If you have followed the tour, or pro road bikes in the past couple years, you have probably seen these before. Berner’s Schaltwerks (derailleur cages with larger pulleys) have been popping up on many different pro bikes from time to time with the thought that they might reduce drivetrain friction, or loss of power due to their larger pulleys. Theoretically, the larger lever arm on the 13, or 15 tooth pulley should make it easier for the chain to spin the pulley, but the increased contact of the pulley with the chain would counteract this somewhat.
Regardless of how well it works, they are available, and the latest version is for the 2011 Campy Super Record. On the old Super Record cage, Berner claimed an impressive gain of 5.85 watts with his system vs. stock, although it was heavier – about 19 grams. No word on the weight of the new Super Record version, but a new derailleur completely rebuilt by Berner with the new cage and pulleys will set you back around $700 if it is the same as the previous version. *$700 is for complete derailleur, not just the cage, pulleys, and labor as originally stated. Sorry for that, Timo! *
