While SRAM’s presumably about to enter the electronic shifting game, and Shimano’s firmly entrenched in the upper end, Campy has just expanded EPS’s mid-market offerings.
The all-new 2015 Campagnolo Chorus EPS group takes the recently redesigned mechanical group and gives it a jolt of power with new derailleurs, Ergopower shifters and internal battery. Like those new groups, Campy’s stating it’s an electronic equivalent to the mechanical group – not superior, just an alternative that “represents the same fantastic functionality.”
Like the Record and Super Record EPS groups, the thumb button is slightly moved for easier use, and the internal battery houses the brains of the unit, too. Here’s how the rest compares…
The Chorus EPS derailleurs provide the same shifting force as the higher end groups, leaving materials as the distinguisher. Meaning, a bit less carbon than the top end, and compared to the existing Athena EPS group below it, the Chorus version gets a bit more carbon fiber on the derailleurs. Same IP67 waterproof rating, too.
Battery simply gets Chorus branding.
The crankset will be the same new 4-arm carbon version as the new mechanical group, with all three chainring options (50/34 – 52/36 – 53/39). Pricing and weights TBA.
2015 CAMPAGNOLO ATHENA & VELOCE GROUPS
Athena and Veloce mechanical groups also get updates to the shifters and cranksets. On the controls, the downshift (thumb) lever moves lower and closer to the hood, more like EPS controls. They say this gives the rider better access to the shifter in any hand position and reduces the amount of throw and effort required to initiate a shift.
Both cranksets get their new SC-14 chainrings, first introduced on the limited edition Super Record RS group and tested in the peloton.
Those rings use revised shift ramps and profiles to refine shifting. The changes to these two groups are subtle, but they’re a nice application of higher end tech to freshen up the performance of lower end groups.
