Strengths: Looks fantastic, feels great. Smooth and quiet shifting. No additional "play" in shifters like other brands. Reasonably priced when compared to equivalent competitors. 11 speeds.
Weaknesses: Really, none so far.
Bottom Line:
My other bike has a triple Shimano 105 groupset with Ultegra rear derailleur, from about 2006. It has been very reliable but I wanted a change for my new bike. Enter Campy Athena, which seems to be about Ultegra level for price/quality.
What a nice groupset this is. I opted for the chrome look on levers and the crank and the groupset as a whole looks sharp.
Shifting is much more positive than my previous Shimano group. Shimano seems to sort of chunk into place, and doesn't like being shifted much under a lot of power. The Athena group shifts nicely into place with less noise and does it precicesly too. It is easier with this group to shift while out of the saddle.
I do also like the change in the shifting ergonomics (separate shifters compared to integrated brake shifters in Shimano). Shifting up/down is a non-issue when riding in the drops too (I thought the little button would be awkward to reach, but it isn't).
The general feel of the hoods is very nice and refined - I like the shape. The upshift in the rear is nice; the lever can be pulled towards the bars, meaning that the "sweep" can take whatever path you like, resulting in a very natural feel.
Braking is very positive too - at least on par with Ultegra.
Front derailleur shifts are beautiful, much more efficient, particularly going to the big ring.
Unfortunately this group does not allow you to downshift (to smaller cogs in the rear) multiple like the Chorus gruppo does. This would be a worthwhile upgrade.
Having 11 speeds is a joy. Seems like you can always find just the right gear for your cadence.
Some might worry about making the jump from one shifting system to another; I didn't have any issues at all, it took less than one ride to get used to the different feel.
Strengths: -cheap, and durable.
-Good fit on many styles of road bike.
-Looks great
-The aluminum levers wraped in carbon fiber are durable and don't get really cold while riding in the winter.
Weaknesses: Breaks could be better.
Bottom Line:
I bought Athena about a year and 3 months ago. I was one of the first people to get it in the United States and one of the first to rice it 10,000 miles plus. One thing is wrong with it, the threads on the front derailleur striped; where the derailleur mounts to the bike. I think that this is a manufacturing problem. This shouldn't happen to quality equipment.
Strengths: -Appearance, especially with carbon crank arms.
-Quick, positive shifting.
-Great brakes
-Excellent ergonomics
-Assemblies can be repaired rather than replaced.
-11 speed flexibility is nice.
Weaknesses: -Chain master pin design. An expensive tool is required, and if the pin isn't peened properly, it will come apart. I experienced this firsthand. If properly installed, the chain is durable, but I still would like to be able to remove it for cleaning as is possible with SRAM chains.
Bottom Line:
This is the first decent road group I've owned. I've ridden mountain since 1989 and had a few hand me down road bikes previously, but this is my first good road bike/group.
Before I bought this group, I also rode current Ultegra, 105, Dura Ace, and 10 speed Chorus groups. I liked the hood design and overall ergonomics of this group, it looks great, and the price is very fair for the performance Athena provides. I would have bought this group because of the reasons above, but the fact it has 11 speeds was a bonus.
The price above is an approximation; the group was included in a complete build.
Strengths: - Excellent performance at a great price.
- Crisp, accurate shifting. The control levers and hoods are very comfortable with a nice anti-slip texture.
- Powerful brakes that aren't too grabby.
- Nice machined chainrings. Simple but reliable and light bottom bracket/crankset.
- Overall, a great groupo that is reasonably priced
Weaknesses: - Once on the bike, none thus far.
- Shifter cable installation is a bit tedious. Chain installation requires a rediculously expensive single purpose tool. Until cheaper aftermarket tools come out, take it to a good LBS and have them put it on. MAKE SURE they have the 11 speed chain tool, as a standard tool won't seat the pin correctly.
Bottom Line:
Incredible value for the performance level. My old 8 speed campy group finally failed, so it was time to move up. I was initially wary of the skinny chain and cassette of the new 11 speed group, but those fears have thus far been unnecessary. Perfect shifts, no jamming, etc. Athena slots in between Chorus and Veloce, giving you 11 speeds but minimal carbon. In fact, the carbon on the control levels is apparently a veneer. Regardless, it's perfectly functional and thus far reliable. 5 flaming nuggets for value, as it is considerably cheaper than Chorus and you get all of the performance for a slight weight penalty.
If posting photos involves this much "techie" then I think I'll just go for a nice long ride instead: a much better use of time.
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