Groupset to suit this Kinesis frame?

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Milzy

Guru
Hey all.

I'm torn between Ultegra & Campy Athena for this bike build. I'm budgeting up to £500 for the group set. I did consider SRAM force but I don't like that double tap thing. Also people say SRAM doesn't feel like it will last very long.

People keep telling me that campag has a tactical advantage because it's one click & instant shift were as shimano shifts as the lever comes back into position. Would you say this is true?

I know 105 would do just fine & be cheaper but I've never been away from shimano on road bikes.
What would you choose??
 

fossala

Guru
Location
Cornwall
I prefer campag shifters but due to Athena being powershift I would pick Ultegra.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
I really like Campagnolo and have had their groupsets on all of my road bikes for the past 26 years, but I have Shimano on my new cyclocross bike. I am slowly getting used to it.

I still prefer Campagnolo, but I think that Shimano is better value for money. (I also like the fact that I can use Shimano MTB cassettes to get very low gears. See my recent CAADX posts.)
 

Onyer

Senior Member
What Kinesis frame are you talking about? If it is the Titanium frame then the Campag Athena looks great, compared to the Shimano Ultegra. My mate has the Athena on his Sabbath Ti, but I have Ultegra on my Ti. His looks better - which galls me to say that! But Shimano is smoother to operate and it shifts as you move the lever. Also with Shimano you can move more than one gear at the rear by pushing the lever a little harder. Useful for a quick change when going uphill.
 

Citius

Guest
The answer to your question is "fit any road groupset you want".

'Tactical advantage' could be useful if you are racing - is that the case?
 

winjim

Smash the cistern
Black, white and red? Campagnolo Super Record.
 

Doyleyburger

Veteran
Location
NCE West Wales
Depending on the terrain where you live might give you a better idea which groupset to go with . Campag only go up to a certain size cog on the cassette. You may want bigger cogs for lower gearing if you are in a hilly area
 
OP
OP
Milzy

Milzy

Guru
Black, white and red? Campagnolo Super Record.
The wife is now looking after my baby daughter for a year so I'm the only source of income. I'm budgeting £500. Otherwise it would be super Record without question. I'm heading towards Ultegra now.

It should look like this.

FFD3A747-6EC8-4DCB-8DEF-5CDCBC64EE3F_zpsuublfwph.jpg
 

jayonabike

Powered by caffeine & whisky
Location
Hertfordshire
As it's a fairly classic looking bike, what about an Ultegra SL crank? I have one on my Mercian and looks the part as well as being Shimano:okay:
image.jpg

image.jpg
 

winjim

Smash the cistern
The wife is now looking after my baby daughter for a year so I'm the only source of income. I'm budgeting £500. Otherwise it would be super Record without question.
Yeah sorry, I saw your budget. I was only being facetious by mentioning the priciest groupset there is. :okay:

Personally I'd go for Athena, but maybe with Chorus shifters and chainset if you prefer ultrashift/torque to powershift/torque, as many do. Although you can still get Athena ultratorque chainsets if you know where to look.:okay:
 

Crandoggler

Senior Member
Having had shimano, I'd go for SRAM all day long.

22 useable gears thanks to the yaw front dérailleur, solid, quick and slick changes. They may feel a little agricultural at first, but personally I think Shimano feels a little dull in comparison. Get used to the double tap, it's very intuitive.
 
OP
OP
Milzy

Milzy

Guru
Having had shimano, I'd go for SRAM all day long.

22 useable gears thanks to the yaw front dérailleur, solid, quick and slick changes. They may feel a little agricultural at first, but personally I think Shimano feels a little dull in comparison. Get used to the double tap, it's very intuitive.
Do you think rival 22 will be adequate as Force seems pricey?
 
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