Weight Weenies

I'm about to buy a set of Campagnolo Record 11spd brake shifters, model 2009/10. Do You know the differences the older and newer 11spd Record shifters? Any improvements?

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Hi there

It depends exactly when in 2009/10 the shifters were made and there is no easy way to determine that, not least because any number of these shifters have now had part or all of their internals changed so a simple inspection from the outside won't tell you very much, really.

At various points during 2009/10 Campagnolo changed:

1. The material and shaping of the cable bushing that sits right at the back of the lever to assist in better cable release
2. The exact profiling of the ball-tracks in the clutches that set the index interval of the lever, partially to improve the register in each gear and partially to make the click-stops more positive and less "light-action" (this was in part in response to consumer demand for a more robust, traditionally Campagnolo feel).
3. The body moulds underwent modification to fix a dimension tolerance problem that only showed up under mass-production conditions and led to custom-shimming of some parts of the lever internals in early versions.
4. At the same time as the internal dimensions of the body were changed and better regulated, the cable ports were slightly modified to make it easier to get the outer cables to seat correctly on a wider variety of 'bar shapes.
5. During early 2010 production the spring in lever 2 was changed slightly.

These were mostly "running changes" and followed Campagnolo's policy of continuous upgrade and change during production, rather than waiting for a model year-end.

In general we'd advise that the more recent versions are the best bet. One way to achieve this at a lower cost might be to buy the older levers and change the right hand body complete (EC-RE100) so as to get the most up-to-date internals and body shell - this is additionally advised as the newer internals are designed to work with the newer Chorus through Super Record RDs, which have a stronger return spring than earlier versions to compensate for the increasing use of more complex or internal cable runs and the need to use in-line cable adjusters on many frames, which can add extra friction on the gear inner cable.

Hope that helps!

Kind regards
Graeme
Velotech Cycling Ltd
Campagnolo main UK Service Centre
www.velotech-cycling.ltd.uk

Most complete summary of changes, and the reasons for them, I've ever seen. Thanks.

Thanks, Graeme!

Now I have just figure out how I'll identify the shifters, before I buy them... :S (My life was easier with Shimano. )

I'm a foreigner in this Campy world and need You opinion about the Campagnolo Record 10s "Carbon BB System" shifters. Worth to choose them instead of the 11s Record shifters, model 2009/10?

Thanks!

Well, if you are committed to 10 speed drivetrains becaue of other bikes that have it too, then that is a tip for the 10 speed shifters. But if you are new to the Campy life, then go with 11 speed. It will be easier to get spares, cassettes and chains going forward. I assume this does not need saying, but just to be sure, the 10 speed shifters work with 10 speed cassettes and 11 with 11. You only mention shifters, but there needs to be some semblance of compatibility with the cassette, chain and to a smaller extent with the RD and FD.

At first, I'd like to use the Campy shifters with Shimano drivetrain and Jtek Shiftmate, because I've a lot of Shimano wheels, derailleurs, etc.

I'd like to build my bike with Campagnolo shifters and JTek Shiftmate, because I have a lot of Shimano wheels and 10spd drivetrain components. (Cassettes, derailleurs, chains, etc.)

I've gathered a lot of information about Campagnolo shifters in the last few days. But I've never used them...

I have two options:

1. Older Record 10spd shifters from a Record Titanium groupset. These are Carbon BB-System models, so I think they were manufactured in 2000/01. No QS... is that a problem?



Pics:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/101548000249852054009/albums/5956622888727086881

2. Record 11spd shifters, first generation, from 2009/10. I think these had initial problems, the newer shifters were modified in 2011. But I don't now if the problems are real, make differences or not.



More pics:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/101548000249852054009/albums/5956623567922131873

So, I'd like You to help me choose! I'm curious about Your real life experience, especially if You've used all the two sets.



Thanks in advance!

The newer ones are much more comfortably shaped / ergonomic. There have been a few minor upgrades to the levers since the 2009 versions - the most important one in terms of functionality is the change from the white/grey cable bushing disks to the black ones. The old ones tended to create friction when downshifting and make for un-snappy / problematic shifting. You can buy the newer parts cheaply however and they are easy to fit (different ones for left & right):

http://www.bike-components.de/products/language/en/info/p30268_Schaltzugtrommel-Ergopower--.html

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First year 11spd shifters did suffer from cables not moving as freely as would have been liked resulting in pretty average shifting - particularly if the frame cable routing was slightly complicated and increased friction. There were lost of suggestions about cause but all seemed to point to the shifter internals.
2nd year onwards (2011?) - which was when the red graphic appeared on the Super Record components - fantastic.