SRAM vs Shimano

[MacB]

but it's very very VERY simple if you don't involve campagnolo.
if you want campagnolo on your bike, *everything* has to be campagnolo - including wheels, which is the worst part. If only the hubs were compatible with other cassettes, the mech/shifter incompatibility wouldn't be so bad. But you have to have a campag wheel...

If you don't touch campagnolo, the compatibility can be summed up with the one simple sentence that I gave, if you involve campagnolo, then as your post illustrates you need to read and understand 4 paragraphs, thus you need to either have campag wheels, OR have a degree in groupset component inter-compatibility. That's one of the reasons i'm sceptical of campagnolo.

that's a very fair comment but I would add that there are some reasons for sneaking a peek at Campag stuff:-

some folks think it looks far better than shimano or SRAM - not a view I share but it's touted often enough on forums

cable routing - campag cables run under bar tape shimano gear cable comes out sideways, can interfere with bar bags etc.

price - Ergo shifters tend to be cheaper than STI

repair - it's claimed Ergo shifters can be repaired, even 'self-fettled' whereas STI is bin and replace

With regard to the market and product positioning I find some of the attitudes weird. Like you say Campag cassettes really need Campag wheels etc. Yet Campag are complained about as deserting the touring market by stopping doing wide range cassettes. Even though they were especially popular due to the more convenient cable routing. Making your cassette/freehub connection incompatible just seems bloody minded. So the shimergo type thing is born so that those that prefer Campag shifters can run the sort of drive train they want for the riding they do.

SRAM seem more savvy and have at least made sure their cassettes marry up with shimano. They've also adopted the campag idea of hidden cabling. Though the rear mech variation is a little puzzling. Unless, of course, they genuinely have made a step forward in shifting and derailler technology. Reading across the web wouldn't seem to indicate this is the case.

I lack the knowledge of cycling product history to be able to understand fully. However I'm getting a flavour of the old video tape wars with Campag as Betamax and Shimano as VHS. SRAM are the new kids on the block but certainly seem more weighted to shimano than campag.

Oh yeah, I do apologise for the long essays, they're not really aimed at the more knowledgeable. Just trying to post upthe sort of thing I'd have found useful, in the hope it clicks for someone else.