changed, everything works fine, very race-ready and generally lighter, although weight is not an issue for me. i abuse equipment and need things to last, and on that account both brands shine.
> 
> ...


Nice write up!!


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## Dank (Nov 26, 2006)

I tried to listen to my SRAM chain, but couldn't hear anything. All it make was great music.


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## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

I rode a bike with centaur for a couple of weeks and hated it, even after I got used to it. I like all of my shifting to be on one lever.


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## -dustin (Jan 11, 2009)

Rode Red...went back to Campy. Also have D/A 7900...between it and Red, I'd say it's a wash. Red just needs to lose the Gore cables (which are being redone for SRAM this coming year...the cassette has also gone through some reworkings and is a little less noisy). 

I wouldn't mind swapping out the D/A for Red, but having taken a digger on the D/A, resale has tanked.


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## rhauft (Aug 8, 2006)

*Red vs SR11 vs D/A*

If cost was no object I'd choose Campy SR11...
I'm a 50 year old Masters Cat 2 and no one pays 50 year old war horses to race their equipment, especially in this economy... I've also got Campy in my blood, been training & racing on it since my early 20s. So why did this 30 year die hard campy guy make the leap to Red last year? Inovation & Economics.
I've got a full year on Red now so I've learned all it's strengths, weaknesses & nuances. All thing considered, including cost, it's the best bang for the buck. Considering the fact that in the real world you can get your hands on a full 8 piece Red group for half the price of SR11 and 2/3s the cost of D/A7900. From a mechanical/engineering standpoint IMHO they are the most innovative of the 3. The one complaint I have in comparison with SR11 & D/A is the Red crankset/bb. It was the one component of the groupo that I upgraded to the Fulcrum RRS Racing crankset. With that upgrade I feel my Red bike is the best shifting bike I've ever owned and easily on par with the best from Campy & Shimano. YMMV


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## cotocalicyclist (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks to the posters on this thread. It is nice to hear honest well thought out opinions on SRAM and how it compares. I am trying to decide if I want to move from DA 7800 to red. The new Record and SR look nice too, but I have to draw the line somewhere when it comes to cost. 7900 appears to be getting some mixed reviews and the looks just don't do it for me.


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## cotocalicyclist (Feb 18, 2006)

dustin, do you have any other info. on upcoming changes to Red? I would like to know if it might be worth holding on to my current 7800 until the Red update. Thanks


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## -dustin (Jan 11, 2009)

Nothing major upcoming for Red...The cassette changes have already happened (and they're surprisingly quiet), and the Gore cables...well, I just wouldn't run those in the first place.


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## Nacracer (Oct 27, 2005)

I walked in from work today and there were all the boxes! Everything looks good. I heard some say that the chainring was flexy.....I tried to flex it with my hand and compared it to my Chorus chainring and the Sram seems stiffer!! Hopefully I will be able to install this weeked....still waiting on my bars though.


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## Nacracer (Oct 27, 2005)

*Perfection!!!*

Best shifting I have ever felt! This beats all! I almost can't believe how well it all works together. After my first ride I was pretty much speechless, it's more than what I was hoping for. Campy and Shimano doesn't even compare....not even in the same category.


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