Campagnolo 12 speed...

chippyk

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I went up a 7-10% climb in the cotswolds on a single speed 42 x 16 today... it wasn't too bad
Just saying...

I wouldn’t want to try Saintbury or Dover on that gear after riding from N Warwickshire and riding back. Equally Holme Moss from the South is a different animal when I’ve ridden there from Warwickshire with a bag of clothes for the night than when I’ve ridden there from my Mum’s.

I think what I’m saying is, those super low gears have their place. But I admit that on my 12-32 cassette there are some frustrating gaps in the gears

yiannism

The companies use the athletes for an advertisement, but they make money from the weekend warriors like most of us, so unless that design gives me the same gear ratio on 1x like 2x or close to that will just pass.

fortyone

Before 12 speed came out I never heard anyone demanding it. To me, it's just something new in a must have society. I would have preferred Campag to offer wireless shifting before this.

neeb

I just find it surreal that by far the most significant attribute of these new groups is the ridiculous lack of gearing options (cassette choices) and that most people seem to have no problem with this.

Quote from the latest issue of "Cyclist" magazine: .."It's latest Record and Super Record groupsets now come with 12 sprockets on the cassette, which means that the jumps are smaller between the gears, regardless of whether you choose the 11-29 or the 11-32 cassette options".

Should be: .."Its latest Record and Super Record groupsets now come with a choice of only 11-29 or 11-32 cassettes, which means that the jumps are larger between the gears if you are coming from a 12-27 or 12-25 setup, and you will now only have 10 sprockets or 9 sprockets respectively instead of 11 within your useful range".

Also just noticed the incorrect use of the apostrophe ("It's") in the article. Appalling journalism (if journalism it is, as opposed to undercover advertising).

We are being mightly ripped off. The only reason Campagnolo are not making a full range of cassette options on these new groups is that they want to save money by only manufacturing the most popular choices. And yet the prices of high-end bike components have steadily inreased at a rate massively above inflation in the last few years. If you are paying these prices for a luxury product the least you should be able to expect is a half-decent range of gearing options.

Moonbiker

I agree, is a retrograde step like carbon frames having less size options than steel, because of cost saving.

Miche will probably do individual sprockets eventually like they do for 11.

gweeds

And yet Campagnolo have already said there will be more cassette options coming later in the year. They’re getting the most popular ones out first.

It’s almost like they’re running a business and trying to make sure the main options are covered at launch.

thegreatdivide

Gweeds wrote:

And yet Campagnolo have already said there will be more cassette options coming later in the year. They’re getting the most popular ones out first.

It’s almost like they’re running a business and trying to make sure the main options are covered at launch.

This is just ridiculous thinking! They'll never make it through the year.

imafatman

I always find it funny when people poo poo technological progress and tell us why they think it's a bad idea/waste of time as if anyone gives a fark.

Sometimes things work, sometimes they don't. It takes balls and lots of money to launch a new product to market. If companies stopped taking risks we'd never get anything new. The market will decide.

In my day we didn't need t'internet, we went t'library and read a book published before I were even born.

florerider

Not sure about having to have an 11 tooth cog either, which seems to be the default for going 11 speed over 10.

mfin

Main downsides apart from cassette choices that might not suit, or that people won't buy cos they know better are going to be that...

1) At the moment at least, you have to buy an expensive campagnolo cassette, and with 11 speed you didn't have to as you could use a better value sram or shimano one
2) Unless KMC make a 12speed chain and/or missing link, you might need access to a specific chain tool
3) It does look a bit crap, but at least it still will look better on the bike than any groupset by that fishing tackle company

I also think their chosen branding on these groupsets looks like it has no heritage or class. That "super record" font looks like it was thrown together in 5 minutes, it cheapens it, they should keep their branding quite classic IMO.

pinno

davebradswmb wrote:

I get Ugo's point about fragility, I don't have a bottomless pocket and the potential reduction in lifespan of components if I upgrade to 10 speed, never mind 11 or 12 speed is one reason for staying with 9 speed.

Chorus 10 speed has great longevity.
In fact, my Record 10 that I bought in 2009 is on my winter bike and still going.

cycleclinic

I like the look of the new groupset alot.

The cassette problem is not the ratios for me but the cost as there is no lower tier offering at present.

Shimano 11speed cassettes work o.k with campag 11 speed but not perfectly. There are small differences in spacing and it's a bodge.

Campagnolo is business, you have to be bold and indicate or you disappear. They cannot just make what has gone before no matter how good it was and there 10 speed groups were excellent. So there is no point moaning about change, it has too happen or campagnolo gets left behind.

Tiesetrotter

I wonder what the reason is for only two cassette choices?

These days I run a compact with 11 - 25. The old knees are protected by the 34 and the pleasure of such a close ratio is great. I'd love an 11 - 25 or 27 when I eventually get round to the 12 speed. Although when that'll be I have no idea, I have the first 11 speed SR and there is nothing wrong with it.

cycleclinic

Because wide ratios are all that sell in numbers. Making close ratio cassettes is therefore pointless. I hardly sell any. Also read the description of there rd, I think they have optimised it to work with wide ratio casettes only. 12 speed spacing means cog flex so they have moved the top jockey wheel closer and it may no longer be possible to have a wide range of cassettes now.

Dawnrider

And then there's this

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQDfPxxDBmb ... ygcxwjycby

cycleclinic

sram eagle been out for a while. nothing new there.

Dawnrider

thecycleclinic wrote:

sram eagle been out for a while. nothing new there.

It is if you've been away from the world of bikes for a few years!