Campagnolo’s official launch of its 2009 product line is still a few weeks away but some leaked information is interesting …
First, the big news: Campagnolo will apparently make the jump to an 11-speed cassette for its top three groups which will now include a modern revival of the Super Record nameplate. According to unconfirmed rumors, that extra cog will be squeezed into the same space as the current 10-speed setups. While this means likely backwards compatibility with existing hubs and wheelsets, it does signal narrower cog spacing and chain widths as well as yet another shifter and derailleur ‘standard’. The new chain is also supposedly just 5.5mm wide which raises the obvious concerns regarding drivetrain wear although we all said the same thing when 10-speed was debuted.
There is also speculation on the new lever shape and we can only imagine that it might resemble the curvaceous prototypes seen back in April.
The new version is said to feature some performance-enhancing material upgrades. The current Record group is already rife with titanium hardware but Super Record will likely be fitted with ceramic bearings across the board, including the bottom bracket bearings, hubs and derailleur pulleys. With Record pricing already at stratospheric levels, one can only imagine how far into the ionosphere Super Record will go.
