Bicycle Shop issues

[Pandatron]

20 hours ago, Barry said:

Between you and Graham ganging up, he said that you worked on the bike and that you were qualified and would never do something like that. However, it’s in the past. It still bites that I had to go somewhere else to replace a new chain and fork out another R2500, but anyways, we learn.

You okay Barry? Should maybe see somebody about this

[Sandro]

On 11/21/2025 at 2:08 PM, Paul Ruinaard said:

You do not need a mechanic for Campagnolo. You set it correctly once and it operates like clockwork forever. #truestory

Setting it correctly once seems to be the issue then.  

[Paul Ruinaard]

On 11/22/2025 at 10:04 AM, eddy said:

Yislaaik Chris, I have long respected your opinion, maar nou praat jy mos tjol.😇

After standing idle for 10 years, I ook out my Merckx with 10spd Campag Titanium for a Cradle ride last week and was again astonished at how smooth and how precise the shifting was and how silent the drivetrain runs.

Back on 11 spd Dura Ace this morning and as good as it is, it is like comparing Alistair Coetzee to Rassie the man.

Yep - I will stick to 10 speed Record Campag for my statement. My Colnago was on the wall for years before i sold it - never adjusted the group at all. Took it out for a ride in the cradle after my Roubaix was mechanically unsound and it was like coming home. Solid "thunk" every time you shifted up or down - no hunting or adjusting. Hit the shift perfectly every time. It makes you realise how a well machined groupset should run.

I confess I am and have been a shimano fan boy vs SRAM believe me, although AXS won me over after Shimano messed around wth wires and batteries in frames etc so you cant compare electronic to non electronic - servo motors vs cables etc that stretch - apples and pears.

Road groupsets there is nothing like a Campag shifting experience. You never forget your first Campag.... bit it is now just ridiculously priced and TBH its like having a Rolex - still only tells the time but your mates wonder how you afforded it.

 

[Mook]

14 minutes ago, Paul Ruinaard said:

Yep - I will stick to 10 speed Record Campag for my statement. My Colnago was on the wall for years before i sold it - never adjusted the group at all. Took it out for a ride in the cradle after my Roubaix was mechanically unsound and it was like coming home. Solid "thunk" every time you shifted up or down - no hunting or adjusting. Hit the shift perfectly every time. It makes you realise how a well machined groupset should run.

I confess I am and have been a shimano fan boy vs SRAM believe me, although AXS won me over after Shimano messed around wth wires and batteries in frames etc so you cant compare electronic to non electronic - servo motors vs cables etc that stretch - apples and pears.

Road groupsets there is nothing like a Campag shifting experience. You never forget your first Campag.... bit it is now just ridiculously priced and TBH its like having a Rolex - still only tells the time but your mates wonder how you afforded it.

 

I am no expert on Campy durability or quality, but according to @Paul Ruinaard and @eddy a compagnola group supposedly only lasts 25 years if you ride it once every 8-10 years 😜

I await the lynch mob's fury 🤣🤣

[Paul Ruinaard]

3 minutes ago, Mook said:

I am no expert on Campy durability or quality, but according to @Paul Ruinaard and @eddy a compagnola group supposedly only lasts 25 years if you ride it once every 8-10 years 😜

I await the lynch mob's fury 🤣🤣

We are now getting off topic completely (if we weren't already) but:

Wait until you try and buy chains and clusters and you will understand why you only ride it on special occasions :-). About 3 x everything else,and if you, like @eddy (and me i confess) have titanium or carbon involved in the name of the components you have already forked great wodges of wonga for your dirty little habit, then get ready to bend over and grab your ankles to buy those specific little bits in the said metals or variants of them.

I was at the time naive and still believed in fallacies like purity of components - so you would never pollute your groupset by running anything but Record Titanium/Carbon clusters or chains or chainrings. I had Record Titanium hubs as well. Works of art.

That was a way to alleviate you of massive dollars and only the most geeky of fanatics even could recognise that you were running a "pure " drivetrain. I am still in awe of how stupid I was at the time and how mad us Saffers are on this stuff.

True Story - I went to follow the last week of TdF in 2004 with a bunch of Saffers peak of my road riding insanity.  We had basically 40 guys there of which about 20 had Colnago C 40s. Lightspeeds etc all with Record Titanium/Carbon groupsets on (including me). 

The one guy who was watching on the sidelines when we stopped to go for a ride and were unloading the bikes, asked us which pro team we were when he saw us pulling this pro level hardware from the trailer behind the bus. And he wasn't being full of BS, he was being genuine.

[eddy]

5 hours ago, Paul Ruinaard said:

 

 

I was at the time naive and still believed in fallacies like purity of components - so you would never pollute your groupset by running anything but Record Titanium/Carbon clusters or chains or chainrings

In 2003 I bought a Merckx Team SC in London and could spec the components.  I drew up a spreadsheet comparing weight and price of Record and Chorus.

I was reliably informed by those that knew that the 2g difference was priced at 3 times the then ruling street price for Columbia's finest.

[DJR]

2 hours ago, eddy said:

............I was reliably informed by those that knew that the 2g difference was priced at 3 times the then ruling street price for Columbia's finest.

I think it was Sean Connery who said that getting hooked on the best Cuban Cigars is a very good thing, because you won't be able to afford more dangerous drugs. Campagnolo Record Ti is even better than Cuban cigars.

Some habits are worth it.

Love my 10sp Ti on the C40. 

[ChrisF]

11 hours ago, Paul Ruinaard said:

We are now getting off topic completely (if we weren't already) but:

Wait until you try and buy chains and clusters and you will understand why you only ride it on special occasions :-). About 3 x everything else,and if you, like @eddy (and me i confess) have titanium or carbon involved in the name of the components you have already forked great wodges of wonga for your dirty little habit, then get ready to bend over and grab your ankles to buy those specific little bits in the said metals or variants of them.

I was at the time naive and still believed in fallacies like purity of components - so you would never pollute your groupset by running anything but Record Titanium/Carbon clusters or chains or chainrings. I had Record Titanium hubs as well. Works of art.

That was a way to alleviate you of massive dollars and only the most geeky of fanatics even could recognise that you were running a "pure " drivetrain. I am still in awe of how stupid I was at the time and how mad us Saffers are on this stuff.

True Story - I went to follow the last week of TdF in 2004 with a bunch of Saffers peak of my road riding insanity.  We had basically 40 guys there of which about 20 had Colnago C 40s. Lightspeeds etc all with Record Titanium/Carbon groupsets on (including me). 

The one guy who was watching on the sidelines when we stopped to go for a ride and were unloading the bikes, asked us which pro team we were when he saw us pulling this pro level hardware from the trailer behind the bus. And he wasn't being full of BS, he was being genuine.

 

Back in 1962/3 a gent by the name of Tom Sadie was one of the prominant figures in the Bellville Cycling club, often trying out for nationals.   Many years later I went to school with his son.

Oom Tom only spoke of Campie .... non of the fishing stuff stuff on his bikes ....

Edited November 24, 2025 by ChrisF

[OVERDRIVE]

On 11/20/2025 at 11:49 AM, DJR said:

A bit like a Land Rover (yes, that's me), if you own one for a while, you become a good mechanic.....

Edit: Come to think of it, the same often goes for riding bicycles........

 

On 11/21/2025 at 7:59 PM, AR SLABBERT said:

@Barry No, that is me, I was there for a very brief stint in sales and stock control before moving to Lynnwood Cyclery. I may have helped in bringing your bike to the front for you, but I certainly wouldn't have argued about it. I was at the end of matric in high school at Centurion Cyclery. Are you perhaps not thinking of the older, taller employee who was also blonde, often causing people to get us mixed up? If it was, I can only apologise now, but as I said, I was around 18 and I can't think of myself chasing a grown man out of a bicycle store at the time.

I was once 18. I wish I could say the same, but I would go to hell 🤣