Interesting. Will Campag finally do wireless AND do it with no thumb shifter?
2 Likes
Interesting. The thumb shifters are the main reason I ride Campy. To me it’s such a better ergonomic solution compared to Shimano/SRAM that I’m willing to pay the price premium and suffer the lack of maintenance locations. Staying on the tops and changing gears with my pinky as I crest a climb is one of the joys of riding Campy EPS!
3 Likes
I hear you. I haven’t ridden Campy in years, but mostly just because it’s hard to find in the US. I would absolutely buy it again.
Same here. I’d be disappointed if they bin the thumb button.
1 Like
That said, my biggest gripe about electronic shifting it that it essentially mimics mechanical shifting…when so many other options are available due to the benefits of electronic. The old Mavic Mektronic did a good job, IMO, of trying to break the traditional shifting mold.
But to ditch their signature shift method for what is essentially a “me too” version of other systems just seems…dumb.
2 Likes
I hear ya. Although I reckon for a great number of people, it is the other way around. I could have opted for Campagnolo Ekar on my Strada, gearing-wise that would have been the better option. But I never liked Campag’s thumb shifters …
This.
That’s why I went with SRAM, they seem to be the only manufacturer who thought outside the box.
My previous bike was equipped with a Shimano mechanical drivetrain. Despite that, I never “got” Shimano’s electronic shifting logic, I kept on making misshifts.
However, in my mind Campagnolo could have retained their thumb button in addition to two paddles. E. g. you could use the thumb shifter to change chainrings and use the two paddles on the brake lever to change gears in the rear SRAM-style. Just like SRAM, though, you need not even distinguish between up and downshifts in the front, just shifts.
2 Likes
More shifting positions is the major advantage of electronic…still amazes me that every supplier makes it a hassle to add more options.
Buy this blip / button (often big, bulky and ugly), wire it existing shifters, etc.
Mektronic came with 3 shifting points out of the box…brake levers, hood extensions and the middle of the HB (via the computer).
1 Like
Yeah, my one big complaint with SRAM is that they are missing extra buttons like the one that Shimano Di2 has on the top of the hoods. I’d love to use that to switch pages on my Wahoo or switch my lights on and off. These buttons cost next to nothing. Having one paddle and two extra buttons would be a welcome addition.
Add a thumb shifter/button, too, for people who like to shift with, well, their thumbs. This way, you could e. g. shift up and down with just one arm. That could be useful if you are busy doing something else with the other arm.
Another point is the relatively poor button feel. To be fair, it seems that Campag has the best button feel (according to Keith Wakeham). In my experience, Shimano Di2 has the worst. More tactility would be nice so that you don’t just have a click, but a mechanical “confirmation” that you have actuated a button.
PS I’m also a mechanical keyboard snob/nerd.
1 Like