Before the coronavirus pandemic, Shimano was the groupset most people would get with any new bike purchase – whether through their own choice or that of the shop selling them the bike – while Campagnolo was the connoisseur’s choice. Now, due to stock problems experienced by much of the cycling industry, including Shimano, anecdotally at least Campagnolo parts are in good supply.
The implication of this could be that a wider range of riders will now get the chance to use Campagnolo groupsets, something I see as a positive.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Shimano, especially Di2, but there is something particularly satisfying about the assured clunk of a gear shift on a Campagnolo groupset. Not to mention how good most components from the Italian brand look when they are attached to a bike.
Sing the chorus
Someone once told me, ‘I like Campag because you know when you’ve changed gear,’ As a Shimano-only cyclist at the time I didn’t really get what they meant, but after a few months on the Campagnolo Chorus 12-speed groupset I now get their point.
That clunk could be misinterpreted as a delayed shift, but when set up properly the Chorus 12-speed groupset moves the chain between sprockets on demand and with an assured, strong change of gear.
My perception is assisted by the bike (different to that photographed here) I’ve got the groupset on: an aluminium-framed winter warrior with mudguards and rear rack that I’m just as likely to use for 3km errands as 150km A-to-B rides, loaded up with panniers.
A bombproof bike with something of an industrial feel to the gearing: the combination just works for me and the pairing makes me appreciate each constituent part all the more.
While Shimano’s shifting might be described using terms like featherlight or quietly smooth, Campagnolo brings an assured shifting feel and often an audible clunk.
Italian looks
Industrial it might feel, but beautiful is how it looks – as anyone would and should expect from Campagnolo.
The carbon crank arms catch the sun on a bright day, while the front and rear derailleurs would make any artisan craftsperson pleased with their day’s work.
Black-on-black with subtle branding, this groupset will look as modern in a decade as it does now. This is something the silver-black previous version of Shimano Dura-Ace cannot claim.
How many gears does a rider need?
Going from 11 to 12-speed cassettes, Campagnolo cleverly trimmed down the width of its components to allow older bikes and wheels to be retro-fitted with the new parts rather than requiring a new setup with greater width allowance.
I’ve been riding a compact 50-34 chainset with an 11-29 cassette. However, for those looking to take on particularly hilly touring rides there’s the possibility to go even smaller – a 11-34 cassette paired with a sub-compact 32-48 chainset.
For a racier setup, there’s the option of a semi-compact 36-52 chainset but, interestingly, Campagnolo has not seen the need to go any bigger than that at this price point in its product range.
Whatever your gearing combination, the jump between individual gears is reduced thanks to the presence of the extra 12th sprocket. It should mean that riders have more refined control over cadence via increased gear selection.
In practice I found it was more of a feature I missed once it wasn’t there more than noticed when it was. That is to say, when returning to an 11-speed bike I became aware of the jumps between gears more than I was aware of a smoother change when riding 12-speed.
As the effect of the extra sprocket is subtle, an equally justifiable move would be to create more range by switching to Chorus’s aforementioned 11-34 wide-range option. That would provide similar gear jumps to 11-speed but over a bigger spread of gears.
For my money that would be a price worth paying if, like me, the rider was using the Chorus groupset on a bike that is often laden with luggage and slogging up long ascents.
Thumbs up for shifting
A significant difference between Campagnolo and its big Japanese rival is shifting technique. Campagnolo employs thumb shifters – up through the sprockets on the right, down to small chainring on the left.
These have improved in recent years and can now just about be used from the drops for out of the saddle sprint efforts.
Under less intense riding conditions, clipping along holding the shifter hoods, the thumb shifts and opposite finger paddles behind the brake levers are where you need them to be and satisfying tactile.
Value for money
The closest offering from Shimano, in terms of performance, is somewhere around Ultegra mechanical. This option is currently available from Wiggle for £769.99 – down from its list price of £1,099.99.
For anyone keeping an eye on their bike budget, that compares favourably with the price on the same website of £1,161.99 for the Campagnolo Chorus 12-speed groupset – and goes some way to explaining the overwhelming popularity of parts from Japan over those from Italy.
Campagnolo’s quality is beyond question and it’s been a pleasure to use, what’s more it holds its own alongside Shinano Ultegra and paying that bit extra for the cachet, appearance and distinctive function of the groupset may be enough to tempt those less governed by price.
Conclusion
The Campagnolo Chorus 12-speed groupset looks great and works even better. Used on a workhorse bike its assured shifting instils the confidence needed for long-range touring trips as well as suiting quick errand rides in the local area.
Campagnolo might not have the market presence of its main rival but that isn’t due to a lack of quality. If they’ve got the money, more people should give Campagnolo a go – but then maybe a wider market might steal some of its niche appeal.
Campagnolo launches 12-speed Chorus groupset
The Italian brand’s third tier groupset gets an update and extra sprocket
Pete Muir – April 2019
Campagnolo has unveiled a Chorus version of its new 12-speed groupset. Chorus is the third tier in Campagnolo’s line-up, and the new groupset aims to offer virtually all the same functionality as its forebears, but at just a bit more weight and for a chunk less money.
As such, the new arrival means that Campagnolo now has eight versions of its 12-speed groupset: Super Record mechanical in rim and disc brake variants, Super Record EPS in rim and disc, Record mechanical in rim and disc, and now Chorus mechanical in rim and disc.
The main differences between Chorus and its more expensive Record and Super Record siblings are in the materials used. Where Super Record is dripping with carbon and titanium throughout, Chorus relies on more alloy components to keep the price down.
For example, on Chorus the levers are alloy instead of carbon. The plate in the front derailleur cage is alloy instead of carbon, as is the rear derailleur housing and the jockey wheel cage.
The Chorus cranks are made of carbon, but they are solid rather than hollow as with Super Record, which adds a bit of weight. The axles are steel instead of titanium. The bearings are also steel as opposed to CULT ceramic, while the pins in the chain are solid rather than hollow.
Also, there is a bit less machining work done on the cassette, which again helps to keep costs down.
The result of these changes is that the complete Chorus groupset weighs in at 2,333g (claimed, depending on spec) for the rim brake version, and 2,631g for disc brake.
This compares with claimed weights for Super Record of 2,041g (rim) and 2,323g (disc), and for Record of 2,213g (rim) and 2,453g (disc).
Crucially, though, the 300-odd gram penalty for Chorus against Super Record translates into a cost saving of around £1,300 (see cost chart at bottom of page).
Did someone say ‘gravel’?
One component of the Chorus groupset that won’t be available for either Record or Super Record is the new 11-34t cassette and 48/32 crankset. These join the original options of 11-29t and 11-32t cassettes, and 52/36 and 50/34 cranksets.
The new sizes mean that riders will have the potential to access very low gears with a smaller than 1:1 ratio. This would suggest that the Chorus groupset is pitching itself for the gravel/adventure market, although Campagnolo is remaining tight-lipped about whether that was the intention.
When quizzed about Chorus’s potential for gravel, Campagnolo responded a bit like Francis Urquhart in the BBC’s House of Cards
Gravel riders will need to decide for themselves, then, whether the new 12-speed Chorus is the right groupset for them, but there is certainly a case to be made.
The details
Beyond the use of materials and extra gearing options, the functionality of the new Chorus is very similar to that of 12-speed Record and Super Record.
The hoods and brake levers incorporate the same new shaping, making them more ergonomic to hold than the old Chorus.
The gear levers are slightly bigger to allow a more positive shift, and they are highly adjustable, allowing the user to fine-tune the start position and the sweep of levers.
As always with Campagnolo, the system can downshift up to five gears or upshift up to three gears with a single push of the lever.
The disc brake hoods manage to be just 8mm bigger than the rim brake version, despite having to house all the hydraulic cylinders.
The cabling on Chorus is exactly the same as on Super Record, and Campagnolo claims it is so smooth that not only does it make for slick shifting, but also it will last significantly longer than its rivals.
The rear derailleur includes Campagnolo’s 3D Embrace technology, which adjusts itself both vertically and horizontally with each shift to keep the top jockey wheel as close to the sprocket as possible.
This keeps more of the chain in contact with sprocket while pedalling, making for efficient transfer of power and helping to prevent wear on the chain and sprockets.
To accommodate 12 sprockets in the same space as the previous 11-speed version (no need to change bike frames or wheels to upgrade), each sprocket is thinner and the space between them smaller, which necessitates a thinner chain.
However, Campagnolo insists that despite the loss of material, the chain is just as strong and durable as before, while also being lighter and quicker to engage.
The cranks are made from carbon fibre to be strong, rigid and light (although they are 100g heavier than the Super Record cranks as a result of being solid rather than hollow).
Campagnolo says the shiny finish of the cranks is not a clear coat, but that it comes straight out of mould like that, thanks to the special resin that includes a UV blocking agent to prevent degradation in the sun.
The rim brakes are the same skeleton design as before (the Super Record versions have been filled in for reasons of aesthetics and aerodynamics), and the disc brakes are available in both 140mm and 160mm rotor sizes.
The disc brakes have smooth, round edges for reasons of safety – no jagged edges to saw through flesh – and Campagnolo claims exceptional heat resistance for the brakes, with discs that can withstand extreme temperatures and new organic resin brake pads that improve wear life.
As yet,
Campagnolo 12-speed groupset hierarchy and prices
Super Record EPS disc brake: £4,108
Super Record EPS rim brake: £3,800
Super Record disc brake: £2,831
Super Record rim brake: £2,551
Record disc brake: £2,125
Record rim brake: £1,721
Chorus disc brake: £1,597
Chorus rim brake: £1,120
(Prices provided by Campagnolo)
