The all-new Campagnolo Super Record EPS 12 groupset debuted earlier today, and will be available to buy in a matter of weeks. While we got a first look at the new gruppo, Bikerumor also got an exclusive opportunity to drop the new EPS components on our scale. We compare the actual weights of Campy’s electronic & mechanical Super Record 12-speed components to tell you how many grams it will cost you to have little precision Italian robots handle shifting for you…
Campy Super Record EPS 12 – Actual Weights & Pricing
So Campy just launched Super Record EPS 12, and it is going to break your bank – the complete rim brake group will retail for $4292 / 4327€, and if you go for disc brakes that comes to $4636 / 4677€. (All $ prices are without tax, € pricing includes VAT.) But will it at least save you some weight on your overall bike build? The rim brake groupset claims a complete weight of 2255g, or 2505g for a disc brake build.
Campagnolo claims the weight of both Ergopowers together (381g), plus both a 160mm front (123g) & 140mm rear caliper (118g) to total 622g. Those numbers seem to be optimistic and possibly ignore the house & oil weights. When we add up our real weights for both Ergopowers (448g), a 160mm front (130g) & 140mm rear (125g), it totals 703g, not including the bolts to attach the brakes to the frame & fork.
Price for each for either the right or left side EPS Ergopower lever is $544/553€, and include lever the appropriate disc brake caliper with pads and oil.
Brake calipers are included in Ergopower pricing, although the front includes bolts but the rear brake mounting bolts are frame specific and add another ~$10€ & ~15g.
Campy is sneaky with their 618g crankset claim as well, picking compact 50-34 rings. We think most Super Record buyers like use will use the same 172.5mm arms, but opt for a traditional road 53-39 gearing. Campy’s rotor weight claims are based on a 120g 160mm front & 99g 140mm rear. Our actual weights a 1g lighter for each. Yippee!
SR cranksets sell for $947/963€ no matter the arm length or chainring configuration. Either 160mm or 140mm rotors sell for the same $52€.
While I normally would opt for paired 160mm rotors, because who doesn’t want more braking power. But we include the actual weight of the smaller 140mm rotor here now too, because Campagnolo will now offer a front adapter so you can use matched smaller rotors to save a little more than 40g (minus any weight penalty for the adapter+caliper combination.)
Campagnolo’s 234g rear & 132g front derailleur claims are pretty much spot on. But don’t forget that optional front derailleur accessories can add a few extra grams back here (~26g if you need a band clamp mount, and another ~20g if you want the chain catcher.)
The new SR EPS 12 rear derailleur costs $684/695€, while the new EPS front derailleur is surprisingly close at $640/605€. The front is a braze-on mount, so a band clamp mount will cost you another $25/26€ if needed, plus another $75/76€ if you want the optional front derailleur stiffener that presses against the seattube.
Campagnolo pegs the 114link chain at 228g, fine. The 11-29T cassette is claimed for system weights at 266g, but who is going to buy this groupset and not get the more universal 11-32T? This time we weighed the larger cassette at 296g (including the plastic carrier – why didn’t I take that out?), but I weighed two more in my workshop which were both 283g.
The R12 chain retails for $58/59€, while the cassette is $349/355€ for this wide 11-32T or a bit less at $333/339€ for the more compact 11-29T variant.
The EPS battery, control unit & wires make up the bulk of the additional mass when going for an electronic groupset. Campy claims 135g for the new v4 Power Unit and 33g for the new v4 External Interface controller. Our combo added just 8g over those claims.
The EPS v4 12 Power Unit (internal battery) costs $452/424€, plus you will need to spend another $93/94€ for a charger to keep it juiced up. Good news is that it uses the same charger as your 11sp v3 EPS, so you won’t need a new charger if upgrading.
The traditional external EPS v4 12 control unit is $187/190€ with the cables attached. If you are looking to use the new internal setup, that v4 control unit will sell for $172/175€, and will require either a separate wiring kit for handlebar installation ($138/140€) or frame installation ($96/97€).
What did we leave out? Bottom bracket cups added 40g & $26€ for my personal build, plus $10€ & a few tens of grams for the plastic expander to hold the battery inside the seatpost, and the $33/34€ bleed kit to set up the brakes with a new bike build.
What the end result of Claimed vs. Actual Weights?
We rekon that with a 53-39, 11-32T configuration, the new Campagnolo Super Record EPS 12 disc brake grouspest as we would ride it will have an actual weight of ~2650g.
Super Record EPS 12 electronic vs. Super Record 12 mechanical
Now conveniently, not too long ago we weighed in a complete mechanical shift, hydraulic disc brake Super Record groupset, so how do they compare? Well, the EPS Ergopowers are a good bit lighter ~50g less each without mechanical shift internals. But both derailleurs add ~50g back beacuse of their electronic actuators, so that’s a wash. You just end up adding the EPS battery, controller & wiring harness to tack on an extra 176g.
The brake calipers themselves are the same weight, possibly plus 2-5 extra grams for the new brake pad design, with the identical rotors. Cranks, cassettes & bottom brackets are the same exact parts, so no weight change there.
In the end, our Campagnolo Super Record 12 mechanical groupset totaled 2515g, and this Campagnolo Super Record EPS 12 electronic groupset looks like it will be 2650g – a gain of 135g. If you appreciate the performance boost of EPS, that’s a tiny weight penalty. And remember your wallet will be $1465 / 1454€ lighter if you choose SR EPS 12 over SR mechanical 12-speed, so you’ll have that going for you at least.