# My 11-speed upgrade with first impressions.



## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

*My 11-speed Chorus upgrade with first impressions. Now with Athena*

Decided to sell off some excess 10-speed inventory to finance the jump to 11 on my prime bike.

So I ordered Chorus shifters, Rear Derailleur, and Cassette (12-29) plus KMC 11SL chain from Ribble all for 380GBP (about $600) delivered. 

Parts arrived in Toronto 1 week after the order was placed.

It was an easy install on the Cannondale SS with minimal adjustment needed to get it shifting perfectly. 10-spd crankset and FD remained.

Now have had a couple of rides and have to say its the quietest drivetrain I've ever (not) heard with shifting at least as good as my best 10-spd setups.


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## bikerjohn64 (Feb 9, 2012)

Julio;
That's a great upgrade price; nice! I love Ribbles!! It's a great way to go 11. 
How do you like the hoods on the 11's? 
Also, what made you upgrade? Gear range, worn out parts?


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*thoughts...*

I think that you were cheated if you didn't get a full cable set. You can't install shift levers without the full cable set.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

bikerjohn64 said:


> Julio;
> That's a great upgrade price; nice! I love Ribbles!! It's a great way to go 11.
> How do you like the hoods on the 11's?
> Also, what made you upgrade? Gear range, worn out parts?


I do like the hoods, and went for the 12-29 as I have some hills in my future.

The bars are Easton EC90.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

bikerjulio said:


> Decided to sell off some excess 10-speed inventory to finance the jump to 11 on my prime bike.
> 
> So I ordered Chorus shifters, Rear Derailleur, and Cassette (12-29) plus KMC 11SL chain from Ribble all for 380GBP (about $600) delivered.
> 
> ...


That's how I have most of my bikes set up: 10sp FD, 11sp everything else, and 10sp cranks in some of them.

11sp is a nice and quiet drivetrain, esp with ChainL lube.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

C-40 said:


> I think that you were cheated if you didn't get a full cable set. You can't install shift levers without the full cable set.


Agreed. Obviously it doesn't mean what it used to. Ribbles exact wording is


> Campagnolo Ultrashift Ergopowers Chorus 11Spd with cables


And they do come with the derailleur cables already installed on the shifters and in the sealed box, so presumably done at the factory. Just not a cableset like I used to get.

edit: I feel stupid. didn't look under the cardboard within the box. they were there.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

orange_julius said:


> That's how I have most of my bikes set up: 10sp FD, 11sp everything else, and 10sp cranks in some of them.
> 
> 11sp is a nice and quiet drivetrain, esp with ChainL lube.


Just came back from my third ride and blown away by the quiet. Basically no drivetrain noise at all that I can hear.


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

bikerjulio said:


> Agreed. Obviously it doesn't mean what it used to. Ribbles exact wording is
> 
> And they do come with *the derailleur cables already installed on the shifters and in the sealed box*, so presumably done at the factory. Just not a cableset like I used to get.
> 
> ...


So I wonder if one were to order the brakeset, if the brake cables come pre-installed? They better be! (not the pre-installed part, that I could live with, but somewhere in the gruppo, there had better be a set of brake cables!!)

Nice looking C-dale!!!


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## loubnc (May 8, 2008)

I got a set of factory sealed 11-speed Chorus shifters a few days ago. The derailleur cables were already attached to the shifters. I also thought the full cable kit wasn't in the box. I was pissed until I checked under the little cardboard tray the shifters were on.

Voila! The rest of the cable set, including all the hardware, was under there.:thumbsup:

I felt really dumb, but happy at the same time.:blush2:

Not saying this is what happened to you, but maybe?


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

loubnc said:


> I got a set of factory sealed 11-speed Chorus shifters a few days ago. The derailleur cables were already attached to the shifters. I also thought the full cable kit wasn't in the box. I was pissed until I checked under the little cardboard tray the shifters were on.
> 
> Voila! The rest of the cable set, including all the hardware, was under there.:thumbsup:
> 
> ...



Damn. I rushed down to the cave when I read this, opened the box and the cardboard stuff, and guess what? the rest WAS there. I'm going to have to do some deleting and apologising now. I'm just so used to getting a separate box with cables.


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## bikerjohn64 (Feb 9, 2012)

bikerjulio said:


> Damn. I rushed down to the cave when I read this, opened the box and the cardboard stuff, and guess what? the rest WAS there. I'm going to have to do some deleting and apologising now. I'm just so used to getting a separate box with cables.


Doh! 
Juliooo.....you've got alota-splanin-to-dooooo ;-).


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## chill716 (May 12, 2011)

nice ride


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## TopQuark (Aug 9, 2012)

bikerjulio said:


> Damn. I rushed down to the cave when I read this, opened the box and the cardboard stuff, and guess what? the rest WAS there. I'm going to have to do some deleting and apologising now. I'm just so used to getting a separate box with cables.


Good deal on the Chorus. Record didn't have the cables. I checked all over the box.


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## Zampano (Aug 7, 2005)

Bought a Chorus set from Velomine recently. No cableset *in* the shifter box, but they were factory packed separately.


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## cs1 (Sep 16, 2003)

Zampano said:


> Bought a Chorus set from Velomine recently. No cableset *in* the shifter box, but they were factory packed separately.


A little OT but when I called Velomine Ben said if I picked up the entire group, or most of it, he would throw in the cables. Are you saying if you just buy the shifters then Velomine would actually pull the cables out of the shifters? Ouch, talk about nasty if that's the case.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

cs1 said:


> A little OT but when I called Velomine Ben said if I picked up the entire group, or most of it, he would throw in the cables. Are you saying if you just buy the shifters then Velomine would actually pull the cables out of the shifters? Ouch, talk about nasty if that's the case.


My Chorus shifters came with the cables in the box, the derailleur cables already installed. and the campy seal was on.

If this is now how Campy do it, then a vendor would have to break the seal, pull out the cables from the shifters, and open the bag that contained the rest of the set - if they wanted to sell cables separately.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

cs1 said:


> A little OT but when I called Velomine Ben said if I picked up the entire group, or most of it, he would throw in the cables. Are you saying if you just buy the shifters then Velomine would actually pull the cables out of the shifters? Ouch, talk about nasty if that's the case.


I asked them directly and this is the reply. Basically they offer flexibility and it reflects in the pricing. I think he meant to say "now" instead of "not" when writing about whether cables are included under the box or not.



> We sell them both ways generally/.
> We try and put in the listings at velomine.com that cables are included
> Ebay a lot of times we sell them two ways.
> The shifters come as a separate item from 2008-2012, not the cables are included under the box inside with the shifters.
> ...


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

Bikerjulio,
Congrats. Quick question please. Is the hood shape/ergos of the 11s Campy Ultrashift levers different that 10 speed? Reason why I ask is I read the hood boots are not interchangable...11s boots are a different part number. Is there any difference in feel of the hoods or shifting between 11s and your previous 10s Campy Ultrashift levers?
Thanks


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

roadworthy said:


> Bikerjulio,
> Congrats. Quick question please. Is the hood shape/ergos of the 11s Campy Ultrashift levers different that 10 speed? Reason why I ask is I read the hood boots are not interchangable...11s boots are a different part number. Is there any difference in feel of the hoods or shifting between 11s and your previous 10s Campy Ultrashift levers?
> Thanks


While waiting for BikerJulio, it is correct the hoods aren't interchangeable. I like the new shape better!


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

orange_julius said:


> While waiting for BikerJulio, it is correct the hoods aren't interchangeable. I like the new shape better!


Can you describe how the shape of the new 11s hoods is different compared to 10s?
Thanks


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## CheapSkate (Feb 26, 2012)

I read somewhere Campy changed the brake pivot point for 2011 - something to do with getting better brake feel. That might have required some (subtle?) changes to the hood????

http://www.artscyclery.com/Campagno...wer_Shift_Levers_2011/descpage-CASRS2011.html

"The lever pivot has been moved slightly to give the same braking leverage in the drops and the hoods"

Just a guess, changes might be too subtle to notice?


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

roadworthy said:


> Can you describe how the shape of the new 11s hoods is different compared to 10s?
> Thanks


The top of the hood is curved inwards. The contact area is also larger. IIRC, the angle between the flat part of the contact area and the "flat" part of the brake lever is smaller, so if you angle the flat part of the contact area horizontally, I think the brake lever will be closer to horizontal. I think this latter change makes it easier to set the levers up for braking and shifting both in the drops and on the hoods.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

Umm. Slightly confused by Mr R Worthy's question.

The whole lever/hood shape was redone in 2009 for both 10 and 11-spd.

So, it's nothing to do with speeds. And pre-2009 hoods are nothing like the post-2009 ones. Not sure how easy it is to change the new ones - it certainly looks harder.

They are taller and curved in on top, to add another hand position, leverage for the brakes is noticeably better than the earlier levers. So far I've been impressed by the positive shift quality of the Chorus shifting. 

I'm liking it so much I spent today's ride thinking about an Athena upgrade set for another bike. $400 at Ribble for the shifter. cassette, RD and chain is pretty tempting.


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## Kneedragon (Jul 27, 2010)

I ordered a Chorus and SR groupset last year and both came with the cables in their own sealed box. It would have been nice to have the derailleur cables threaded onto the shifters, as I had a heck of a time getting one of them through.


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## Sablotny (Aug 15, 2002)

Julio, congrats on the 11 and nice lookin' C'dale! I made the jump to Campy this year and am also amazed by the silence. When I ride alone, the loudest noise is the tires on pavement - which isn't very loud at all. In a group, its the other guy's Shimano!

Where are you going to use that 29? I have family in Toronto, and besides the ravines, there's not a lot of elevation there!


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

Sablotny said:


> Julio, congrats on the 11 and nice lookin' C'dale! I made the jump to Campy this year and am also amazed by the silence. When I ride alone, the loudest noise is the tires on pavement - which isn't very loud at all. In a group, its the other guy's Shimano!
> 
> Where are you going to use that 29? I have family in Toronto, and besides the ravines, there's not a lot of elevation there!


I'm shortly off for two weeks in the eastern end of Cuba. There is topography there.


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## humanbeing (Dec 4, 2009)

I purchased an Athena ultratorque/ultra shift Gruppo from Velomine last year and cables were included in their own box. This year I bought Chorus shifters from Shiny Bikes and a cable set was included in a heat sealed bag. I presumed groupsets and shifters came with cables which I thought was very nice especially considering the price of a cable set.
I also love my 11 speed on both my bikes. Once it's set up properly there are no dramas.
Cheers,
Peter


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

humanbeing said:


> I purchased an Athena ultratorque/ultra shift Gruppo from Velomine last year and cables were included in their own box. This year I bought Chorus shifters from Shiny Bikes and a cable set was included in a heat sealed bag. I presumed groupsets and shifters came with cables which I thought was very nice especially considering the price of a cable set.
> I also love my 11 speed on both my bikes. Once it's set up properly there are no dramas.
> Cheers,
> Peter


Just ordered the Athena upgrade group from Ribble that I'd mentioned earlier. I'm interested to try Powershift for myself. Decided on alloy which will go with several of my bikes. I'll report later.


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## jonjy998626 (Mar 10, 2010)

anyone have issues with the campy record 11 setup


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

orange_julius said:


> The top of the hood is curved inwards. The contact area is also larger. IIRC, the angle between the flat part of the contact area and the "flat" part of the brake lever is smaller, so if you angle the flat part of the contact area horizontally, I think the brake lever will be closer to horizontal. I think this latter change makes it easier to set the levers up for braking and shifting both in the drops and on the hoods.


To be clear orange_julius...
I am not sure that Campy completely redesigned the 11 speed shifter shape. In 2009...see below...the Ultrashift lever debuted for 10 speed. To me...the 11s shifter shape looks identical. However...the part number for replacement hood boots is not the same between Ultrashift 10s and Ultrashift 11s.
Are you saying there is a noticable change to Ultrashift 11s shifter/hood shape/ergonomics between preceeding 10 Ultrashift? Are these the changes you are describing? My interpretation is...Campy may have tweaked the pivot slightly as mentioned which could explain the hood P/N difference...but...likely does not affect the shape/palm interface with the hoods.
What do you think?


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## CheapSkate (Feb 26, 2012)

Don't the newer 11s hoods have a grid pattern moulded in their tops? My 2010 10s hoods have a linear pattern going from the brake lever backwards. Maybe the change was as simple as that.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

CheapSkate said:


> Don't the newer 11s hoods have a grid pattern moulded in their tops? My 2010 10s hoods have a linear pattern going from the brake lever backwards. Maybe the change was as simple as that.


My new Chorus hoods have the same pattern as some 2009 Centaurs that I just sold. Linear. They are the same shape.

Just checked the parts catalogs. I'm seeing all Ultrashift shifter hoods from 2009 to 2012 as the same p/n - EC SR 500.

So not sure what Mr R Worthy is seeing.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

roadworthy said:


> To be clear orange_julius...
> I am not sure that Campy completely redesigned the 11 speed shifter shape. In 2009...see below...the Ultrashift lever debuted for 10 speed. To me...the 11s shifter shape looks identical. However...the part number for replacement hood boots is not the same between Ultrashift 10s and Ultrashift 11s.
> Are you saying there is a noticable change to Ultrashift 11s shifter/hood shape/ergonomics between preceeding 10 Ultrashift? Are these the changes you are describing? My interpretation is...Campy may have tweaked the pivot slightly as mentioned which could explain the hood P/N difference...but...likely does not affect the shape/palm interface with the hoods.
> What do you think?


Ah, you may have been confused by how the 10-sp standard has changed since 2009: it first UltraShift, but was changed to PowerShift in 2011 (IIRC). So 10-sp UltraShift has the same hood shape, and shift mechanism, as 11-sp UltraShift that we continue to have until today. Whereas 10-sp PowerShift has a different hood shape and shifting mechanism. 

There is NO difference between 10-sp and 11-sp, both UltraShift. I was making comparison among the high-end groupsets, 10-sp Chorus of the yesteryears and 11-sp Chorus of the newer vintage. 

Sorry, I should have been more precise!


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

orange_julius said:


> Ah, you may have been confused by how the 10-sp standard has changed since 2009: it first UltraShift, but was changed to PowerShift in 2011 (IIRC). So 10-sp UltraShift has the same hood shape, and shift mechanism, as 11-sp UltraShift that we continue to have until today. Whereas 10-sp PowerShift has a different hood shape and shifting mechanism.
> 
> There is NO difference between 10-sp and 11-sp, both UltraShift. I was making comparison among the high-end groupsets, 10-sp Chorus of the yesteryears and 11-sp Chorus of the newer vintage.
> 
> Sorry, I should have been more precise!


Because Powershift is a single click system, the slot for the thumb lever will be shorter on their hoods. I'm betting that's the difference.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

orange_julius said:


> Ah, you may have been confused by how the 10-sp standard has changed since 2009: it first UltraShift, but was changed to PowerShift in 2011 (IIRC). So 10-sp UltraShift has the same hood shape, and shift mechanism, as 11-sp UltraShift that we continue to have until today. Whereas 10-sp PowerShift has a different hood shape and shifting mechanism.
> 
> There is NO difference between 10-sp and 11-sp, both UltraShift. I was making comparison among the high-end groupsets, 10-sp Chorus of the yesteryears and 11-sp Chorus of the newer vintage.
> 
> Sorry, I should have been more precise!


Perhaps you are confused...lol. I have Ultrashift Centaur for 2010 which has multishift capability. The internal mechanism is identical to 11speed...only difference is the shift detent wheel...one less detent for 10s...see below if interested. My 10s shifters are not Powershift. After 2010, Campy devolved 10s to Powershift to create greater market differentiation aka induce consumers toward 11s. 

As to boot compatibility between 11s and 10s. Depends who you talk to. For example the following link suggests the 11s hoods are NOT backward compatible with 10s. Perhaps it is a purported pivot change...perhaps not. If it were a long slot difference in the hoods for the upshift button to accomodate multi-shifting, 11s hoods should fit with 10s Powershift because a deeper slot should be backward compatible. Possibly the following link is mistaken and there is no difference between hoods...or a pivot change may have fractionally changed the hood shape of 11s precluding interchangability..

Campagnolo 11 Speed Ultra Shift Lever Hood - Pair | Backcountry.com


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

Ah yeah, I got the year wrong, thanks for the correction! It's all about Ultra Shift vs. Power Shift vs. older mech standard!


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

orange_julius said:


> Ah yeah, I got the year wrong, thanks for the correction! It's all about Ultra Shift vs. Power Shift vs. older mech standard!


The insidious detail about Ultrashift is...model year 2009 10s Ultrashift levers...right shifter in particular...were AWFUL. Campy obviously did a rush to market and ended up doing their beta testing on their customers...aka ME. I struggled a complete season with them with lazy shifting...weak detents for imprecise shifting and a lot of internal friction in the shifters. 2010 Centaur 10s which I still own are OUTSTANDING....classic Campy...snap, snap gear by gear up or down the cassette.
Not only were Campy Ultrashift levers not ready for prime time in 2009 but Campy screwed the pooch by trying to replicate Shimano's softer shifting.
Want Irony? Shimano has done the same with their DA 7900 and Ultegra 6700. I just installed DA 7900 on one of my road bikes and immediately replaced it with Campy. There are many 'issues' with DA 7900. Word is, DA 9000 is as good as Campy...perhaps even slightly better in front shifting. This stuff isn't easy to get perfect but both great companies eventually do.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*info...*

There is no difference at all between 10 and 11 speed brake hoods, for use with ultrashift levers. The all use an EC-SR500. 

I've still got a pair of 2009 Centaur 10 speed shifters, that had the light clicking index disc, but quickly converted the right shifter to 11 speed, using the index disc from a wreck-damaged shifter.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

roadworthy said:


> The insidious detail about Ultrashift is...model year 2009 10s Ultrashift levers...right shifter in particular...were AWFUL. Campy obviously did a rush to market and ended up doing their beta testing on their customers...aka ME. I struggled a complete season with them with lazy shifting...weak detents for imprecise shifting and a lot of internal friction in the shifters. 2010 Centaur 10s which I still own are OUTSTANDING....classic Campy...snap, snap gear by gear up or down the cassette.
> Not only were Campy Ultrashift levers not ready for prime time in 2009 but Campy screwed the pooch by trying to replicate Shimano's softer shifting.
> Want Irony? Shimano has done the same with their DA 7900 and Ultegra 6700. I just installed DA 7900 on one of my road bikes and immediately replaced it with Campy. There are many 'issues' with DA 7900. Word is, DA 9000 is as good as Campy...perhaps even slightly better in front shifting. This stuff isn't easy to get perfect but both great companies eventually do.


I too was an early adopter of 2009 Centaurs and wrote lengthy posts in early 2010 about my upgrade effort. Even after the upgrade I still was not happy. However they were in excellent cosmetic condition and I recently sold them on the Bay for $227 + shipping. Probably about double what I paid 

RW I suspect the difference in hoods you are seeing is between Ultrashift and Powershift versions of the 10-speed levers.


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## CheapSkate (Feb 26, 2012)

Any views on the longevity of the detent disk mechanism? I have about 10k miles on mine, still fine.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

*Now for Athena*

The package arrived from Ribble last night, (1 week delivery again to Toronto), so put it together and went for a ride this morning. 

This time the shifters and cables were in a plastic bag - no box.

The shifting is still pretty good, not quite as nice as Chorus, but not bad at all. Ergonomics are the same of course.

Downshifting the front takes 2 pushes on the lever but I got used to it. This is still with a 10-spd FD of course.

Overall it's a good starter level 11 speed, and if you like alloy it's the only way to go.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

bikerjulio said:


> The package arrived from Ribble last night, (1 week delivery again to Toronto), so put it together and went for a ride this morning.
> 
> This time the shifters and cables were in a plastic bag - no box.
> 
> ...


Great build, very nice! What wheelset is that?


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

orange_julius said:


> Great build, very nice! What wheelset is that?


Thanks. They are an old set of locally built Zipp 303's with unknown hubs and destickered.

I meant to say as a tiny interesting bit of info, that the preinstalled derailleur cables are routed to the front bar position.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

Thanks for the affirmation on derailleur cable routing. Sounds like you are happy with it.
I am going to change my Campy 10s set up to in front of bar routing over the winter months..
Enjoy your new set up.
Cheers.


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

Just reading this I get the impression many people think that cables are extra. They are not. Campag has always sold cables with the levers, especially Chorus & up. The difference now is that they package them in the box with the levers, whereas before they supplied them separately. If you received the shifters in a bag they are OEM levers and come with cables packaged loose as they are intended for manufacturers.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

ultimobici said:


> Just reading this I get the impression many people think that cables are extra. They are not. Campag has always sold cables with the levers, especially Chorus & up. The difference now is that they package them in the box with the levers, whereas before they supplied them separately. If you received the shifters in a bag they are OEM levers and come with cables packaged loose as they are intended for manufacturers.


I'm sure you are right. But obviously when they are packaged separately it becomes very easy for the seller to sell them separately. For everyone's info BOTH my Chorus and Athena shifters came with derailleur cables installed, but Chorus were in a box and Athena in a bag - both from Ribble.

The Chorus setup worked very well in 2 weeks of hilly eastern Cuba including some tropical rain.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

So I've been riding the Athena bike daily now for a couple of weeks. Shifts nicely, just as quiet as the Chorus setup. So overall I'm impressed. Excellent value IMO.


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## natedg200202 (Sep 2, 2008)

Those shiny bits look real nice - thanks for posting!


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## jlwdm (Nov 7, 2009)

One clarification on the light shifting (less click) 2009 Centaur shifters. The change to a more pronounced click occurred during 2009 not with 2010. All 2009 Centaur shifters were not created equal. 

I am in the process of upgrading my early 2009 Centaur group to 11 speed all silver ultrashift by rebuilding the shifters and adding the necessary Athena parts - rear derailleur, cassette and chain. I will also change the front derailleur - not required. 

Jeff


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

jlwdm said:


> One clarification on the light shifting (less click) 2009 Centaur shifters. The change to a more pronounced click occurred during 2009 not with 2010. All 2009 Centaur shifters were not created equal.
> 
> Jeff


Yes that is correct. It was a running change that took place in late 2009. For a few months in early 2010 there was an upgrade kit available, which I bought and installed. Still didn't like the shifting much and recently sold them. The problem for a buyer of 2009 shifters is that there's no way of knowing whether they are early or late production by looking at them. Both the Chorus and Athena shifters I just bought have better action than the older Centaur.


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## JM714 (Jan 22, 2004)

I see in your OP that you bought the KMC 11 speed chain. Have you run an 11 speed Campagnolo chain and if so, what are your impressions? I just bought a new 11 speed group minus the chain and can't make up my mind. 

I do run a KMC on my MTB and haven't had any issues with it.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

JM714 said:


> I see in your OP that you bought the KMC 11 speed chain. Have you run an 11 speed Campagnolo chain and if so, what are your impressions? I just bought a new 11 speed group minus the chain and can't make up my mind.
> 
> I do run a KMC on my MTB and haven't had any issues with it.


I've always used chains with a removable link. I have several (less than 10!) bikes and like to play around with different setups, so it's much easier with a removable link on the chain. My standard was Wipperman but they don't make an 11. I had used a KMC SL 10spd for 2 years on my Cannondale with good results. So the 11-speed builds in this thread both have KMC chains. Reasonably priced, easy to install, shift well, and dead quiet. Cannot compare to Campy as I haven't used a Campy chain in a long time.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

bikerjulio said:


> I've always used chains with a removable link. I have several (less than 10!) bikes and like to play around with different setups, so it's much easier with a removable link on the chain. My standard was Wipperman but they don't make an 11. I had used a KMC SL 10spd for 2 years on my Cannondale with good results. So the 11-speed builds in this thread both have KMC chains. Reasonably priced, easy to install, shift well, and dead quiet. Cannot compare to Campy as I haven't used a Campy chain in a long time.


Very good tech to know.


Thanks for sharing!


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## ShaneDoe (Dec 27, 2012)

I liked the hoods, looks good.


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## cs1 (Sep 16, 2003)

So, the prevailing opinion is that 11 sp is a go. Are there any dealers state side that have reasonably priced Athena groups or parts?


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

cs1 said:


> So, the prevailing opinion is that 11 sp is a go. Are there any dealers state side that have reasonably priced Athena groups or parts?


I haven't found a dealer stateside that can remotely come close to Ribble or Wiggle prices. 


Velomine in Chicago comes close, but still not close enough. 

Come Spring, I'll probably order my Campagnolo groupset from one of the two U.K. stores.


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## cs1 (Sep 16, 2003)

cda 455 said:


> I haven't found a dealer stateside that can remotely come close to Ribble or Wiggle prices.
> 
> 
> Velomine in Chicago comes close, but still not close enough.
> ...


I've talked to Ben at Velomine and he really is great guy. They're the only people out there with an Athena triple group for sale. I wish somebody would package up a cyclocross group. Ribble doesn't even sell Campy CX components only shimano.


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## alanneal (May 23, 2007)

2012 built up my first Campy bike / athena 11 mostly shifts great- ultra shift carbon 2010 levers but powershift derailler 2011. no worries, still beats SHIMANO!


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