Campagnolo gives a total redesign to the Record front derailleur for 2008. It gets a standardized cage -- compatible with both 53/39 and 50/34 Campy cranksets. In addition, it gets a new body and a new inner plate design to improve shifting performance.

The body of the '08 Record front derailleur now "embraces" both the inner and the outer plates. As a result, the derailleur as a whole is more rigid, which gives notably superior shifting when you go from the small ring to the big ring. The front derailleur cage retains the front part of the CT model -- exactly where the chain touches when you shift from small to big ring. But the curvature and height of the rest of the cage is new, which is what makes it compatible with both standard and compact cranksets. Lastly, the inner plate has a new shape that gives the derailleur more oomph when you shift from small to big rings, again improving these upshifts.

The outer cage of the Record front derailleur is carbon fiber and the inner cage is aluminum, saving significant weight on an inherently lightweight component. Shifting in both directions is lightning-quick, since the composition of the cage gives it such stiffness. The inner cage gets the same nickel plating as Record chainrings, giving it better resistance to wear.

The braze on version requires 7Nm to fasten the derailleur to your frame. The clamp-on version requires 5Nm. The Record QS is 69g for the braze on version.