2007 will be remembered as the year that Campagnolo gave its most dramatic facelift to the Record gruppo since they unveiled Ergopower levers in the early part of the Indurain era. No component symbolizes this change more than their two-piece Ultra Torque crankset. The evolution of the Record crankset by necessity requires an evolution in the Record bottom bracket.

It's with a tear in our eye, perhaps, that we announce the end of the square taper era. Campy's tapered BB was an icon of constancy in the ever-changing world of the bicycle drivetrain. The square taper was emulated for decades by Shimano and Suntour. And even in the face of "advancements" like Shimano Octalink, FSA ISIS, then Shimano Hollowtech and then FSA Mega Exo, Campy stuck to its square-taper guns because their design was light, durable, and gloriously absent of power-robbing friction. Who hasn't spun a Record crankset on a tapered BB and gotten giddy watching it spin from here to eternity? It's a rite of passage, but it's a rite that's ready to change for the better.

Truth be told, the new Ultra Torque bottom bracket is hardly a component. The bearings themselves are actually pre-pressed on your crankset semi-axles. When you buy an Ultra Torque BB all you get is two empty bottom bracket cups (read: no bearings), plus one safety spring to hold your driveside crankarm in place while you install the non-driveside arm.

You can install the Ultra Torque Record BB cups with the same Park BBT-9 tool you use to install Shimano Dura Ace BB cups. Campy specifies a 35Nm torque for installation. Also, please note that Campagnolo makes only one model of Ultra Torque BB cups: Record. There is no Chorus or Centaur. If your crankset is any of the three Ultra Torque models -- Record, Chorus, or Centaur -- these are the cups you need. They come in English (68mm) or Italian (70mm) threads.