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Campagnolo disc brakes previewed as team-only Campy Tech Lab development project

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Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_front-wheel

Details are scant, or better described as non-existent, of the new discs from Vicenza. Campagnolo specifically didn’t want to say too much about the new disc brakes that they have had in development for more than two years. The brakes (and accompanying wheels) are still a project of their research and development arm, and as such get the Campy Tech Lab branding  that pretty much means that they won’t be in customers’ hands any time this year.

But the brakes are ready for racing, and three Pro Tour teams are expected to roll out of the start with them in the northern Spring Classics which are just over a couple of weeks away. We’ll be there to get a glimpse of them on the cobbles, but for now it was a good enough reason for Campagnolo to roll out three bikes representing these three pro teams. Join us after the break for the details we could muster, and a lot of detail photos…

Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_Ridley-complete

Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_Specialized-complete

Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_Sarto-complete
images courtesy of Campagnolo

Disc brakes are the only time we can justify leading with non-driveside bike shots, so here they are. The three bikes represent the three teams riding Campagnolo in the Pro Tour; the Ridley of Lotto-Soudal, a Specialized of Astana, and one of Campy’s own Sartos standing in for the new Canyon Ulimate CF SLX Disc that is expected to debut in northern Europe.

Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_05_mechanical-levers-pair

Here’s what we know, the Campy Tech Lab disc brakes already have both mechanical shifting and EPS electronic levers to control the hydraulic brakes. Even in this team-only prototype stage Campagnolo has also included inline hydraulic line couplers to make installation easier on the pro team mechanics for internal routing.

Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_13_mechanical_lever-profile Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_12_mechanical_lever-profile

From the side, the shifting controls and ergonomics look to be pretty much the same as the current crop of 11 speed gruppos, so it seems that Campagnolo was able to get the master cylinder into the body of the hood without too much impact. The overall look of the profile does suggest that both the mechanical controls (above) and the EPS controls (below) do get a bulkier shape of the hood to fit the hydraulics in there. From the outside the shape looks a bit more like an enlarged version of the previous generation Ergopower levers.

Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_10_mechanical_lever-profile Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_09_mechanical_lever-profile

The brake lever blades, like the shift paddles appear to remain the same shape. The EPS lever gets hollowed out, which is curious as that couldn’t really save any weight, but is more likely there to give a better tactile grip vs. a smooth carbon paddle. Like in profile, it looks like the hood gets noticeably wider to accommodate the hydraulic brake controls. On the inside of the EPS hoods we see a hole labeled with S to the left and L to the right suggesting some form of brake function adjustment. (It’s there on the mechanical levers too, just not labelled.) Could it be pad contact of free stroke adjustment?

Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_08_lever-profile Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_07_lever-profile

The levers still keep the inward hook of the top of the hood, although with a thicker body the sweep of the hood is less pronounced. The brake lever blades themselves stick with the Campagnolo s-bend shape with tips that flare out to the sides for better ergonomics. Interesting to note, both mechanical and EPS levers get a small hole in the M in Campy, that isn’t there for cable-actuated brake levers. We don’t have any concrete information, but it looks to us like a perfect place for reach adjust, which like some pad adjust would be a welcome feature.

Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_06_EPS-levers-pair

All-in-all, much like shift/brake controls from both Shimano & SRAM, the Campy Tech Lab hydraulic disc brake levers are a bit bulkier than their cable actuated brethren.

Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_14_front-post-mount Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_15_front-post-mount

As for at the wheel, the calipers are a 2-piece deal, bolted together and developed in either post-mount of flat-mount styles. The seem to default to 140mm rotors as we would expect on the road, but work for 160s with adapters. The have a straight thread-in hydraulic line and have pads held in place with a retainer bolt. The post-mount version has a swoopy, curved aesthetic

Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_17_front-flat-mount Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_16_front-flat-mount

While the flat-mount brake is decidedly more hard-edged, and less styled, otherwise appearing to share the same functional design.

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Rotors a pretty straight forward cut stainless steel affairs, and all on hand were 6-bolt. They are quite an open design and branded as Campagnolo (while everything else except the rubber hoods is Campy Tech Lab). It’s not clear if they are just a first stab, or if there is a reason for their simplicity.

Campagnolo_Campy-Tech-Labs_road-disc-brake_sneak-peek_19_rear-flat-mount

Seeing the calipers on frame and forks, it’s clear that Campagnolo sees them going onto both quick release and thru-axle frames and will most likely be accommodating both with hubs, as they are here. The wheels these bike have are all carbon clinchers, so we expect to see something else when we find them on the actual pro team bikes.

That’s pretty much all of the detail we have now. We’ll keep hunting for more info, and will get another look on the pro bikes (hopefully with a bit more insight.) Campagnolo says they aren’t in a rush to get the disc brakes to market. They understand that their two main competitors have already been carving out the market, but Campy sees they brakes as a huge safety step (and concern) and is taking their time, with the idea that when they hit the market they’ll aim to be the best for the top-end road bike.

We can wait to see, and will try to get our paws on a setup we can ride as soon as possible.

Campagnolo.com

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Anthony
Anthony
8 years ago

F I N N A L Y..

pinco
pinco
8 years ago

oh yeah!

Heffe
Heffe
8 years ago

YAY, GREAT NEWS!!!!!!

KL
KL
8 years ago

This is totally bada*s!

Eric
8 years ago

People still use Campy?! Guess it’s a road bike thing.

Heffe
Heffe
8 years ago

If they made off-road stuff I’d use that as well. Nothing like it.

velomax
velomax
8 years ago
PsiSquared
PsiSquared
8 years ago
Reply to  velomax

Looking similar in pictures isn’t exactly proof that the Campy brakes are the same as Promax brakes.

Ck
Ck
8 years ago

The sky has fallen! The sky has fallen!
And i’m kinda relieved to see that not even Campy could make a pretty looking hydro road shifter.

dave macdonald (@davechopoptions)

Is it only me that thinks they look like Tektro produced callipers?

Craig
Craig
8 years ago

I reckon they have a Tektro look to them. The Campag cyclocross cantilevers that they produced a couple of years ago were made in Taiwan (I had a set and it said so on the box), so it would not be a surprise to find out that these brakes are produced (and maybe designed) in Taiwan maybe by Tektro.

NASH
NASH
8 years ago

No issues over heat dissipation then, guys over at Shimano were obviously smoking cr@ck when they put cooling fins on the pads and designed ice tech rotors.

Tomi
Tomi
8 years ago
Reply to  NASH

They put cooling fins and ice tech rotors in the mtb world too while other brands haven’t. It doesn’t really mean anything.

mac
mac
8 years ago

“You’ll never see disc brakes in the pro peloton”

Anthony
Anthony
8 years ago

Ya your right mac. Thanks for playing go back to bed.

Hotep
Hotep
8 years ago

Heard muttered by His holiness, “Praise Jesus, now I can blast around the Vatican, and quit f*cking with these d*mned rim brakes.”

anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago

Where is the hose on the flatmounts?

bart
bart
8 years ago

Magura Rotors?

Tupac
Tupac
8 years ago

Lookin’ good! I wonder if they are working with Formula on these? They don’t look like Tektro as was commented above…

Cheese
Cheese
8 years ago
Reply to  Tupac

Likely, Tupac, and unfortunately that probably means DOT fluid.

bb_nl
bb_nl
8 years ago
Reply to  Tupac

Campagnolo say the system was developed completely in house, no partnering. Don’t know if that statement is true, but it’s all we know 😉

LLOYD FLANDERS
LLOYD FLANDERS
8 years ago

This is where Shimano will really start to dominate Campy due to their long term commitment to discs. These brakes will have to be bomber to stay inline with shimano i feel

SB
SB
8 years ago

Rotors, bleed fitting, T25 hardware, adapters all look like they’re from Magura.

jeb
jeb
8 years ago

Calipers look like something from 2005. No Banjo where the hose goes into the caliper, ughhh.

typevertigo
typevertigo
8 years ago

The post-mount calipers (hurrah!) look pretty sweet.

And yeah, I do seem to remember rumors of these brakes being a collaboration with Formula circling around last year.

Rixter
8 years ago

I wonder what it’s like to build/true a set of those wheels?

McClain
8 years ago

I despise how hydraulic road levers look. Like superfluous, inconsistent design details on otherwise beautiful cars, they stick out like a sore thumb (and they look like one too).

Jeff Menand
8 years ago

Cory – I just double back to this thread to check up on any Campagnolo disc news.
Well written news feed, the topic and content is great but your flow of the information is even better. Keep up the great journalism, the bike industry needs more quality information over the mindless and pointless quantity of news.

James
James
7 years ago

Will campag have a triple hydraulic option for my tandem??

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