Campagnolo was the first production road groupset to go to 12 speeds when it was introduced back in April, and we got a hands-on chance then to put in some kilometers riding it on familiar island roads. But now we have our own 12-speed Super Record gruppo to review. So out with the H11 (which we loved) and it was time to throw Movement 12 onto the scale, and see how that extra cog out back stacks up…
Campagnolo Super Record mechanical, hydraulic disc
Breaking down the weights of the Super Record 12 group, we can compare it to the Chorus H11 groupset that we reviewed on this same custom carbon Festka Gravel One road bike earlier this spring.
Campagnolo Super Record 12 Disc Brake groupset – Actual Weights
The new 12-speed Ergopower levers are now branded as Super Record and get the requisite carbon lever blades with a couple extra cutouts. At 556g for the pair with uncut houses and shift wires included, we saved 2g in the upgrade.
Jump over to the hydraulic disc brake calipers – for 160mm rotors front & rear – with mounting bolts (front bolts not shown above) and pads, the pair adds up to 274g. Unsurprisingly there’s no weight savings here. They are the exact same brake calipers that are available as part of the H11 or newer M12 groupsets.
The new mid compact 52/36 Super Record crankset with its USB CULT ceramic bearings and the same as before 172.5mm crank arms weigh in at 634g, for a savings of 31g. The 160mm rotors remain unchanged and still weigh 119g a piece.
Moving to 12-speeds the new 183g Super Record derailleur (also with ceramic pulley bearings) comes only in a single longer cage length for wide gearing. Over the long cage version of Chorus 11 we had before, this new one saves another 2g.
The new braze-on mount Super Record front derailleur weighs just 78g on its own, for a savings of just 2g over Chorus 11. But like that previous derailleur, we’ve put this one on a bike with out a front hanger so we have to add another 26g for the appropriate Campy band clamp and another 15g (subtracting the double up mounting bolt) to remount our Campy chain catcher for gravel riding security.
The new R12 12-speed chain sheds 28g over the C11 thanks to hollow pins and a slightly narrower form factor. BB cups are the exact same part at 40g. Then the new Super Record level 12-speed cassette at 283g for the 11-32 saves 46g over the non-series 11-32 11-speed version, even adding an extra cog in the middle for smoother gearing steps.
Total Weights and 12-speed Upgrade Weight Savings
That essentially adds our total groupset weight up to 2515g all-inclusive. That’s 192g more than Campagnolo claims for the Super Record Disc Brake group, although they do skimp in weight claims with a compact crankset, smaller 11-29 cassette & 140mm rear brake (and apparently no cables, housing & oil). Comparing apples to apples our weights are only 8g total more than where Campy specified weight for the exact same item.
All in the update from 11-speed Chorus H11 to 12-speed Super Record M12 shaved 111g, while retaining the same 52/36 by 11-32 gearing range. That’s not all that much if you try to monetize the cost per gram, but you do get smoother gearing steps with that 12th cog. It’s certainly not cost-effective to swap out H11 for M12, but there are bigger performance gains over previous generation groupsets.
Campagnolo Shamal Ultra Disc 2-Way Fit tubeless wheels
I’ve actually been waiting for a Shamal Ultra Disc brake wheelset for quite some time. I spent a good bit of time riding and racing cyclocross on a set of rim brake Shamal Ultra tubulars, and came away pleasantly surprised at the performance and versatility of the alloy wheelset. When Campy announced a disc brake and 2-Way Fit tubeless version in May of 2017, I thought they could make a solid everyday wheelset for their new (at the time) H11 hydraulic disc brake debut.
Finally available, the 1250€ aluminum wheels tipped our scales at 1594g (738g F, 856g R), about 40g heavier than Campy’s claimed weight. That isn’t that light for a tubeless disc brake wheelset, but not bad for alloy wheels, especially ones rated for CX.
And with how well the old tubulars have held up to cross punishment, and how smoothly the USB ceramic bearings spin, I’m happy to see how these will handle tough riding conditions as well.
First Riding Impressions
Our expectations are pretty high when a Super Record groupset drops into the office. To be honest, I would personally never choose Super Record, as the $3600/3200€ groupset price is pretty astronomical. And I’ve had really good experience on Chorus-level (and below) drivetrains at a fraction of the price. But Super Record was the first complete component group available to test, so you won’t see me complaining.
Pretty much as expected the fit & finish of the Super Record 12 group was top notch. Coming directly off a bike build that swapped out a Chorus H11 group, the build was easy, and the only real difference was that it took a little more fine-tuning to dial in the rear derailleur setup. That’s no big surprise, as the group fits 12 cogs in the space of 11, so smaller adjustments were needed to get the rear derailleur perfectly aligned.
Other than that, the group has performed flawlessly so far after I bled the brakes and tuned the derailleurs. The ergonomics of the Ergopower levers feels familiar and the same excellent powerful, modulated braking is unchanged. The new Super Record 12 shifters do feel noticeably more connected while shifting, with immediate shifts and a positive click sensation at the lever. And coming from an 11-speed 11-32 to the new 12-speed 11-32, the smaller gear ratio jumps feel great, and encourage more shifting to maintain cadence, much like electronic drivetrains do.
We’ll put a lot more time and kilometers on the group over the coming months to see how the fancy new coated cables and those extra cogs stand up to the elements and our mix of on & off tarmac riding.
