The new Campagnolo Ergopower shape: Good or Bad?
Aug 05, 2008 · 07:20 AM · permalink
While I was down in Hayward CA visiting Bianchi, I got a chance to fondle the new Campagnolo Ergopower for Veloce. I didn’t actually get to ride it, but I can tell straight off if I’m gonna like a handlebar or hood. I’m not a Campagnolo fan at heart, but I gotta tell ya…I kinda like the new lever. It felt good in my hands. However, I keep hearing a lot of unkind words about the aesthetics. What’s your judgement: enlightened functionality or just plain hideous?
The new Campag Veloce is seen on this all-new 2009 Bianchi 928 Mono-Q, a more affordable, full-carbon race bike. I’m also not a big fan of black finish on aluminium components (calipers and other bits), but the all-black Veloce looks right on the Mono-Q.
Incidentally, Veloce is still 10sp while Chorus, Record, and Super Record are 11sp.
totally fugly!!
I’ll reserve judgement until I see with my own eyes as they probably are nice to use. This doesn’t stop them looking really ugly though.
I didn’t know Bianchi USA was half a mile from my work. Holy cool. I have no issue with the Campagnolo Ergopower. If it works and it’s comfy I’m cool.
Should work nicely on the equally ugly Pinarello Onda bikes… The classic line does say that “form follows function”. Looks like function dropped form way off the back in this case, though. Pity.
The hood shape reminds me of this water-bottle shape, which reminds me of another shape.
Hard to disagree with what’s already been said. Definitely ugly, but it does combine the positive shape aspects of every lever design, as I see them. Flatter ramps give me the reach I want on a shallow drop (short/shallow with a longer stem isn’t quite the same IMO).
Seeing that Asian bottle reminds me of my favorite Japanese refreshment, “Pocari Sweat”… But that’s a topic for a whole other post: Inappropriately English-named Asian soft drinks and snacks…
I don’t care what the poseurs think about how it looks so long as it’s comfortable for me to RIDE and works well while I’m RIDING.
Mark is asking if the shape works, less the looks, the somewhat phallic shape deserved mention — the best shape ever in a hood is SRAM. Too bad their drivetrain requires lazer-alignment to work right.
@byron
no, i am asking if anyone thinks it looks good. i’ve touched and groped the unit, i assure you that the shape functions well, at least for me. but surely someone else is thinking,”hey, that’s kinda cool lookin’”
or maybe it’s just me?
if i ever bought campag for my own bike, it’s much more likely that i’m doing it for this hood shape than because i needed 11 cogs on the back to fulfill me.
People will shout “hideous” until it starts winning or big names start using it. Then they’ll all buy it and suddenly rave about how cool it is.
If we are strictly talking about looks not function. I put these in with the Shimano door knob shifters. Very ugly.
Is it me or did Shimano and Campy swap hood shapes with their 7900 and 11spd groups?
Those hoods aren’t doing it for me.
Tai
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