With SRAM and Shimano now offering full production road bike hydraulic disc brakes, Campagnolo fans that aren’t riding a Colnago C59 are left wanting. But not for too much longer.
Road.cc reports Campagnolo chairman and CEO Valentino Campagnolo confirmed they’re on the way, and that was backed up by a company spokesman. They’re still at least two model years away, pegged as a 2016 item. That means a 2015 introduction. Our guess is the same as Road.cc’s in that it’ll take advantage of their EPS lever’s essentially hollow body first, then, perhaps, make their way to mechanical groups further down the road.
There’s some speculation the UCI could allow a test of disc brakes in an event or two in 2015. Before then, road disc brake systems will need to be presented and fully evaluated by them, and afterward they’ll have plenty to think about in terms of whether disc and rim brakes can mix in the peloton (different stopping power could lead to accidents), what size the rotors can be (larger rotors are more likely to cause injury) and whether or not the improved performance and/or safety justifies the change. With all that in mind, a two year launch window for Campagnolo would give them something for the peloton by the time the rules change. And something for the rest of us that actually buy our components by the time most bike brands have a disc frame on offer.
