Components

Components

A major component of the parts fitted to a bike come as a parts kit (otherwise known as a Group-set or Ensemble). A parts kit is all the major moving parts of the bike.

The usual components that make up parts kit are;

Bottom Bracket, V Brake Rear, Chain, Cassette Cogs, Cranks & Chain-rings, Front & Rear Derailleur, Front & Rear Hub and Shift / Brake lever set.

Options not normally included are;

Seat Pole, Head Set and Pedals.

Shimano is a Japanese company which make and supply parts to manufacturers for over 90% of all bikes. Shimano make many different group-sets to suit different needs of riders from a recreational weekend rider to the hardcore racer. Campagnolo is a major parts kit manufacturer that compete with Shimano on road kits and has more support in the professional European circuit. (see review below)

Shimano have a great deal of competition from many of the smaller companies who specialize in selected components like Tectro for brakes, Formula for hubs, SR for cranks etc. Most bike companies usually mix Shimano parts with different group-sets and often use non-Shimano parts. It is important to look further than the rear derailleur and cranks to establish the real suitability and value of what you are purchasing. Some non-Shimano parts are very good and on occasions may represent a better choice than Shimano, our staff will help you with more information. If you’re unsure, stick with as much Shimano as possible and match the parts kit that bests suits your needs.

Within a parts kit, the items in order of importance are; derailleur, gear shifters, chain and rear cogs, rear hub, brake callipers, crank arms. The quality of brake levers, front hub, bottom bracket, cables, headset, pedals are less important.

If you would like to see the range of kits available in order of quality, view the table below.

We can use the manufacturers recommendations however all of the group-sets roll well and will perform to a high standard. The higher you go, the more the bike will feel lighter and last longer without attention. It is generally the case that if you ride with other riders it wont be long before you blame your lower level equipment on poor performance and want to upgrade. Our staff will help you make the best decision based on your circumstances. The table below shows the intended use for parts kit.

Choose from the table below the parts kit designed to suit your intended use.

ROAD BIKE PARTS KITS

MOUNTAIN BIKE PARTS KITS

If you are looking at bikes using non Shimano parts, our staff can help with any questions you may have regarding quality, upgrading or performance. Shimano do dominate the bike parts business however there was a saying that we used to use "if it’s not Shimano, why bother". I believe that there are many components that Shimano are not the obvious best choice like hydraulic disc brakes, pedals, head sets, chains etc. Our staff are happy to clarify any confusion you may have while shopping.

Shimano VS Campagnolo (Road only)

Unfortunately the Campagnolo drive train is not compatible with Shimano and some Shimano groups are not interchangeable. This means that in many circumstances you can not mix and match. Our staff can help with any questions you may have. The opinion of many, is that Shimano operates smoother but wears sooner whereas Campagnolo has a very robust feel but feels less ergonomic. Lance Armstrong is the only winner in the history of Tour De France to use Shimano so you can guess what the European road scene favours. My personal evaluation of each after testing is that;

Component	Shimano	Campagnolo
Shift / Lever	The external cable routing is very annoying out in front of the bars. The shifting is very light and precise, however both up and down shifters being together can jam if both pushed together plus it is more difficult to operate from the lower bar position. (Except Shimano Sora has separate levers but the down shifter can not be reached at all from the lower bar position) If you have a problem with your shifter, get the credit card ready.	Internal cabling is very neat, does not deter peripheral vision and doesn’t knock against the frame as much. I enjoy the robust feeling of the shifters but I especially like the position of the down and up shifters being separate and can be operated from the hoods or lower bar position. You can also convert Campag shifters to any speed and all parts are replaceable but expensive. Campag had it up on Shimano here.
Crank-set & BB	Shimano released sealed bottom bracket systems, then Campag followed. Shimano released a new system for locking the cups, Campag followed. Now Shimano has hollow cranks and the latest BB crank attachment design.	Campag are well behind
Bearing Systems	Shimano have very good sealing and all small parts are replaceable plus they use very standard threads.	Campag bearing systems are so good you would be pressed to wear them out in a lifetime.
Brake Callipers	Shimano have the Dual pivot system that lasts longer that Campag have copied this year and operate very well with very simple adjustment except pad tow-in. You can change the performance by using different brake pads.	Although Campag has an older design, I feel the work better in all conditions and they do not pick up as much junk from the road for some reason.