My Canon Elph digital camera died after too many years in my jersey's back pocket so let's turn our attention to Campagnolo's recent announcement. On the occassion of their 75th anniversay they are bringing back the SUPER RECORD name for their top gruppo. The bigger surprise was that Campagnolo, For Super Record, Record, and Chorus will be 11 speed groupsets. For 2009, Campagnolo is dividing its range into three distinct categories: the three 11-speed groupsets are deemed by Campagnolo to be for ‘Competition’, while those lower in the range – Centaur and Veloce – are designated for ‘Intense Use’ by people who may put in thousands of miles a year but don’t actually race. The lower groupsets in the range will remain at 10-speed but will share a number of the new design features of their Competition stablemates. Both will include the new shaped Ergopower levers, but with aluminium instead of carbon levers. Centaur will include an optional carbon chainset with the remainder in polished aluminium, while Veloce will be black anodised. Campagnolo’s entry-level Mirage and Xenon groupsets will be discontinued.
"The 11-speed groupsets have been designed specifically with competitive aims in mind, with the sole purpose of providing the best possible performance for letting the world's top cyclists express all their potential without hesitation.
Chorus, Record and Super Record: the same extremely high-performance technical solutions but using different materials. In all three cases there is only one objective: passing the finishing line first.
11 speed doesn't mean just a smaller sprocket to streak ahead downhill or a larger one for the toughest climbs: it is a new concept of groupset, completely reengineered in order to raise the level of performance. The 11 speed groupset have an higher level of efficiency, precision and quality of rear derailleur shifting and front derailleur shifting than the previous version 10s.
Let's see them more closely:
Ergopower Ultra-shift 11s is more ergonomic and grants a more natural positions. Vari-Cushion™ hoods make it more comfortable: the hoods are softer in the hand support zones and harder where the fingers grip the control. The weight and the required operating force are lower thanks to the titanium and light alloy mechanism parts. The carbon fibre brake lever is lighter and more resistant to the fatigue.
11s Rear derailleur has been completely renewed: its 3G geometry makes him more rigid, more precise and faster. The oversize carbon fibre front plate grants a greater stability, stiffness and precision The increased stability of the sprockets etches also on the rear shiftng, which is faster.
11s Front derailleur has been designed to be more rigid, faster even under stress, and allow all the sprockets to be exploited. The Antifriction treatment: favours the chain upshifting and downshifting and reduces wear. The outer carbon fibre cage is compatible with the Standard and the Compact crankset.
11s Crankset is more rigid, and shifts more quickly and fluidly even under stress. The new anti-wear surface treatment gives great duration with time. The new thoot design grants a singing upshifting and downshifting. The carbon fibre crank and the titanium sprokets allow a consistent reduction in weight. New entry for Super Record, which uses the ceramic bearings CULT for the maximum smoothness and resistance to corrosion. Ultra Torque technology and Q factor keep unchanged.
11s Sprocket set11s Sprocket set is composed of titanium sprocket and frames and aluminium ring, which reduce the weight and increase the resistance. The 11-speed sprocket set has been designed to be more rigid and shift more quickly even under stress. The new sprocket timing offers a faster and quieter shifting and less stress for the chain. The Nickel-Chrome surface treatment improve the resistance to wear and last but not least, the range of combination is broader (11-23, 11-25, 12-25, 12-27).
11s chain has been designed for shifting more rapidly and fluidly even under stress. The chain becomes thinner (5,9 to 5,5 mm) and lighter (hollow pins) but the 20% stronger thanks to the new special steel.
11s brakes are more rigid and lighter and produce a more powerful and progressive braking. They are differentiated as the previous version 10s, but the required operating force is lower thanks to the bearings. The Skeleton design holds steady and the titanium screws and nuts reduce the weight."
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Very nice components, but I'm sad to see they're going to 11. Seems like a solution i search of a problem. And how finicky will those rear derailleur adjustments be now??
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