A comparison of high-end components: SRAM, Shimano and Campagnolo put to the test
Jens Klötzer
· 03.05.2025
Diana Rieger has never had any contact with an electronic SRAM drivetrain in her racing bike career. Until now, the amateur cyclist has only been familiar with mechanical Shimano groupsets. However, after just five seconds of having the shifting logic explained to her, the woman in her mid-forties thinks the groupset is "mega". Her opinion will not change over the course of the day, on the contrary: her next bike should have just such a gear system. Marketing experts call this "FTUE", "First Time User Experience". If it is positive, that is half the battle for a successful product. Such effects are particularly important for competitor products that are very similar - for example, racing bike gears.
Hardly anything characterises the ride on a road bike as emphatically as the components: After all, you are constantly pedalling, shifting and braking. Responsible for this is an ensemble of individual parts that usually come from one manufacturer and are harmonised with each other. You can expect modern component groups to harmonise and function perfectly: the basic functions have matured over decades and have been continuously improved. The competitive pressure from a small number of leading manufacturers has meant that what are actually simple functions are now performed by small marvels of technology that rarely go wrong. This is precisely why it is not easy for many people to decide in favour of one provider.
The search for the right groupset is traditionally also a question of faith. As long as shifting systems functioned exclusively mechanically, it was mainly about the operating logic as an important distinguishing feature: Campagnolo, Shimano or SRAM? It was generally a question of personal preference as to where the gear levers should sit and how easy or difficult they were to operate. In the age of electronic shifting, in which gears are only changed at the touch of a button and by actuators, such dogmas should really be thrown overboard; one could concentrate on hard facts. Or should we? Practice shows that the opposite is the case. In terms of mechanical performance, the groupsets today are extremely close to each other. Haky SRAM derailleurs, grinding Shimano brakes or hard-to-reach Campagnolo levers are memories of a past that no longer apply to modern material. The groupsets from all three manufacturers shift perfectly, brake excellently, run quietly and show comparable wear behaviour. Even in terms of weight - always a reason for road cyclists to decide in favour of or against a product - there is hardly any difference between the suppliers. According to our measurements, just 80 grams separate the lightest (SRAM Red AXS) from the "heaviest" ensemble (Shimano Dura-Ace).
New properties are in demand
This makes "soft skills", which are not so easy to summarise in figures or illustrate in tables, all the more important today: Does the operating logic of the gear knobs fit, or can it be changed? Can riding data be analysed using a smartphone app, can the gears be adjusted using a touchscreen, can the power meter or bike computer be easily integrated? Can the batteries be removed or does the whole bike have to be plugged in to charge? Apart from electronics and software, there are also arguments that are more important in case of doubt than an 80 gram weight difference: How good do the levers feel? What gear ratios are available, how much do the wearing parts cost - and is the gear system compatible with my favourite wheels?
For this somewhat different comparison, we summarised our experiences from tests and practical kilometres over the past few years with the different groupsets, asked bike manufacturers, colleagues and friends for their opinions and let laypeople like Diana try out the parts. With three current bikes, which the manufacturer Benotti kindly set up for us, we were able to understand and compare individual functions in practice. It turns out that even long-time fans of certain brands can be swayed by both positive and negative user experiences. At least in terms of the current state of development of the products, one winner has emerged: SRAM is clearly doing a lot of things right with the new Red AXS; there are die-hard Shimano and Campagnolo fans who are fond of the latest groupset from the once ridiculed American brand. Above all, the operating logic, the bike computer with its functions that match the gears and the interchangeable batteries are praised. The fact that (almost) everything is self-explanatory, that even non-experts can use the simple app to adjust the gears, connect a power meter and analyse data is seen as technological progress. Market leader Shimano can learn something from this, and traditional manufacturer Campagnolo can even learn a lot. The Italians are lagging behind in these disciplines: Many fans of the brand are disappointed by the complicated gear adjustment and the economical app with few functions. But there are also downsides to the SRAM groupset, for example the high spare parts prices. Shimano scores points here because chains and brake discs, for example, are also used for mountain bike groupsets and are therefore available everywhere and inexpensive. Compatibility with virtually all wheels can also be an argument in favour of Shimano.
Deciding with foresight
As is so often the case, however, not every criterion is equally important for every user. Diana, at least, was initially impressed by her first contact with SRAM. However, when she thinks about the spare part prices for sprockets and chainrings later on, the LTUE - "Long-Term User Experience" - could possibly take a different direction. Of course, this must be avoided. To help you decide for yourself, we have summarised the most important information about the manufacturers on the following pages. We also provide tips on what else is available from the manufacturers apart from the latest top groups and which translations are suitable for your application.
Three high-end groups in the test
Jens Klötzer
Editor
