robertorolfo

Disclaimer: I swear that I didn't start my biking life as a Campagnolo "fanboy", but it looks as though I have indeed become one, so if you can't stand people like me singing their praises, you can stop reading now. I won't be offended. Also, I have absolutely no affiliation with Campagnolo, and I most certainly don't profit in any way from the sale of their products. Plus, serious injury or death!

Like most people in here, I can't stop messing around with my bikes, and that includes experimenting with different parts and setups. Over the past couple of years I've been researching and reading a lot about wheels, and I really can't understand the purchasing decisions that some people are making. This may sound ridiculous, but why aren't more people buying Campagnolo wheels?

First and foremost, despite the often repeating claims that Campagnolo products are overpriced, their wheels are actually really reasonably priced. And they are reasonably priced on both the high and the low end.

Let's start at the lower end, where you have various aluminum solutions. I'm going to skip right over the absolute entry level (the Calima and Khamsin level, where there is little differentiation among brands) and start with roughly the Zonda level of features and quality. And calling it the Zonda level is appropriate, because it's a level all its own, in a good way. For that price, what wheels are you going to buy that come anywhere close in terms of quality and weight? Then, as you move in price, you continue to find Campagnolo models that match or exceed the features of their competitors, and always at a better price. And I'm looking right at you here, Mavic!

And once you start to get into carbon, where things are much more expensive compared to most aluminum wheels, Campagnolo is still the clear leader in terms of quality to price ratio. Their Bora line is simply world class, and it's almost always significantly cheaper that stuff from Zipp, or Easton, or Enve, or any of the boutique brands. Compare wheels weights, and the Boras are usually lighter, or very close to, their competitors of similar rim depths. And then compare characteristics...

This is where another huge component comes into play: hubs. While being competitive in other specifications and price, Campagnolo does this while offering their own hubs. And please don't try to poo-poo their quality. This company has been making hubs, and top of the line hubs, for so many decades now. And it's not just about design and technology, it's also about production. They have been doing it for a long time, they do it well, and they do it in quantity. How can people really expect a smaller company to put out anything as high quality, high performing and reliable for anywhere near the same price? Go and read the customer reviews for wheels on Mavic's own website. It's a disaster. Their hubs appear to be really lousy considering the money people pay for the wheels they are mounted to. Simple sealed bearings and some plastic bushings that often wear out after a few thousand miles? Seriously? And then you get stuff like White Industries or Phill Wood and, quite frankly, I don't even understand why they exist. I'm all about supporting small businesses, and I'm glad they do exist and employ people, but why on earth anyone is buying that stuff instead of Campagnolo is beyond me.

OK, I think I'm done. So can some people chime in and explain why they decided to forgo Campagnolo wheels for other options?