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TECH NEWS

Campagnolo to launch new Super Record RS groupset

Spy shots of Campag's latest top-end mechanical components

Campagnolo is launching a new high-end mechanical groupset called Super Record RS. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that it’s launching an RS version of its existing top-end Super Record groupset, because the differences appear at first sight to be minor.

The new components have been on display on a new Colnago C60 road bike at Taipei Cycle for the past few days, but details are very hard to come by.

Campag is keeping schtum for the time being. Visually at least, the changes appear to be tweaks rather than wholesale redesigns.

The RS components are all mechanical rather than electronic EPS items.

We have no indication on price or an availability date so far. We’ll keep you posted when more details become available.

 

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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29 comments

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Flying Scot | 10 years ago
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If you're using Campag synchro, then yes, it doesn't 'index'

Everything since has.

I would suggest if you have issues like this, you need to replace the cables and outers and look at the routing. Remember that Campag 11 speed, the first to market, uses a narrower chain than shimano, so the movement the mech makes is smaller and more critical, shimano use a wider cassette (campag 10 and 11 speed stacks are the same size) as apparently they couldn't get the extra narrow chain to work without breaching patents.

The system is so simple, it can't possibly NOT work. All index sets have levers that pull a consistent and non adjustable length of cable when you shift, ye olde Campag (I.e 20 years ago) didn't work properly because it lacked the second component, the ramps on the sprockets, these make the chain essentially unstable for part of the revolution, so even a slight change in cable tension causes the chain to jump ( or 'glide' if you are Japanese) up or down accordingly, where it will sit until the cable changes again.

If the cable lacks tension, or has too much friction, it won't change properly. If the cable is really slack, it won't lift onto the big ring or the biggest sprocket as the spring pushes to the smallest cog front and rear. Campag also is more sensitive to hanger alignment and chain lubrication/ condition, unlike shimano with the wobbly jockey wheels that tolerate more misalignment.

If you have middle block shift issues, change the cables and check the routing, same goes for SRAM and Shimano.

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Neil753 | 10 years ago
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Always impressed with Campag's longevity. I've got a late 70s Record rear mech that's found it's way onto my shopping bike, and it looks brand new, despite maybe 15 years of exposure to winter salt. Same with their chainrings - I've got one 42t ring that's done at least 50k and simply refuses to wear out, despite riding more and more on the inner ring as I get older.

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monty dog | 10 years ago
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Big Mick, suggest you find a new mechanic of LBS, because I don't know what's worse, their mechanical incompetence or their line in complete BS.
I've Record components from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s still going strong - much of the Japanese stuff I've had has broken and been binned or simply corroded into oblivion.

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Nick T | 10 years ago
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I know, when someone talks about indexing it's the mark of someone making stuff up to suit their argument. Just to clarify for anyone about to fall into this trap: indexed gears are managed by the stops inside your shifter, the steps that determine how much of the cable is pulled. This is something that's not user serviceable, all you need to worry about is the tension.

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Flying Scot | 10 years ago
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Still using 90's era Record mech, C Record shifters and levers, Athena chainset and no name dual pivot calipers.

I've also got 25 year old Record hubs, and even older Tipo hubs.

It really does wear in, and I've no problems getting spares, Campag is definitely the green choice, unlike Shimano which ultimately ends up in the bin.

The biggest issues I've seen for wear out tends to be SRAM.

Dura ace is just too ugly, I don't care how it shifts!

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big mick replied to Flying Scot | 10 years ago
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BUT IT WORKS We are not trying to marry it and you don't look at the mantel piece when your poking the fire.Groupsets are a function over form job surely?

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ridein | 10 years ago
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This is definitely not a product launch.
Let us review,
1) Campagnolo won't talk about it
2) minor cosmetic differences
3) no perceived extra features
4) a few spy shots to document all the above
EPIC FAIL

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VeNT | 10 years ago
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Used to be you wore out shimano, wore in campag. Now its just you wear out campag faster!

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allez neg | 10 years ago
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I'm liking that they still think high-end mechanical is worth the investment.

Long live the bowden cable!

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big mick | 10 years ago
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Would buy Dura-ace over any Campag simply because it works.You just fit and forget with Campag you have to fiddle on and after every ride and it still shifts like a tractor.Looks the part mind shame it don't work  19

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s_lim replied to big mick | 10 years ago
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big mick wrote:

Would buy Dura-ace over any Campag simply because it works.You just fit and forget with Campag you have to fiddle on and after every ride and it still shifts like a tractor.Looks the part mind shame it don't work  19

Bollocks.

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big mick replied to s_lim | 10 years ago
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If you say so shame the local bike mechanic I know well says that's how it is.A friend of mine wanted shot of he's record group he offered to swap my 105 group.He had the bike in and out of the workshop and the gears would not index after a few hours use true not bollocks.Don't say you haven't been warned.I hear they make a good pizza cutter though!  1

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s_lim replied to big mick | 10 years ago
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big mick wrote:

If you say so shame the local bike mechanic I know well says that's how it is.A friend of mine wanted shot of he's record group he offered to swap my 105 group.He had the bike in and out of the workshop and the gears would not index after a few hours use true not bollocks.Don't say you haven't been warned.I hear they make a good pizza cutter though!  1

I'm sure there will be others who've had an experience similar to your friend with Shimano, Campagnolo and sram, such is the nature of bikes. I can only talk from experience of using Campy for the last few years, and not having any issues.

But hey, arguing on the internet over nothing is good craic  1

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Nick T replied to big mick | 10 years ago
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big mick wrote:

If you say so shame the local bike mechanic I know well says that's how it is.A friend of mine wanted shot of he's record group he offered to swap my 105 group.He had the bike in and out of the workshop and the gears would not index after a few hours use true not bollocks.Don't say you haven't been warned.I hear they make a good pizza cutter though!  1

Sounds like an awful mechanic if he can't put a bike together properly. You don't even need to worry about how they "index", it's a simple matter of tensioning the cables properly and it's the same for Campagnolo, Shimano, SRAM, Suntour or any other brand.

True, not bollocks.

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Flying Scot replied to Nick T | 10 years ago
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Nick T wrote:
big mick wrote:

If you say so shame the local bike mechanic I know well says that's how it is.A friend of mine wanted shot of he's record group he offered to swap my 105 group.He had the bike in and out of the workshop and the gears would not index after a few hours use true not bollocks.Don't say you haven't been warned.I hear they make a good pizza cutter though!  1

Sounds like an awful mechanic if he can't put a bike together properly. You don't even need to worry about how they "index", it's a simple matter of tensioning the cables properly and it's the same for Campagnolo, Shimano, SRAM, Suntour or any other brand.

True, not bollocks.

Absolutely, though I keep hearing bollocks about people 'setting up the indexing' it's the same as setting up friction, top and bottom stops and cable tension.

If he has a Record Gruppo he wants to swap I know a man here with a 6 month old 105 set up that will bite his hand off!

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big mick replied to Nick T | 10 years ago
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Nick T wrote:
big mick wrote:

If you say so shame the local bike mechanic I know well says that's how it is.A friend of mine wanted shot of he's record group he offered to swap my 105 group.He had the bike in and out of the workshop and the gears would not index after a few hours use true not bollocks.Don't say you haven't been warned.I hear they make a good pizza cutter though!  1

Sounds like an awful mechanic if he can't put a bike together properly. You don't even need to worry about how they "index", it's a simple matter of tensioning the cables properly and it's the same for Campagnolo, Shimano, SRAM, Suntour or any other brand.

True, not bollocks.

You are so wrong and it's not only one person I know with the same problem.CAMPAG DOES NOT INDEX CORRECT.You set the gears up and after a few hours there out of tune it's a fact well known in the cycle trade

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mrmo replied to big mick | 10 years ago
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big mick wrote:

You are so wrong and it's not only one person I know with the same problem.CAMPAG DOES NOT INDEX CORRECT.You set the gears up and after a few hours there out of tune it's a fact well known in the cycle trade

Is it... is it really...

I must be very lucky then, that my screwed drive train indexes at all!

The only indexing issues go back to synchro, when campag tried to use the old friction shift mechs with the very short cable pull and tried to compete with SIS.

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mmag1 | 10 years ago
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Another mongrel set up here, I run what started life as 9 speed chorus on my Condor Acciao winter / training bike. Chorus 9 speed ergos & 9 speed casette, Chorus skeleton brakes, Centaur 10s rear mech, Athena 11s chainset (silver, which I like because it works with the finish on the rest of the kit) and a 10s chain - all works fine despite tons of abuse.

Other bikes have a complete 10s chorus groupset (including the bb brake calipers, before these were dumbed down to bushed pivots) looks and works fine.

Best bike has black 11s Chorus and a record front mech (all that was in stock when I bought the rest) also looks and works perfectly.

I don't think anyone needs Super Record, but if I could afford it I'd run it - sort of have a hankering for 80th anniversary stuff; I would get that and the RS too if I win the lottery.

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edster99 | 10 years ago
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My winter bike has a Xenon rear mech, one Veloce (metal) shifter and one Mirage (plastic) shifter, Champ triple chainset, Centaur brakes and a Chorus front mech. I'm proud to say that I have one of everything but they all play nicely together!

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WolfieSmith | 10 years ago
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Looking at the comments I'm relieved to discover I'm not alone in terms of mongrel Campag collections. I have a bit of Xenon. I have some clapped out second hand Chorus on the winter bike. The summer bike is Centaur carbon - but allegedly rebadged Chorus from the previous year. Still with me?  26

Looked at the EPS at the bike show last year. Athena looks cheap and tacky and I don't want to pay the extra grand for the Record. I also nerded out the poor sales guy by asking when Campag we're going to go back to nice shiny chrome brakes? He agreed that the black brakes were ugly. With both agreed that we'd like the Super Record EPS although we didn't need it and couldn't afford it.  17

I then went home. I think the Raid Pyrenees is the same price as Record EPS. One is a glorious memory for life and the other is a battery operated derailleur.  39

Sorry. Most of my training mates use that Japanese crap so it's good to talk.

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big mick replied to WolfieSmith | 10 years ago
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MercuryOne wrote:

Looking at the comments I'm relieved to discover I'm not alone in terms of mongrel Campag collections. I have a bit of Xenon. I have some clapped out second hand Chorus on the winter bike. The summer bike is Centaur carbon - but allegedly rebadged Chorus from the previous year. Still with me?  26

Looked at the EPS at the bike show last year. Athena looks cheap and tacky and I don't want to pay the extra grand for the Record. I also nerded out the poor sales guy by asking when Campag we're going to go back to nice shiny chrome brakes? He agreed that the black brakes were ugly. With both agreed that we'd like the Super Record EPS although we didn't need it and couldn't afford it.  17

I then went home. I think the Raid Pyrenees is the same price as Record EPS. One is a glorious memory for life and the other is a battery operated derailleur.  39

Sorry. Most of my training mates use that Japanese crap so it's good to talk.

The words Japanese and crap do not go together Best motorcycles best TV's computers cars groupsets etc.See what I mean

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Nick T | 10 years ago
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I suspect this is part of a last push for the current generation of Record, perhaps we'll see a redesign for 2015.

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Nick T | 10 years ago
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Don't forget 80th anniversary Super Record too! Plus, they killed off Xenon already so there's enough room for another line at the top.

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Nick T | 10 years ago
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New stickers, a chorus front mech and a higher price tag.

I still want it.

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s_lim | 10 years ago
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Lovely, but why? That means Campag now have Veloce, Centaur, Athena, Chorus, Record, Super Record, and now this. Overkill?

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David Arthur @d... replied to s_lim | 10 years ago
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s_lim wrote:

Lovely, but why? That means Campag now have Veloce, Centaur, Athena, Chorus, Record, Super Record, and now this. Overkill?

Why not? They've clearly decided there's a market for an even lighter version of Super Record

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Nick T replied to David Arthur @davearthur | 10 years ago
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David Arthur wrote:

Why not? They've clearly decided there's a market for an even lighter version of Super Record

You're spot on, of course there is, every Campagnolo fan knows exactly which groupset they want. Yesterday it was SR, today it's this SR RS. If your budget doesn't allow it, you get the next one down.

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s_lim replied to David Arthur @davearthur | 10 years ago
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David Arthur wrote:
s_lim wrote:

Lovely, but why? That means Campag now have Veloce, Centaur, Athena, Chorus, Record, Super Record, and now this. Overkill?

Why not? They've clearly decided there's a market for an even lighter version of Super Record

Fair enough. I'm all for it if the older groups start dropping in price; I'm riding on a mix of Veloce, Centaur and Record at the minute, would be nice to have consistency  1

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DeanF316 | 10 years ago
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Very very nice.

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