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15 comments
I've ridden 16,000km on a Veloce Bianchi N7 (my winter/shite weather bike). Cassette and chain wear is just as you would expect but there was an issue with a ratchet going in a shifter which was fixed under warranty.
Hoods are a great shape & shifting is decent.
I have carbon Athena on my summer bike which is crisper in shifting and obviously lighter but Veloce will remain on my winter bike but with a Centaur cassette as it's harder wearing.
I'm in the Shimano camp - I recently rode an 11-speed 105 and it was as smooth (possibly smoother) to shift as my 10-speed Ultegra and lots, lots nicer than an old 10-speed 105 that I used to have. Can't comment on the shifters as the 11-speed 105 was hydraulic disc equipped.
I could never get on with the button downshift but this is probably due to lack of practice. It took me ages to get used to STI; what's wrong with shifters on the downtube! And indexing will never catch on; mark my words...
Given that I'm actually not that concerned about having 11 speed above 10, is the Athena worth the extra money over the Veloce or would I be better spending the difference elsewhere on the bike.
If, like me, you believe the world is going to hell in a handcart and nothing invented since 1948 has improved mankind one jot, then you are a Campag' man and you will die a Campag' man.
I've just gone from 10sp 105 to 10sp Veloce
Much prefer the Veloce now. Better feel to the shifting and the hood shape is far nice. But they are both fairly subjective.
Main difference between veloce and 105 is the shifting (same can be said for all campag/shimano groupsets) Veloce is a lot more of a chnk, i've changed gear, 105 is quieter. The other is shifter hood shape. Personally I like campag for both of these points and rate this groupset. Aside from looks you have to jump up to chorus to see any real gains on top of this and even then its marginal.
Shifter value is always a plus. you hit the deck, campag shifters are cheaper to replace than shimano (or can easily be repaired)
I'm a recent convert and overall very impressed with the quality of the Veloce gruppo, shifting feels solid, fast, and precise, braking is strong and provides a lot of confidence. Thumb shifters take a couple of rides to get used to, but that quickly becomes natural. The 2015 version has the button levers extended lower, so should be easier shifting in the drops as well
Some reviews if you haven't seen them:
http://road.cc/content/news/120589-campagnolo-reveal-2015-athena-and-vel...
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/reviews/bike-components/campagnolo-veloce...
Super groupset. Faultless performance and will last.
But I am a campagnolo fan, record on racing bike and veloche on training. I road ultegra on team bike last year and it is better than my Record. I hear 105 is as good.
Been riding Veloce for a couple of years, other than usual chain & cassette (due to wear) only had to replace a rear mech because I managed to mangle one in a fall.
Having ridden both 10sp 105 and 10sp Veloce, both can shift wonderfully if everything is set up right, and both can be a pain in the arse if something is off. My current Veloce front mech drops the chain more often than the 105 ever did but I'm sure that's specific to my setup. Ergonomically the Campy shifters are indeed nicer than 105 but not so much so that I would definitely remain loyal on my next major purchase. I also got a KMC chain to use with the Veloce to save money and it turned out to be made of cheese, got a bent link in no time.
Been running 10sp Veloce for about 9 years on my commuter/training bike. Still on original cranks, bottom bracket, front mech and levers. Replaced 2 rear mechs and that's about it. Works well as long as cables are kept in good condition. Recommended!!
Ridden 5k miles for the last two years on (mainly) Veloce. Can't honestly say if it is better or worse than 105, but overall no complaints. Have a subjective feeling that when it wears out or goes wrong it can be a little harder to get parts and fix it. My left crank arm fell off after 6 months use, probably a reflection of my hop on and ride philosophy of bike maintenance than of Campag build quality but it took two weeks to get back on the road ; I'm sure a Shimano set up would have been sorted in 48 hrs max.
I actually like the buttons for the down shift, I can reach mine from the drops, the action is actually better than the enormous push required on the 105 bike I tried recently.
Veloce is good. Would recommend it. A lot less troublesome than my 11 speed chorus/Athena mix.
Go for it, as good as 105, and more repairable.
I can't vouch for the latest iterations, but Veloce used to equate roughly to 105. Where shifting, reliability and weight were always pretty much on a par.
The difference is generally entirely subjective and down to which "feel" people prefer.
You might want to have a test ride.
If it's of any value, I chose Campag.