2009 Campagnolo Super Record 11 speed

We had a very nice visitor at Above Category this past Saturday. His name is Brian Sarmiento and he is the Marketing Manager for Campagnolo USA. As nice as it was to meet Brian, I was much more interested in the contents of the pelican case that he was carrying, looking like some spec-ops guy with his rifle and optics case. In hindsight, he might want to think about hiring one of these guys as the contents of the case would be a very tasty temptation for the majority if not all cyclists out there.


What lies inside this black case is the sole example in the United States at present time...



Here Brian is making me close my eyes while Dean contemplates having the first Campagnolo Super Record group set in America on his own bike

I'm still unsure of what it is that I'm looking at. Isn't Campagnolo Super Record supposed to have gold plated everything? Maybe in another 25 years for the 100th year anniversary group...

Damn, Dean saw it first and gets to touch it first as well?

Wasn't sure how I really felt when I saw the first pictures of the new Ergo levers on Cycling News, but trust me, these are nice. Everything was very well thought out, and all the changes have a purpose. You can now fit three fingers between the handlebars and the levers, which is nice, and as such means that the lever bodies are longer. Campagnolo also says that you should never have to service the internals, which if you have levers that are over 10 years old like I do, may seem like a brash statement, but if true will be quite nice. The levers are also a little closer to the handlebar, which will make my wife happy, but come with a shim for folks with really big mitts. But I really doubt anyone will need those. They have also used a dual compound grip which supposedly makes the levers more comfortable, though I have never had issues with that in the older models. The Super Record also comes with little ram air ducts on the top of the brake levers. Lastly, and most importantly, Campagnolo has kept all the action the same in regards to the shifting patterns.

The rear mech. Beautiful. First big improvement here is stiffness. A stiffer derailleur is a better shifting derailleur. Not sure how shifting can get much better than the old one, but put me first in line to find out!

The pulley wheels are actually made out of rubber. Because of this the drive train will run quieter and last longer.

Yep, ceramic. And not just any ceramic, but special German made, much stronger steel races that will not wear out and let Campagnolo run oil instead of grease for even less friction. Word is service intervals will be the same as grease. This is cool, very cool. I remember when I was a Jr. and I would tear apart my bottom bracket and hubs before a time trial and replace the grease with oil in the attempt to reduce friction and smash course records ala Ritter, you know what I'm talking about?

Cranks are unchanged except for the chain rings. They are treated and supposed to last much longer. Also, they have added another pick-up ramp and now they can shift up twice per revolution. Did I get that right Brian? That should help those shifts up to the big ring when cadence is a little lower like on a climb when you are getting ready to put some distance on your riding partners. They also added the same special oil only ceramic bearing here as well, and take my word for it, they are SMOOTH! Lastly, and in my book sadly (though this pertains to every group out there) they added more marketing speak to them like "Campagnolo Super Record 11 speed" and "CULT". Will we ever see the days of nice sleek components, like the original Super Record? Marketing is king these days...

CULT

Sweet and smooth. Time for a little game of catch-up Shimano and SRAM?

Well, obvious thing here is 11 speeds. Why? Campagnolo answers, "why not?" I agree. I used to run 7spd and thought 8 was silly. Then 9spd was just stupid, and lastly 10 was just a gimmick. Well, I was wrong on all counts. Never had any issues, chains never broke, the dish on the wheels was fine. I'll take another gear now for sure. Cassette has more titanium cogs now and is treated for more strength like the chainrings. Will there be a full titanium option? Not sure...

5.5mm! Campagnolo says it will be stronger. I have no reason not to believe them, but it's still hard to believe 5.5mm! Quieter as well. Also, I love tools, and now I get to buy another one! New chain tool is pretty freaking trick...

Front Derailleur is nice, they upgraded this as well, though for the life of me I don't really remember what exactly. I mean it's a front derailleur you know? They usually don't keep me up at night, no matter how nice they are. But in light of how nice the new Super Record is, I can't see it as being anything but superb.

There are still the brake calipers which are unchanged except for some new titanium bolts and the bottom bracket cups which are also treated for a longer life. Again, I am so excited to ride this new group.
Will this new group keep me up at night as much as THIS ONE though?

Campagnolo Super Record will be coming out in limited numbers this fall/winter. If you want to get on the waiting list for one of these give us a call...

Also, we want to give a big thank you to Dean Bentley who took these photos. Please keep in mind that they are his property and if you would like to use some, contact us. Thanks!

Jeff's new Pinarello

Jeff P. came to us having never ridden a road bike before. Already a talented runner (he just finished the world famous Double Dipsea footrace with the fastest time this year), he wants to compete in Triathlons. We discussed his needs and budget and set him up with Pinarello's FP-2 road bike. The FP-2 is an aluminum frame with carbon seat stays and fork, and arrives fully equipped with Shimano Ultegra components and Pinarello's MOST wheels. The tube shaping and paintwork are beautiful, with a lot of trickle-down technology from Pinarello's $5,000+ framesets. Ready-to-ride, the FP-2 came in just a touch over $2,000.

Jeff didn't have any hesitation about taking his new bike for a spin immediately. Chad explains how clipless pedals work just moments before Jeff heads out. Enjoy, Jeff!

Elkhorn Wrap-up

The last stage of the Elkhorn Classic proved to be a difficult and frustrating race. The race covered 104 miles with four long climbs and numerous rollers. Chris and Ian stayed with the race leaders in the main field as a group of 20 went up the road. As the race progressed, the large teams controlled the pace and the two AC riders sat in waiting for an opportunity to move forward. Half way through the race a small bridge group went off the front of the pack but Ian couldn't make the jump due to his injuries, and Chris gave everything but lost contact. Five riders bridged up. Chris and Ian came to the base of the final climb with the peloton and made it to the top among the six leaders of the main field, behind the 25 riders from the breakaway. In the final GC Chris took 18th. The two-man team traveled back home yesterday and is resting up for the Cascade Classic.

Elkhorn Classic, update

Ian and Chris are about to line up for the fourth and final stage of the Elkhorn. It's been a wild race. Stage 1 saw Chris take 15th place, just 17 seconds off the leader. Unfortunately Ian was taken down in a crash with 5 miles to go. He finished but is well down in the GC.

The Time Trial offered Chris just the venue he needed to mash out the 6th fastest time. Chris covered the 10.5 miles in 20 minutes and 1 second, 25 seconds off the fastest time. He is now sitting in 6th place overall. Ian was 1'07" off the fastest time after his time trial.

The Criterium was called off at the start line last night due to rain. Now only the 104-mile final stage remains. Chris and Ian will work hard together to keep Chris high in the standings with very reasonable hopes of getting him on the podium. (as always, click any picture to enlarge it). Stage 1 rolls through the open scrub of Eastern Oregon.
Chris stays hydrated as the pack rockets up another climb.
Chris is a picture of concentration as he shoots through the first kilometer of the Time Trial.
Ian revs up the Pinarello FT1, pedaling hard in spite of injuries sustained in the first stage.
Ian comes in hot at the finish line of the Time Trial.

Elkhorn Stage Race.... roadtrip!

Ian and Chris hit the road today on a 12-hour journey from the Bay Area on up to Baker City, Oregon for the Elkhorn Classic Stage Race.
Long-time cycling fan and friend Dean Pearson treated them to lunch at the Oyster Bar in the Nugget casino in Reno, and then smoked them on the way out in his custom '79 Porsche.

The Say When casino almost sucked them in, but as recovering gambling addicts both they smartly stayed away.
The open roads of Eastern Oregon.
Chris tucks into some very fine chicken mole at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in tiny Homedale, Idaho.
Two of their four rigs cast a fast silhouette in the last light of a 10pm sunset.

Another FT1

Ian is heading up to the Elkhorn Classic in Baker City, Oregon tomorrow, to race with team mate Chris Turner for Above Category Racing. The stage race includes two road races, a criterium, and... a Time Trial. Until now, Ian's been spinning away on his Pegoretti with clip-on bars and good wheels. But the compact cranks on his Pegoretti have been an issue. Elkhorn's TT is half downhill and to allow as much pedaling as possible (read: "absolutely no coasting you sissy"), we've put on a 54/42 front chainring combo

The bike still has a few dangly bits that will be finished up later this evening, just in time for an early morning departure. Stay tuned for race updates from the Elkhorn Classic!

Tuttle interviewed on SLC-Samurai

Jared from SLC-Samurai interviews Above Category racer Ian Tuttle here:
www.slc-samurai.blogspot.com
Happy reading!

Follow Car

Across the street from the shop a small truck is parked. It's been there for a long time. It would be easy to dismiss it as an irrelevant jalopy except for the two signs on the passenger side:





We don't know where it came from or who it belongs to but it puts grins on our faces every time we see it.

A Very Special Pinarello

These are pictures of a one-of-a-kind Pinarello time trial bike that we received for pro triathlete Leanda Cave. Pinarello made it specifically for her use in competition. Photos are all courtesy of Dean Bently. Please enjoy!

Congratulations Leanda Cave!

Leanda Cave took her 2nd consecutive Escape From Alcatraz win on Sunday! WAY TO GO LEANDA!!!
Leanda Cave and Andy Potts on the podium in a perfect deja vu of last year.
Leanda's skill at descents bought her critical time in the bike portion of the event.
Leanda gets cheered into the finish as Chad follows her on his bike.
Leanda heads out to Germany today to prepare for Ironman Roth. Stay tuned for more updates on her racing resutls!