Budget 11-Speed Shoot-Out: Athena Vs. 105

Campagnolo Athena 11-speed Vs. Shimano 105 11-speed

Intro

I've ridden Dura-Ace, Sram Red, Super Record EPS -all the hot stuff. If you're the heir of Croesus, that's the junk you should buy. But for me, a lowly bike mechanic surviving off the black-market sales of used bike parts on craigslist and whatever I can pickpocket at the pier, I buy whatever is cheapest.

So, for the value-oriented cyclist what group is right for you? Campagnolo's Athena or Shimano's105?

You might notice here that I conspicuously left out SRAM and their "Rival" groupset. There are two very good reasons for that:

Update: When I first wrote this SRAM didn't have a budget 11 speed group. Now it's out, and I'm testing it. I'll give it a post after I've put a few thousand miles on it. 

Also, SRAM has done a lot of work to clean up their act these last couple years, so I'm willing to give them a clean slate, which is why I crossed out all the stuff under this note. 

1. It's not out yet and 
2. It'll probably suck.

I rode the new Red 22 when it came out at Interbike and I liked it quite a bit, but Sram has some serious issues on the corporate side that they'll need to work out before their products can be compared on a consumer level to the likes of Shimano and Campy. Out of every ten Sram equipped bikes that I build or repair, I'd say at least three have a warranty issue. There are o-rings that don't seal, shift levers that suddenly break, derailleurs that don't shift into the smallest cog, hydraulic brakes that get recalled, chains that don't last through the month. I could go on. Though the other companies aren't perfect, SRAM has a gift for screwing things up on a global scale. Also, on two occasions I've met a couple of the founders and both times they acted like schmucks. To SRAM's credit, though, they have excellent customer service when dealing with warranty and recall claims.

Group History:

Campagnolo introduced 11-speed Athena as their budget 11-speed group back in 2009. Like 105, it uses a lot of the same technology as it's pricier counterparts, but it's made out of heavier materials (aluminum in place of carbon; steel in place of titanium) and it uses the "PowerTorque" crank instead of the stiffer and lighter "UltraTorque" you see on Chorus through Super Record. On the version I tested I used a Chorus chain and cassette because there isn't an Athena branded chain or cassette, (though I've used the Miche stuff and it works).

11-speed 105, on the other hand, came out earlier this year. In terms of design it mimics Ultegra and Dura-Ace, but, again, using cheaper materials. On the version I tested I used an Ultegra chain and cassette because the 105 versions weren't out when I got my bike.

Thoughts on 105

MSRP: $775

The problem I had when building up and tuning 105 for the first time is the same problem I had with Ultegra, that is, the cables don't seems to be as friction-free as the advertising claims. Shimano's new cable design uses a coating that's supposed to make wires slide more easily in the housing, thus improving shifting and reducing wear, but I'm not 100% on board. I've found that it takes a few good rides with minor adjustments here and there before the cables are moving as freely as they should be. Also, the coating frays at the securing bolt, which looks ugly. 

My other problem with 105 is the same I've had with every Shimano road group since forever: it's hard to upshift in gloves. The little lever is too small and sometimes I move the wrong one just a little bit which nullifies the lever I wanted to hit and makes nothing happen. This is an annoying trait in regular riding, but downright criminal in racing, where a mis-shift might drop you from the pack. I do, however, love the new shape of the 105 brifters. I think they're the most comfortable of any company, and that counts for a lot. 

My last problem with the 105 group has to do with the final trim click on the front derailleur when downshifting. The idea, borrowed from the Shimano electric groups, is that when the chain drops from the big chainring to the small, the front derailleur does it in steps: first it drops the chain down, then you click again to move the derailleur out of the way. This step system is supposed to reduce the likelihood of dropping a chain on the inside. In practice, most people only press the downshift lever once, so the chain rubs against the derailleur. The second tap is just one more thing you have to remember to do, but in racing you really aren't looking for extra mechanical chores while trying to catch the group up a hill. Also, in the old days when you reached the last cog on a Shimano shifter, it would stop clicking, a physical cue to stop pressing the lever. But on the new 105 shifters it continues to click (a cheap, plasticy click too) even if there's nothing to click about. 

As far as performance goes: no complaints. I especially like the 105 for cyclocross because it's fairly dirt-resistant and chain slap is hardly an issue; I've yet to clog the system up and my frame is free of chipped paint and marring from the chain. The shifting action is always smooth and performs better than the previous 10-speed model, especially when charging uphill. In sprints the upshifts are clean and confidence-inspiring. I've had the derailleurs and shifters caked with mud and then power-washed and put away wet, but the system seems no worse off for it. 105 is a great group for the maintenance inept. 

Thoughts on Athena:

MSRP: $994

I love this group. I've actually had it on two bikes: my Foundry Ratchet but also my All-City Mr. Pink. But, I must be fair and admit it is not a perfect grouppo. 

From a racing perspective, the flappy paddle design of the shifters is whack. Unlike Shimano or Sram, where the lightest flick of the wrist will shift several gears at a time, Athena requires the rider to move their whole hand over so the thumb can reach the nobby little levers on the inside of the brifter. When you're in the drops, and especially when sprinting, this can suck. A few times I've been adjusting my grip to shift and hit a bump and almost lost control when my hands slipped off the bars. People with small digits have to almost take their hand off the bar to upshift from the drops. I recommend anybody using Athena get the shallowest handlebars available to counter this. The nice thing, though, is that in the winter Campagnolo is the easiest group to operate with gloves on, even mittens. Also, if you ride primarily on the hoods, you can hit the paddle with the palm of your hand, which feels pretty lazy and decadent, but when you're exhausted after hours in the saddle, it's nice to not change your grip to shift.

But that's not all.

Why oh why does Campagnolo insist on the use of Torx fasteners? Why can't you use Allen fasteners like the rest of the world?! This wouldn't be a problem if they were consistent, if every fastener used Torx -but no! Just some of them. That means to work on an Athena group you need both an Allen wrench set and a Torx wrench set and a Phillips head screwdriver. Ugh. 

Although Record shifters can upshift through the whole cogset with one sweep of the thumb, Athena shifters can only move one gear at a time, which is kind of like getting sold a hot dog but not the mustard. Is it so hard to give Athena the shiftability of the other groups? 

I should also mention that I had to warranty the front derailleur of one of my Athena groups. One day it just stopped shifting to the big ring under pressure. I think it might have gotten bent somehow, so it might not have been Campy's fault, but mine. The good people at Ochsner, one of Campy's North American distributors, took care of the problem without hassle.  

Athena came through most clearly on Ragbrai, a multi-day tour across Iowa. Despite my bike being tossed around a moving truck to get from and to my house in Chicago and Iowa and back, with a drunk and sloppy 500 miles of riding in between, the Athena never gave me so much as a hiccup. In fact, since the initial tune and breaking-in process (which took about 150 miles) I haven't touched the group at all except to clean and lube it. (Update: I moved the group over to a new frame without undoing the cables or anything, and it still shifts great. I used Campy cables and housing, which I approve of heartily)

Which Group is best?

I say Athena takes the win. Why? Because it feels better and looks cooler, that's why. Athena shifts are crisp, you can feel the spring tension reverberate through the frame with each press of the goofy shifter paddle. 105, on the other hand, feels like plastic. Also, style: Campy and their Italian designers know how to make a product look good. I even kept the boxes. They smell good (perfume?). And at ~2400 grams vs. ~2700 grams the Campy is lighter (for a couple hundred $ more you can get Athena in carbon to shave some grams off. 

The price difference is something to be accounted for. Campy is more expensive than Shimano at every level. If you're on a budget, the Shimano parts will work just fine. But if you're on a budget and can squeeze a little extra from the piggy for a bit more steaze, go for the Athena.

Update: I've changed my mind. After about five-thousand miles, my Athena Powertorque cranks started making a creaking sound. Campy's North American rep refused to believe it could be the manufacturer's fault, and we sent about a dozen emails back and forth about what I should do to fix the noise and why it's my problem, not his. Dude tried to blame the sound on the fact that I wasn't using Campy-brand grease! Well, after I did all the things and sent multiple videos and spent a hundred hours dis-assembling and re-assembling, he finally acquiesced to have "Campagnolo's in-house team take a look at it." He kept my crank for almost a month before finally sending a "Potenza" crank to replace it. SRAM would never waste with those hi-jinks and I doubt Shimano would either. 

Oh, Brakes

Just enough room for 25c's

The Athena I tested used Campy's "Skeleton" brakes; dual pivot rim caliper in the front, single in the rear. The 105 used Shimano's RS685 140mm hydraulic road disc brakes. Both are fine. They stop the bike and I've yet to do any maintenance to either brand. To be honest, nobody makes a bad brake these days, except Sram.