One of the most exciting advancements in the world of bikes and cycling in general has been the introduction of Shimano’s Di2 electronic shifting groupsets. If you have been around a bike shop or picked up a biking oriented publication in the last few years, you were bound to have seen something about what Shimano has been up to.
Many years in the making, Campagnolo is joining Shimano by supplying their own version of electronic shifting. Campy has in fact been developing electronic shifting since the early 90s. At the time Campagnolo first began the development of their electronic shifting system, road bikes had only 7 gears in back. Every time they were able to add an additional gear to the rear cassette, they would have to begin all over yet again with the development of electronic shifting.
As the years went by, electronics in general got smaller and more reliable, which helped Campagnolo push the design of EPS (Electronic Power Shift) forward, but they nevertheless had many hurdles to overcome. In 2009, Campagnolo was nearly ready to release EPS, but once again they needed to work out how their newly launched 11 speed drivetrain would handle the electronics. Then in 2010, they ran into troubles with water shorting out the system when bikes were transported on roof racks in the rain.
Well, all of those teething problems are history, and Campy is ready to launch 2 new electronic shifting groupsets. Campagnolo will use the familiar Super Record and Record names for the road bike groupsets. Clearly, Super Record will be the top group, Record will be 2nd in line.
I’m certain most of you reading this want to know what the difference will be between the Campy and Shimano electric shifting. And, which one is superior.
One thing to know about Campagnolo is that they work very hard to make their products ergonomically perfect. From how the shift/brake lever fits your hand, to the spring tension in each lever. Campy is all about great ergonomics, and the new EPS groupsets will carry on this theme brilliantly.
The new EPS shifters look exactly like the current mechanical 11 speed shifters. The brake hoods have the identical shape, and lever placement is nearly the same. Campagnolo utilizes 2 shift levers for each shifter, where SRAM has 1, and Shimano has 2 ,but one is shared as a brake lever. Campy uses their shift lever arrangement to make it possible to comfortably shift while your hands are on the drops of your handlebar.
Feedback and tactile sensation is something that Campy has preserved in their electronic road bike shifters. Each shift has a very definite “click” that can be felt at the shift lever. Each shift is also announced by Campys familiar clunk, just like the mechanical version. You’ll feel like your hands are more directly connected to each derailleur. This is the truly noticeable difference between Campy EPS and Shimano Di2 groups.
Yet another feature that separates Campy from it’s competitors is a “key repeat” for the rear shifter (like pressing and holding the ”x” or “space” keys on your computer keyboard) Instead of having to press the rear shift lever numerous times to complete a multiple cog swap, all you need to do with the Campy EPS shifters is press and hold. The move from highest to lowest rear gears takes less than 1 second.
Campagnolo has often been known for producing the most seductive and sexy road bike components, and the new EPS versions won’t disappoint. The use of carbon fiber is prevalent, yet tasteful. The servo motors that do the bulk of the work are nicely hidden from view to preserve a classic look. The battery housing is also where the CPU and battery charger reside, which helps keep the bulkiness down to the bare minimum. Interestingly, the only real visual cue that the group shifts electronically is the battery housing.
I’m not at liberty to say if Campagnolo EPS is better than Shimano Di2 in terms of performance. But if I were to put either electronic group on my personal bike, Campy gets the nod of approval. Why? The lever fit my hands better. The sound and feel of each shift is more reassuring and, it’s dead sexy.
