2015 Campagnolo Super Record groupset - just in

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This article originally appeared on BikeRadar

We first spotted the new Campagnolo Super Record components back at the Giro d'Italia. The company released official details a few weeks later, and now we have a production group in hand for long-term testing. Never fear; the actual items look far better than some of the pictures might suggest and the mechanical changes promise even better shifting performance than before, too.

While the brake calipers, chain, and cassette are unchanged (save for a new wide-range 11-29T option on the cassette), the rest of the group has undergone a rather massive transformation – and nowhere is that more evident than in the new four-arm crankset. The more modern aesthetic is undoubtedly more polarising than its predecessor's more classic lines but it truthfully does look better in person than pictures might otherwise suggest.

Don't fret about the new crankset's appearance; it's very different from before but it also look stunning in person. Get used to it

More importantly, the new (and truly massive) spider now allows for compact, semi-compact, and standard chainrings to all fit on the same crankarm, plus each ring now bolts directly to the arm for reduced flex, which bodes well for shift performance under load. Meanwhile, a titanium axle and hollow carbon fibre arms keep the actual weight of our 170mm-long, compact setup to just 606g, plus another 76g for the matching PF86 press-fit bottom bracket cups.

Both derailleurs are also completely revamped. The rear derailleur gets an entirely new parallelogram geometry that, according to Campagnolo, increases the amount of chain wrap around each cog for reduced wear and better power transfer. By more closely tracking the cogs throughout the cassette range, Campagnolo claims smoother and easier shifting, too, while a new internal spring system makes for more even lever effort throughout the range.

The revamped rear derailleur boasts an updated linkage geometry and gorgeous carbon fibre construction that keeps weight down to just 166g

Liberal use of molded carbon fibre plus a mix of titanium and aluminium hardware keep the actual weight down to just 166g (while also imparting a gorgeously menacing look).

Up at the other end, the front derailleur gets a dramatically longer and more upright cable lever arm. This isn't entirely unlike Shimano's most recent models, and with the same claimed benefits: reduced lever effort and reduced lever movement per shift. Whereas the previous-generation front Ergopower lever was essentially a ratcheting friction shifter with far more positions than necessary, the new edition has just three – with no rubbing thanks to the new cage geometry, according to Campagnolo.

The new front derailleur's longer cable arm should yield shorter lever throws and faster shifting

A full complement of titanium hardware is used here, too, and in combination with the molded carbon fibre and alloy cage, actual weight for our braze-on sample is just 71g.

Aside from the hoods' new texture and silicone rubber material, there's little from the outside to differentiate the 2015 Super Record Ergopower levers from the previous version. Internally, however, there's a completely revamped cable pull ratio to match the new front and rear derailleurs (which also unfortunately means the two generations aren't cross-compatible). Thankfully, Campagnolo has retained its best-in-the-business multi-shift feature, which allows you to move the chain up to four cassette cogs in either direction with one sweep of the lever.

Externally, there's little change with the Ergopower levers aside from the new hoods

Actual weight for our Super Record Ergopower pair is 347g without cables and housing.

The complete list of actual weights and retail prices for the 2015 Campagnolo Super Record group are as follows: