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I went to the Cycle Show at the NEC last Saturday. I was able to try out both Shimano Ultegra and Campag Athena electronic gears. In both cases the bikes were set up on rollers. The action of pushing the levers in both cases is not a lot different to a mechanical set up, so don't get the idea that you will spare your pinkies some effort.
Shimano has double levers behind the now fixed brake lever. The change was smooth and the trimming of the front mech worked well. What I did not like was the closeness of the levers, something you would get used to in track mitts, but a nightmare in thick winter gloves.
Campag Athena, I got on this bike just before the show closed and the set up had had a hard day. Why Athena I asked, because the mechanicals are the same as the 2 record systems and that is what they wanted to demonstrate. Levers are almost the same as Chorus 11 on my Wilier. The inner button is more ergonomic, with a nice concave shape that fits the thumb. Going up the cassette was very impressive, one long push on the lever behind the brake took the chain across all 11 sprockets in one hit. Almost as soon as the chain reached the largest sprocket trimming of the front mech took place.
Having built my first Hetchins in 1963 with Campag (handlebar control, all the rage then) and now with 3 Campag equiped bikes, it is no secret where my loyalties lie, but I know which I would go for. It will be interesting to see what the reliability issues are long term with both systems.
Shimano has double levers behind the now fixed brake lever. The change was smooth and the trimming of the front mech worked well. What I did not like was the closeness of the levers, something you would get used to in track mitts, but a nightmare in thick winter gloves.
Campag Athena, I got on this bike just before the show closed and the set up had had a hard day. Why Athena I asked, because the mechanicals are the same as the 2 record systems and that is what they wanted to demonstrate. Levers are almost the same as Chorus 11 on my Wilier. The inner button is more ergonomic, with a nice concave shape that fits the thumb. Going up the cassette was very impressive, one long push on the lever behind the brake took the chain across all 11 sprockets in one hit. Almost as soon as the chain reached the largest sprocket trimming of the front mech took place.
Having built my first Hetchins in 1963 with Campag (handlebar control, all the rage then) and now with 3 Campag equiped bikes, it is no secret where my loyalties lie, but I know which I would go for. It will be interesting to see what the reliability issues are long term with both systems.
