I’m in the process of specing out a new road bike - coming from a background in mountain biking I am not familiar with all of the intricacies of some of the road bike parts yet but this is what I have so far - its Campy Centaur based kit
Shifters - Campy Centaur Ergo
Derailers - Campy Centaur
Brakes - Campy Centaur Calipers
Bottom Bracket - Campy Centaur
Cranks - Campy Centaur 53/38
Cogs - Campy Centaur 12-25
Chain - Campy Record
Bars - Deda Elementi 215
Stem - Thomson Elite
Saddle - Fizik Arione
Wheels - Campy Zonda
Tires - Continental Attack/Force
Tubes - Michelin A1 Comp
Tape - Fizik Gel
Frame/Fork/Headset/Post - Kuota Kharma (I hope)
am I missing anything - is there anything blatantly wrong with this build kit?
Should I go to compact cranks? - According to Slowman’s article on compact cranks - I could get the better gearing with 50/34 and a 11-23 cassette.
I will be using this bike for road training, sprint/olympic distance triathlons, and short time trials…
Any suggestions (but please keep in mind the current price of the components)? Is anything worth upspeccing?
The Zondas are boat anchors. I’d consider this a must-change item.
Have you used Campy in the past? I do envy Campy, but the levers drive me nuts and do not allow for multi-position use. Even Cipo uses old levers. Perhaps upgrade to Chorus, but only b/c carbon is so cool.
I’d hold off on the stem/bar combo until fitting. Thomson is very nice b/c they are one of the few that make a full range of 90 stems. As positions have gotten more aggressive, the drops have gotten WAY shallow. I’m using 130 drops this year.
Compact. Depends on mnay factors, including crank length. If you’re a BOPer, perhaps could make an argument. For TT and Tri…there isn’t much benefit. Stick with standard.
pedals might be helpful. speedplay, time, or shimano spd-sl. whatever floats your boat. as a mtn biker, you might like the double sided speedplays.
zonda wheels are good. i had a pair, and though heavy, they are very fast once up to speed, and they hold speed really well. very, very durable.
centaur is good stuff. no worries there.
with a 12-25, you probably dont need a compact crank, unless you live in the mountains. 53x39 should suffice. i suppose 53x38 would be fine also.
deda’s 215 bar is made in both anatomic (funky shaped) and non-anatomic (so-called merckx shaped drops). get the non-anatomic, much better and more comfortable shape. it’s called the deda 215 shallow (this bar can be a little tricky to find).
what do you suggest to replace the zondas? the LBS who is sourcing the kit can get Easton/Velomax and Campy or can build a set of wheels from campy hubs and rims…
no - this will be my first road bike…what do you mean by “multiposition use” - from a few test rides I figure I will be on the hoods a lot…
yeah the LBS moves a lot of thomson so they are offering the thomson stem for me at a great deal…and they carry deda - hopefully we can work something out when I get fitted…
Im only 5’8" with a 73cm (28.7inch) inseam…so I’m leaning towards the shorter cranks…although Im not sure if I’m going to notice the couple of mm difference…
my original plan was to use my current mtb SPDs but Im now leaning towards getting a new set…which means new shoes I’ll have to see if I can work it into the budget…
as for crank/cog combination - since Im going to a 53x39 and a 12-25 wouldnt it be more beneficial to go to a 50x34 and a 11-23? The compact combo would give me more high end speed and a lower low end speed according to Slowman’s article…as well as a slightly lower weight
No contest here. Easton Circuits simply rock. If you can pony up for Tempest II, you’re truly golden.
Look at any pro cycling magazine and you’ll see what I mean. The Campy shifter sare 1 or 2 trick ponies. The Shimano levers have perhaps 5-6 useable positions. Obviously…this causes a monster change in your components, but worth mentioning. I’d ride campy if I could use DA 7800 levers. ;o)
imo, in most cases a normal 53/39 is better than a compact set up … less duplicate gears, less cross over, more chainwrap, more usable gears, less wear. like i said, unless you climb a lot. in which case, a compact is fine. (but so is a 12 x27).
you dont need the extra top end. in tris, you’ll never (or very rarely, like downhill) spinout a 53x12. unless you’ve got quads like petachi.
i guess it doesnt really matter. watch the q-factor (pedal-to-pedal width) on compact carbon cranks. some are really wide. you want narrow. narrow is better for a bunch of boring technical reasons.
I love my Campy Eurus wheels. If your looking to stay with Campy wheels (for aesthetics), I’d highly recommend them as an alternative to the (also very good) Eastons. They save alot on weight versus the Zonda’s - at an extra $300 of course.
“Compact. Depends on mnay factors, including crank length. If you’re a BOPer, perhaps could make an argument. For TT and Tri…there isn’t much benefit. Stick with standard.”
This is a completely incaccurate statement and shows little understanding of the benefits of so-called “compact” cranksets…
As far as wheels, I don’t have personal experience w/ the zonda’s though they don’t seem to have a great following based on previous posts. Any reason not to go w/ something durable and simple like mavic open pro w/ a good hub? A pretty standard training set and I’m pretty sure, cheaper then the zonda’s. Either way, hope you enjoy the transition to skinny tires.
this might seem like a minor change, but I think that you will appreciate it. Ditch the record chain and go whipperman. There is not a signifigant price difference but the record chains are a pain to deal with. Whipperman chains work great and the detachable link makes cleaning much easier. I’m also a biig fan of the thompson post and stems. Sounds like a sweet bike. eddie.
I’m fully versed with compact cranks and was all set to ride them this year (building the bike last fall). In a VERY VERY VERY detailed analysis, involving the best minds in the business (road racing). So, I’m all for cracking this out in more detail…
There’s a niche, but it is a niche…
The only benefit to riding compact is that you can switch them back to standard later. ;o)
Record 32H Hubs laced with Sapin CX-Rays to Open Pro Ceramic rims are 1642g
Record 28H front laced 3X to Mavic Open Pro with 14/15 dbl butted spokes & Record 32H rear laced 3X to Mavic Open Pro with same spokes with brass nipples are 1837g and cost 420 dollars…
Go at it? Why? Seems your mind is set and you are prepared to argue your points into the ground. Seems like it would be a waste of time for both of us. I’m all for open-minded discussions…this one doesn’t seem headed that way…
Campy wheels, although cool, are heavy and a bit over-priced. I had Daytona (older centuar) on a bike I owned and it was very durable and dependable. It is a little heavy for the price as well. I would consider going up to Chorus (without all the carbon extras) or getting a Shimano Ultegra 9spd group for the same price.
uhm…well judging from my research in my post above - they arent that heavy compared to wheels in their price range…and the zondas are not heavy compared to a Campy Hub/Mavic box rim wheelset…
I mean they’re heavy compared to Zipps, high end HEDs, and reynolds but those are all at least double the price…
dont worry about the weight. it doesn’t matter that much for a tt/tri bike leg. it’s not like you are accelerating out of evey corner. you get up to speed, and stay there. once you spin the zondas up to your cruising speed, they hold the speed just fine.
I’ll have to see if I can work it into the budget…