It’s been a long time coming, but finally a Campagnolo hydraulic disc groupset has arrived. ‘We weren’t going to be rushed,’ says Josh Riddle, global press manager for Campagnolo.
‘We had internal standards that needed to be met and weren’t satisfied with the product until they had been achieved.
'Consequently we were slower to market than our competition but I’d say that is to our advantage - we could learn from their mistakes.’
The groupset is called Campagnolo H11, and is designed to integrate with the derailleurs of Campagnolo’s existing groupsets, from Chorus up to Super Record mechanical and Record to Super Record EPS.
Campagnolo leveraged the hydraulic expertise of German brand Magura to help develop certain aspects of the system, with the master cylinder in the Ergopower levers and the hydraulic fluid being the main benefactors of the collaboration.
The ergonomics of the Italian brand’s Ergopower levers are arguably its most iconic attribute so extensive efforts were made to ensure the inclusion of the disc-brake mechanics didn’t affect the shape too much, despite the internals necessitating an entire redesign.
Externally the only real change is an 8mm-taller, slightly squarer hood.
Despite not being functionally necessary the lower portion of the levers has been slightly modified for improved ergonomics, following a gradual outward curve that Campagnolo claims ‘follows modern handlebar design’. Elsewhere, gear transmission remains identical to Campagnolo’s rim-brake designs.
That the overall shape of Campagnolo’s Ergopowers has not been largely affected in the switch to disc compatibility is impressive but perhaps their most notable update lies in the ease of the new system’s adjustability.
Labelled the ‘Adjustable Modulation System’, or AMS, both lever reach and pad engagement can each be altered with the turn of a single bolt, a simplicity lacking in the designs of Campagnolo’s competitors.
The calipers are forged aluminium and curiously workmanlike when set against the exotic carbon designs of some of Campagnolo’s other top-end groupset components, but the brand claims that here there was quite rightly no room for anything other than safety and durability.
Due to their design the calipers bolt directly onto any frame - different bolt sets cater for changes in tube shape at the chainstay - which Campagnolo claims increase the brakes’ rigidity and decreases the system weight - H11 Super Record weighs just 2228g and is the lightest in its class.
Durability and safety were common themes throughout the disc brake project so Campagnolo chose to make dedicated rotors from steel, as it claims steel’s structural integrity is higher than aluminium, with rounded edges that the brand says are one of the safest on the market.
A system-specific crankset addresses the changes in chainline caused by disc brake and preserves the aesthetic of the new groupset. Campagnolo claims it guarantees that H11’s shifting performance is as good as users have come to expect, just with the added power of disc brakes.
Stay tuned for our first-ride impressions.
UK RRP:
Campagnolo H11 Super Record EPS - £3,725.95
Campagnolo H11 Record EPS - £3,443.26
Campagnolo H11 Super Record - £2,439.68
Campagnolo H11 Record - £2,231.11