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Unboxing 12 speed Campagnolo Record on a Canyon Ultimate CF SLX Disc 9.0 Movistar: video

We've just got our hands on a Canyon Ultimate dripping with Campagnolo's new 12 speed Record disc groupset. Jack checks out the finer details in this video...

It's difficult to say it in one breath, but then again the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX Disc 9.0 Movistar with the new 12 speed Campagnolo Record groupset did indeed take our breath away when it arrived in the office this week.  

Review: Canyon Ultimate CF SLX Disc 8.0 Di2
12 of the best Campagnolo-equipped road bikes
Campagnolo first to launch 12 speed road groupsets

canyon_ultimate_cf_slx_9.0_disc_movistar_edition_12spd_campagnolo_-_fork.jpg

The bike is in Movistar team colours with a snazzy aqua-to-navy-blue fade paint job (that we think happens to almost match up pretty well with the equally legendary road.cc jersey), and can be bought as seen for £5,099 on Canyon's website. When you consider that the Record disc groupset has a RRP of £2138 on its own, and you’re getting a lovely set of Bora One 50mm carbon wheels too, that’s relatively not a bad deal at all.

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The Canyon Ultimate frameset is unchanged since it was revamped in 2016. It's got some aero profiling to the tube shapes and that sleek integrated H36 aero cockpit, plus plenty of attention was paid to making it more comfortable than the previous version. It's an all-round race bike that has succeeded at grand tours, world championships and monuments alike. Some adaptations were made to the disc version when it was launched last year, such as increasing the chainstay length and tyre clearance to make way for the wider hub spacing on disc wheelsets. It’s also a little heavier than the rim brake version because the fork and chainstays had to be strengthened where the brakes are mounted.

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Moving on to the Record Disc groupset itself - as we explained when Campagnolo launched 12 speed back in April, the aim was to make the new groupset work as well, if not better than the previous 11 speed version, with the benefit of an extra gear to give you smaller jumps between cogs and therefore more efficient riding. Both the 11/29 and 11/32 cassettes available now have one tooth increment changes all the way to the seventh sprocket. That means no nasty jumps and more gear choice within your cassette's range. 

Aesthetically the biggest change on 12 speed is the super sleek new crankset. The fuller appearance is supposed to provide a fairing of sorts and is claimed to be more aero than the previous chainset. It’s also the same design across all set-ups; regardless of your cranklength and whether you have a disc or rim groupset, it’s the same 8-bolt spider design. You can get it in 50/34, 52/36 and 53/39 sizing.

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The new Ergopower levers have seen a complete overhaul to offer better ergonomics with the same crisp shifting that Record and Super Record is renowned for. The upshifting paddle and downshifting levers have both been enlarged to make them easier to feel for. You can also customise the position of the levers with an allen key to find the perfect position or your hand size and shape. The Ergopower levers on the disc groupset are only 8mm taller than the rim brake equivalents even with all the hydraulic gubbins in there, so that’s not going to make a discernible difference to how they feel in your hands.

canyon_ultimate_cf_slx_9.0_disc_movistar_edition_12spd_campagnolo_-_cassette.jpg

If you do want to make rapid shifts up or down the cassette, Campag’s Ultrashift mechanism allows you to shift three gears up with one click of the paddle or down five with one shift of the lever quickly and efficiently. This appeared on the previous 11 speed iterations of Record and Super Record.

Our test bike has 160mm rotors, (you can also get 140mm) and with Campag going big on disc last year that’s continued with the 12 speed project. The calipers are compatible with all flat mount-ready frames and don’t require adapters. There’s a magnetic spring inside that eliminates the need for mechanical springs between pads, which Campag say makes them more reliable over time. The brake pad also has a wear indicator, with a special form that is said to make it easier to guide the disc rotor into place when fitting your wheel. This is made with an organic resin compound that’s supposedly extremely resistant to heat.  

campag12superrecordcranksetv2

We have the second-tier Record groupset in for test, and the top-end is Super Record. So what are the differences? Well after riding both versions at the launch a few months back I’d say in practice there are no immediately obvious differences at all. There are some small weight savings by going Super Record and slightly more luxurious materials used; for example, Super Record uses Campag’s super fancy CULT ceramic bearings, while on Record you have USB ceramic bearings. The Super record crankset has a hollow construction with a titanium axle, while the record version is solid and has a steel axle. There are also some small differences in the rear derailleur, with a part alloy construction in the lower cage on Record while Super Record is almost all carbon. Finally, the front derailleur cage is carbon on Super Record and alloy on Record. The full record disc groupset weighs in at 2,453g while Super Record is 2,323g. 

canyonultimatecfslx9.0discmovistaredition

So far we haven’t seen 12 speed in the peloton yet, and as we spotted at the Tour de France, Team Movistar were still on Campag’s 11 speed super record EPS electronic groupset (they always use electric). Campag are yet to launch the EPS version of the 12 speed groupsets but when they do we’ll expect to be seeing it in the peloton quite soon. How soon we don’t know, but we’ll be having a good look at Movistar’s fleet of bikes when the Vuelta starts next Saturday for clues... 

We're going to be testing the bike (and specifically the groupset) out to the max over the coming weeks, so expect to see a full review of both in September.  

Arriving at road.cc in 2017 via 220 Triathlon Magazine, Jack dipped his toe in most jobs on the site and over at eBikeTips before being named the new editor of road.cc in 2020, much to his surprise. His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled together a few hundred quid off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought his first road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadly pinched a few years later. Creatively replacing it with a Trek 1.2, Jack mostly rides this bike around local cycle paths nowadays, but when he wants to get the racer out and be competitive his preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking - the latter being another long story.  

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19 comments

Avatar
fukawitribe | 5 years ago
1 like

Not sure what that has to do with anything Chris - I don't have a Canyon, I can however follow the racing news, read reviews and look up the price of various things. Not a massive skill set but perhaps pertinent here.

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velotech_cycling | 5 years ago
3 likes

@joules1075

Well, RD mounting is just conforming with the coming standard for RD mountings- that's not a Shimano-esque way of doing it, that's coming as much from the frame makers as anyone - the extra linkage that both Campag and Shimano have is to place the "true" position of the top pivot bolt where the Direct Mount rear dropout will place it once the new standard comes into regular use.

The crankset - both Campag and Shimano are trying to solve the same problems around front shifting and part of the solution to the main problem (maintaining accuracy with large percentage differences in chainring sizes when users insist on shifting under full gas) is to increase the lateral rigidity of the outer chainring, specifically in the shift zones on the chainring.

That's most easily done with a four arm spider / ring and by placing the shift zones for the even number combos (50/34 and 52/36) behind the arms, where, in Campag's case, they can support the outside surface of the ring with the external extension to the spider. 53/39 has less of a problem because the percentage difference in ring size is less so the shift zones can be slightly displaced from the arms. Shimano adopt the same approach, although use a different mechanism to stiffen the chainrings.

Given that both companies have a more-or-less 6 year concept to launch R and D / testing cycle, no-one is really copying anyone although of course all of the companies keep an eye on what their competitors are doing - similar problems in engineering often, though not always, tend to lead to similar solutions.

The "rigidity" difference that is talked about is widely misunderstood - it's more about chainring rigidity (and therefore not presenting the FD / chain system with a moving target) than it is about a gross increase in stiffness to improve power transmission (although there are small gains to be made there, too).

@peted76 - my general recommendation is - ride everything in your price range if you can and make your on mind up - reviews can be very skewed things. I'd say the reverse to Devastazione - but then I speak mainly to Campag users and they're not going to diss a product they've spent their hard-earned on, any more than a SRAM or a Shimano customer will most of the time ... Plus, of course, Campag, if you set it up as if it was Shimano, won't work as well as it could - same for SRAM. That's because last time I looked, the big blue sign over the factory roof in Vicenza said "Campagnolo" not "Shimano" ... Set it up the way Campag should be set up, and it'll work just as nicely  4

Disc size (small correction to the article), 160 mm front always (there is no 140mm option), the rear disc can be 140 with the 140 caliper, or 160 with the dedicated 160 caliper or with the 140 caliper and the adapter Campagnolo make for the puropose. Lighter riders on an unladen race bike may only want / need the 140 on the back, heavier riders or those carrying some load on the bike are advised to mount 160 / 160.

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fukawitribe | 5 years ago
0 likes

Ah, the price of everything * and the value of nothing....

 

 

* actually, not even that, given the price of the frameset - not that it changes the point given the amount of elite level wins it's been involved in (presuming that makes it worthy enough)

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Chris Hayes replied to fukawitribe | 5 years ago
0 likes

Ah, the price of everything * and the value of nothing....

I'll take you seriously when you post pictures of yourself, your new Canyon, the groupset and the dated receipt on Road.cc.  

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Chris Hayes | 5 years ago
0 likes

Snobbery? Not really. If you want to put a GBP2000 groupset on a GBP 900 frame and your wallet allows it, do it.  Personally, I don't think this frame warrants such expense.  And before anyone points out that Movistar uses Super-Record, etc. just remember they are paid to do so.  

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fukawitribe | 5 years ago
1 like

?

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peted76 | 5 years ago
0 likes

Personally I don't romanticise campy as some do, all the reports I read suggest it's not quite as slick as shinamo across the range.. however that is a great looking bike with a great looking groupset on it and an 'extra' gear to get me up hills.

I'd be a very proud parent if it were mine.

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vonhelmet | 5 years ago
1 like

The four arm chainset is the worst trend in groupset looks. Better power, sure, but looks like arse.

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Master Bean | 5 years ago
0 likes

Is it 11-28 or 11-29?

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fukawitribe replied to Master Bean | 5 years ago
0 likes

Master Bean wrote:

Is it 11-28 or 11-29?

AFAIK Campagnolo don't do an 11-28 in 12-speed, just 11-29 and 11-32 e.g.

https://www.campagnolo.com/UK/en/Components/super_record_sprockets_12speed

 

Article has 11-29 FWIW

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Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
0 likes

Meh.

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kev-s | 5 years ago
1 like

Who cares if it has Super record on it 

(Ive had DA & Super record on my Colnago C59's and C60's)

Worst thing is those forks! they look too skinny compared to the headtube and dont look right in my eyes

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sergius | 5 years ago
5 likes

I think that bike looks amazing.

 

Each to their own.

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BehindTheBikesheds | 5 years ago
0 likes

Spoilt by having it with discs, makes it look like you've got a massive spoke protector on front and rear, just all a bit sad and gopping looking.

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vonhelmet | 5 years ago
1 like

I’ve just bought a Cinelli frameset, gonna be putting Campag on it in the new year. Only centaur though... too poor for anything better!

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fukawitribe | 5 years ago
9 likes

Nice to see the pompous, blinkered snobbery out so quickly - hate having to wait.

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wingmanrob replied to fukawitribe | 5 years ago
2 likes

fukawitribe wrote:

Nice to see the pompous, blinkered snobbery out so quickly - hate having to wait.

Totally agree, I've got DA on my Colnago C60 and it looks and works great, but boy do I hear about it from the snobs

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joules1975 replied to fukawitribe | 5 years ago
2 likes

fukawitribe wrote:

Nice to see the pompous, blinkered snobbery out so quickly - hate having to wait.

It is funny isn't it, particularly when this groupset looks distinctly un Campag in many ways and certainly miles away from the classic styling that might make such comments have an element of justification.

e.g. classic looking frame tends not to look great with anything other than classic looking groupset (a problem that befits many a steel frame, new or old).

It's also funny because that chainset, and indeed mech mounting, look very, erm, well, Shimano.

*takes a step back and awaits the firestorm*

Avatar
Chris Hayes | 5 years ago
1 like

Agreed: why would you put anything above Ultegra on a bike like this....wasted.  Whereas I have a couple of Italian frames it would suit nicely....

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