Campagnolo

Record 11 Ultra-Shift Ergopower Levers

Campagnolo Record Ultra-Shift Ergopower Shifters are probably equally-represented in the pro peloton as the Super Record. Take a good look at the pros, and you can see who has the three little cutouts and who doesn't. We certainly understand why even pro bikes have these shifters aboard. They have the same shape, the same feel, and the same functionality as the pricier lever, with almost imperceptible differences.

Those differences are the following: the Record Levers now have two cutouts (the previous generation had none) and the upshift levers don't have a carbon-fiber inlay. The internal shift disc is alloy rather than titanium. Otherwise, they have the same upgrades that Super Record levers have for this year. They have a great ergonomic design that looks as if it was molded inside a pair of hands, a contrast to the chunkier levers of Campagnolo's competition. Their engineers moved the brake lever pivot point so you have equal braking power on the hoods as well as the drops. The internals have a lighter action that runs on ball bearings for durability and smooth shifting action and is completely serviceable.

They also changed the body material. It's now a long-fiber reinforced polyamide that's lighter (this is where most of the 10g savings comes from), yet 8% stronger and able to withstand more than double the impact that the previous lever was able to take. They've also improved the ratcheting mechanism in the right lever so the shifting is faster and works better with internal routing, along with tweaking the cable routing in the lever body so the housing running out from the hoods disappears under your hands. For the left lever, they've also improved the cable routing and optimized the way it pulls the cable to match the subtle change on the front derailleur. Here, too, you'll have a hard time noticing the housing as it transitions into the lever, and the improved position makes shifting both lighter feeling and faster.

As with all Ultra-Shift levers, you can affect up to three cogs on the downshift and five cogs on the upshift for the rear derailleur, and you'll have the precisely-indexed up and down sweep on the front derailleur. Also of note are the new graphics, conveying a bolder image, and that Campagnolo has designed accessory hoods and cable housing, in Red and White, that you can purchase if you want to make your levers even more distinctive. In all three colors, you're looking at Vari-Cushion silicone rubber hoods -- as the name indicates they're made with varying densities of silicone to both maximize comfort and durability.

The Campagnolo Record 11 Ultra-Shift Ergopower Shifters come with carbon-fiber brake blades boasting two cutouts at the top for weight savings, a shift lever underneath, and a shift button on the side of the lever body. Included with the levers is a shim you can place under the hoods to bulk-up the levers if your big mitts find the levers a tad small. Black dual-density brake hoods, Black cable housing and a full complement of Campagnolo cables come with the levers.