Campagnolo is releasing an amazing range for 2009.
There are two important features: the three most high-range groupsets are getting an eleventh speed, and a new groupset, the Super Record, sees the day of light. Beside these two important
news, the warranty is up to 4 years instead of 3, which is pretty good, and finally, the shape of every shifters is entirely renewed.
Ok so this is the most important, now let’s see into the details what is coming along with these groupsets.
Campagnolo Super Record
The complete groupset only weights 1964g, the weight save and the use of carbon fibre is obvious. Basically, the parts are identical to the normal Record but they receive some
special extra treatment such as more carbon, reworked parts, and more than all, the rear derailleur is a pure beauty.
The derailleurs
The jockey wheels of the rear derailleur are equipped with ceramic bearings to reduce the friction and increase the durability. They are molded in a very special shape and with a new
material allowing a substantial weight save. Their diameter is increased too to reduce the vibrations and making a smoother chain running. The parallelogram geometry is redesigned for
higher stiffness (a gain of 150% is ciamed), meaning swifter and more accurate shifting. Because of the eleventh speed, the chain width is reduced from 5,9mm to 5,5mm, thus the components
tolerances are reduced as much as possible too to improve the shifting.
Weirdly, the rear derailleur internal mech still is made from aluminium, we wonder why Campagnolo didn’t make it out of carbon as the external one. Some grams might be saved here for the
most weight weenies.
Regarding the front derailleur, the internal plate has been redesigned to speed up the chainring shifting, which is already good on the current version. Every 11 speeds can be used on the
large chainring thanks to the new shape and the shifter trim. The new front derailleurs will be compatible with compact and standard transmissions, the local bike shops will certainly be
pleased.
In term of compatibility, there is no real contraindication to use them with 10s groupsets since the shifters are the master pieces of the shifting.
Every screws of the Super Record derailleurs are in titanium: weight save and prestige.
The shifters
Their shape is totally renewed. It allows a more comfortable and more ergonomic position thanks to a new rubber giving a higher contact area.
The density of these new hoods is different for the braking ans shifting position, and a new routing of the cable housings prevents the bulge under the bartape (Technologie « No
Bulge« ).
The geometry of the brake and shifting levers is modified too. According to Campagnolo, the shifters are almost becoming an extension of the cyclist hand.
The top of the brake lever is opened for further weight save. About the braking, the power is increased with « hands on the hoods » thanks to the new lever shape, called « Ultra-Shift« .
The shifting is slightly modified too: we can go up to three cogs maximum, and go down to five cogs.
Finally, both the small and large hands will like the new shape since there is more room under the lever, and there is bartape/lever adjustement through a shim.
Super Record shifters still get full titanium hardware, the internal parts are opened, lightened and reworked.
The crankset
The Ultra-Torque cranks are unchanged. The system is pretty efficient, young and the stiffest of the market, so there is no need to change it.
However, the chainrings are modified: they receive four different sectors making easier the shifting. Campagnolo claims you can shift chainring twice a crank revolution. The teeth shape and
machinning are different from the upshift and downshift sectors. Beside this, a new coating is applied, it is darker and make the chainrings more durable. The new rings are specific to
11s.
The weak point of the current Ultra-Torque chainring concern the bearing durability. The Record cranksets are equipped with USB ceramic bearings, meaning Ultra Smooth
Bearings. They should obviously last much longer than the lower range bearings.
As information, we replaced our original Record UT bearings within 5000km because they were making noise and were very sandy. The replacement bearings came from CeramicSpeed (see here) and we have already used them more than 12000km, they still spin pretty well. The only thing we had to
do, was cleaning them and regreasing them a few weeks ago.
About the Super Record crankset, the bearings coming along will cranksets feature the CULT technology allowing a very high bearing fluidity. The bearing raced are made in so hard and
so resistant steel that there is no need to lubricate and the seals are not required. Actually, the lubrification is needed to make the bearings silent. The resistant torque of these
cranksets will be close to 0.
The chain and the cassette
This is here we were waiting Campagnolo. The chain is the least durable component of the transmission, and a lot of people feared for the use of an 11th speed in term of durability.
Nevertheless, Campagnolo is claiming a durability increased of 20%, thanks to new materials, and a better fluidity thanks to new treatments. The chain width is down from 5,9mm to 5,5mm.
About the compatibility, the 11s cassettes can be mounted on any Campagnolo 10s body.
The cassette stiffness is increased through the spider made out of a new aluminium. The manufacturer claims 70% more bending stiffness and 108% more torsionnal stiffness.
The cogs themselves are made out of steel for the 5 biggest, and the six smallest are in titanium.
The combinations available are 11-23, 11-25, 12-25, 12-27.
The groupsets under the Super Record will have different cassettes. For the Record groupset, only the three smallest cogs will be in titanium, and the Chorus cassette will be entirely made
out of steel.
The brakes
There is no real change here. Just a couple of titanium screws lighten the brakes and increase the resistance.
Campagnolo Record
Basically the Record groupset receives the same features as the Super Record. The Record 2009 will differ from the Record 2008 for the following points:
– 11 speeds
– new shifters, ergonomic features similar to the Super Record presented above
– new chain, identicla to Super Record
– new chainrings, as Super Record
– USB ceramic bearings for the crankset
– ceramic bearings for the pulley wheels
However it will differ from the Super Record for the following points:
– the crankset bearings are USB instead of CULT
– steel hardware instead of titainium for the derailleurs and brakes
– the shifters and its mechanism are not lightened
– cassette with only three titanium cogs and eight in steel, insteacassette à 3d of 6 and 5.
The complete groupset weight will be 2015g.
Campagnolo Chorus
About the Chorus groupset, which is now becoming the third groupset at Campagnolo, the differences with Chorus 2008 are similar to Record 2009/2008 differences, minus the ceramic
bearings:
– 11 speeds
– new shifters, ergonomic features similar to the Super Record presented above
– new chain
– new chainrings, as Super Record
The differences with the Record groupset presented above are: :
– steel crankset bearings
– steel pulley wheels bearings
– full steel cassette
– rear derailleur mech plates and front derailleur plate in steel instead of carbon
– grey finish for the brakes
– chain with standard axles instead of hollow axles
The Chorus 2009 weight is 2145g.
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