Project Happy Back Part Deux - 12spd Campag Rim Brake Domane

[RichTheRoadie]

Given the resounding success of Project Happy Back, when the time came to review the new 12-speed Campag kit I decided to use a rim brake Domane SL so as to maintain the same level of comfort and match my disc bike.

Having waited a few weeks for the final parts, I was finally able to finish it today:







Build is as follows:

• 12-speed Campagnolo Super Record groupset
• Campagnolo Direct Mount brakes
• 52/36 x 170mm Chainset
• Dura-Ace 7900 pedals (these are long overdue an upgrade!)
• THM Tibia stem, 110mm
• THM Ulna bar, 40cm wide
• Fabric 'Knurl' bar tape
• SQlab 612 Ergowave carbon saddle
• Fulcrum Racing Speed 40 clinchers with Ceramic Speed bearing upgrade
• Compass Chinook Pass EL tyres (28c)
• 11-29t SR cassette

Weight is 7.2kg in this setup. Not bad with 28c rubber and butyl innertubes. Lighter wheels and brakes would drop that right down too - I reckon 6.8kg would be easy even with the same tyres and tubes; and a set of light weight tubbies would take that down even further.

The 12-speed stuff looks pretty ugly, but it feels lovely to use. First ride tomorrow so I'll share more (and better pics) after that...

[campagowlo]

I keep on thinkin the chainset looks so much like a Dura Ace 7800 chainset made out of carbon. Is it just me? Fab build by the way! First frame the tibia looks good on.

[Calnago]

Nice. So you just decided to get a new bike to throw the new Campy 12sp stuff on? Is this pretty much the same bike as Project Happy, same size and all? And what do you find ugly about the 12sp stuff? I haven’t actually laid eyes on it in person yet, but from what I’ve seen in pics, I quite like it. It certainly doesn’t turn me off at least. The rear derailleur seems uncannily similar to Shimano’s latest as well, in terms of general design and function. Anxious to get my hands on a group to test things out.
Oh, re the new cables... are the inners coated like Shimano’s are, with that coating they just wears off into a knotty fuzz, eventually gumming things up. Kinda hope not, but I think it might be.

[kytyree]

I'm not thrown off by the looks of the new 12 speed stuff, it looks at least as good as the year old Record I have. Which IMHO still puts both well well behind their carbon cranks toward the end of 10 spd and the beginning of 11.

I looked at a few Domanes over the weekend while I was near a bigger bike shop. I don't know that I need another bike, but that is one I'd really like to try out.

[c60rider]

Having seen 12 speed in person my feeling was there were only really subtle changes to most components apart from the rear mech and chainset. The rear mech does look a bit ugly in pictures but that depends on the angle of the picture. In person it does look pretty slick. For me the chainset looked utterly fabulous with the sculptured curves to it there's little else that comes close to it style wise. I think I'll be upgrading to 12 speed on my best bike next year but would really like the chainset. My problem is I use crank based power meters (P2M) as I just can't get on with Look pedals so pedal based power meters are a no-no at present. Time is my preferred choice of pedal or else I'd go with the pedal route. Interested to see how SRM (if they do) and P2M implement 12 speed into the cranks. 11 speed looks pretty average on both at best so I'm not hopeful for anything close to the new cranks.

[RichTheRoadie]

Nice. So you just decided to get a new bike to throw the new Campy 12sp stuff on? Is this pretty much the same bike as Project Happy, same size and all?

Sort of, yes. The Campag stuff is with me on review - I'd ordered a direct mount group from Campag for the review as I was originally getting a Colnago V2-R review frameset too; but then I damaged my back and had to cancel that. I couldn't change the groupset order and it was a happy coincidence that the Domane rim brake frameset is direct mount too. It's a 56cm, same as the disc one, yes.

And what do you find ugly about the 12sp stuff? I haven’t actually laid eyes on it in person yet, but from what I’ve seen in pics, I quite like it. It certainly doesn’t turn me off at least. The rear derailleur seems uncannily similar to Shimano’s latest as well, in terms of general design and function.

The rear mech is nowhere near as tidy as the Shimano stuff. It's a bad pic, but see below - it's like it's got too many joints and knuckles:



I'm not really into the cranks either - they're too smooth and featureless. And the graphics are just plain awful.

What I will say is that this is a hell of a lot more straightforward to setup than the new Shimano stuff; and it works every bit as well. I love the Shimano 'Shadow' rear derailleur in terms of its sleek and minimal design that stays inside the lines of the frame, but the front mech is too damn over-complicated.

Anxious to get my hands on a group to test things out.

It is *very* impressive so far. If the mechanical stuff is this slick, the 12-speed EPS stuff will be AMAZING.

Oh, re the new cables... are the inners coated like Shimano’s are, with that coating they just wears off into a knotty fuzz, eventually gumming things up. Kinda hope not, but I think it might be.

They're not, thank god.

Better pics now uploaded.

[thorerik]

Will there be issues if i try to combine 12 speed RD with an 11 spd crankset?

[RichTheRoadie]

No idea, sorry.

[Calnago]

Oh, re the new cables... are the inners coated like Shimano’s are, with that coating they just wears off into a knotty fuzz, eventually gumming things up. Kinda hope not, but I think it might be.

They're not, thank god.

So what’s different about the cables then? I did seem to think that from pics at least the derailleur cables had some kind of coating on them. But maybe not. What about the housing itself, is that different, perhaps wound like a brake housing in the same way the special piece of rear derailleur housing for the Shimano rear derailleurs is?

[RichTheRoadie]

Nothing special about the cables as far as I can tell.

[RichTheRoadie]

Quick tyre change because I wanted to run the Compass on the original Project Happy Back for an impending France trip.

Now in almost full stealth mode (I can't de-sticker the wheels because they're not mine to keep!), wearing 28c Michelin Endurance: