Introduced as a more affordable but high end group on par with Shimano Ultegra, the recently introduced Campagnolo Potenza group focuses the resources on performance rather than adding carbon fiber at every possible point. So, does that mean it’s heavy? Not at all…
Campagnolo Potenza component actual weights:
- Crankset: 776g
- Shifter, right: 201g
- Shifter, left: 199g
- Brake caliper, rear: 155g
- Front derailleur: 95g
- Rear derailleur: 211g
- 11-32 Cassette: 324g
The 11-32 cassette is one of the more exciting parts of the new group, giving Campy its first “wide range” road cassette. Insert any joke about Campy’s aging customer base needing it here, but it opens the group up to more modern uses like gravel and adventure bikes.
The upper derailleur bits use the same parallelogram design as the higher end groups, which is an upgrade from Athena.
What makes it unique in the Campy family is its medium length cage option, which lets it accommodate the larger cassette.
Functionally, the rest of the group is the same as its siblings, just without any carbon fiber.
The cranks will only come with their Ultra-Torque spindle for now, but they may add an Over-Torque 30mm spindle option in the future.
Speaking of the future, we learned that their disc brake program is very well developed. Essentially, they’ve had hydraulic Ergopower drop bar levers since the 90’s when they paired them with Magura hydraulic rim brakes for tandem road bikes (check here for an idea of what they looked like, we’re trying to dig up an actual photo of the Campy ones).
Their U.S. tech rep told us the new disc brakes are done and in the hands of their sponsored pro teams. But, Campagnolo is a racing driven brand, so if there’s interest from the teams and athletes, development moves a little quicker. With things like neutral support cross compatibility and now rider safety still up in the air, team and rider interest isn’t as high as it needs to be, so it doesn’t seem to be quite as high of a priority.
As for consumer interest, the Campy customer is a little different than, say, a Shimano or SRAM customer. There’s still a large part of their fan base that’s buying steel road bikes and wants that classic aesthetic. But, for the Campy fans here in the Bikerumor office, it can’t come quick enough.
