Once-elusive Rotors and a Mythical Creature Revealed
Campagnolo builds on tradition with hydraulic disc brakes and a new alloy gruppo
Campagnolo builds on tradition with hydraulic disc brakes and a new alloy gruppo
With precision and confidence, I modulated the levers on Campagnolo’s new hydraulic disc-brake system. It was one of the most refined speed-scrubbing experiences I’ve had as I navigated the many hairpin turns on the long descent. In Gran Canaria, the mountains seem to rise out of the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a great place for a first ride with a new set of components.
Campagnolo is steeped in tradition. Its elegant components have comfortable ergonomics and precise action. These traits also feature in the H11 hydraulic disc-brake parts, which can add rotors to Super Record, Record and Chorus mechanical shifting systems and Super Record eps and Record eps electronic groupsets. Potenza, Campy’s aluminum group released in 2016, also gets a set of hydraulic disc levers and uses the same calipers, rotors (available in 160-mm front and 160- or 140-mm rear) and organic brake pads as the H11. The hydraulic setup has its own H11 crankset, which has an adjusted chainline. It’s optimized for the 142-mm rear spacing on disc bikes and doesn’t change the crank’s Q-factor. On the H11, shifting performance, feedback and feel are the same as its rim-brake counterparts, but it offers increased braking capabilities.
The company has been developing its disc brakes for three years. In 2016, it revealed that the brakes were in the works, but not ready for the public. Campy consulted with Magura in the design of the master cylinder, pistons and hydraulics, which use mineral oil. The forged-aluminum matte-black calipers are subtle on the bike. Campagnolo has used phenolic resin for the pistons and a stainless-steel brake track on the rotors to reduce heat buildup in the system. The levers get 8 mm of extra height compared with rim-brake Ergopower levers. I found that height and the inward curve at the tops of the hoods make for a comfortable handhold when I’m in an aggressive position.
Campagnolo didn’t rush the release its disc brakes. It took its time dialing in the performance with the help of professional riders and tests in the Campy lab. “Our mission statement is to be the pinnacle, not the first,” explained Joshua Riddle, Campagnolo’s press manager. The company’s marketing and communications director Lorenzo Taxis echoed that sentiment when he said, “By reaching the
market the last, we need to be at the top level.”
My ride not only had the H11 disc brakes and Super Record derailleurs, but the new Bora One DB wheelset. Featuring the G3 spoke pattern on both front and rear to deal with the asymmetric forces applied by the disc brakes, a 24.2-mm external rim width, usb hybrid ceramic bearings, alloy hubs and 12-mm thru axles, the wheels climbed and descended beautifully, really pulling the build on the Sarto frame together. During that session, Campagnolo also announced the Shamal Ultra DB disc-specific alloy wheelset.
In early spring when Campy made its disc-brake systems available for first-ride impression, the company also debuted something slightly mythical. Centaur is Campagnolo’s new gruppo, which, like Potenza, is alloy. To compare it with Shimano’s lineup, Centaur has a role similar to 105. The Centaur front and rear derailleur, levers, cassette, chain, crank, bottom bracket and brakes will cost $970, roughly $300 more than an equivalent Shimano 105 bundle.
The new group borrows heavily from Campagnolo’s other Revolution 11 groupsets in it features. The Ergopower shifters have the same “one lever, one action” functionality (one for upshifting and one for downshifting). The excellent ergonomics on the hoods and levers always made me think, “My hands just belong here,” more so than any other hoods I have ridden.
“Campagnolo is not in the business of dumbing down any product,” Riddle said. “The Centaur groupset ran through the exact same paces as the top-end groupsets. The only thing that is changing is the material used and its employment. We wanted to offer an accessible groupset without offering entry-level performance.”
As with the company’s hopes with Potenza, Campy aims to place Centaur on complete bikes in shops. “When people would hand-pick every component on their bikes, more times than not, they’d pick Campagnolo,” Riddle said. “However, nowadays people pick bikes by the frame and the groupset becomes kind of an afterthought.” Centaur, as well as the H11, is set to arrive in Canada in August.
After riding the new groupset equipped with the new Scirocco wheels, which paired perfectly with Centaur, I appreciated how nicely Campagnolo’s top-end features carried over onto the more accessible componentry. The shift action on Centaur feels fast and precise, much like Campagnolo’s higher-end offerings. A key feature that was welcome on the long climbs of Gran Canaria is the Centaur’s rear derailleur, which can accommodate a cassette with a 32-tooth cog. It’s a fine system not only for entry-level riders, but for anyone after quality performance parts.
“By reaching the market the last, we need to be at the top level.”