re-using a name that they already owned, in may of 1962, the triumph motor company released the triumph vitesse, based on their herald model and featuring bodywork designed by italian giovanni michelotti. for those who can remember that far back in time, the 1600cc six-cylinder engine operated through the ministrations of twin carburettors; the days prior to electronically managed injection systems. the vitesse 6 was followed by a two-litre version and the almost inevitable vitesse mark two. nine years later, the last triumph vitesse rolled off the production line.
the word vitesse, translated from the original french, means 'speed', hence its appropriation for the chromed badge on the boot lid of a triumph motor car. it's a word often seen applied to the number of gear sprockets that constitute a cassette, as in ten or eleven vitesses. or, in this case, twelve vitesses. campagnolo took a lot of spinal tap schtick when they made the move to eleven sprockets, as reviewed here by way of a carbon chorus groupset, but why twelve?
according to vicenza, it's not been just a case of adding another sprocket, offering not only even less of a jump between gears, but providing, on the record groupset under consideration, larger, large sprockets. the cassette featured on my chorus setup topped out at 27, based predominantly on my thoroughly enjoyable experience with a super-record groupset during the 2017 hot chillee, london-paris ride. this was matched with a standard, 34/50 compact chainset. the record twelve offers yet another two teeth at the big end, providing 29 to ease my ascending pain.
but in this particular case, campagnolo giveth, and campagnolo taketh away. so that 11/29 cassette finds itself coupled with 36/52 chainrings, easing closer to the 1990s 39/53, but effectively providing similar gearing to that of the chorus eleven.
sadly, vicenza's products are rarely fitted as original equipment to new bicycles, meaning those of us with an italian predilection have either to replace the standard issue subsequent to purchase (a less than economic option), or purchase a frame and groupset and join them together. in this case, campagnolo's twelve vitesses are being applied to a ritchey logic steel frameset, replacing eleven chorus vitesses. in situations such as this, the sane option would be to deliver both packages to the local, campagnolo authorised bike shop, before eagerly awaiting the phone call. as i may have mentioned at least once before, i do not have a local bike shop, but i do have graeme freestone king of velotech cycling.
gentlemen, start your 10mm allen keys.
much as i figure it might come across as unsubstantiated arrogance, if you've just paid out the recommended retail price of marginally less than £1800, i'd thoroughly recommend taking advantage of the bike shop option. though it may be considered easy to fit a set of bicycle components, by that very definition, it's also very easy to fit them incorrectly. for starters, don't even think of affixing a campagnolo twelve-speed chain without campagnolo's eyewateringly expensive rivet tool. and if you thought setting up a rear derailleur was close to child's play, the record carbon twelve might give cause for a rethink. because the operation of that sculpted carbon is one of the major changes in the move to twelve gears.
at the time of writing, aside from the aforementioned chain, all components have been successfully fastened to the frame, with only the gear and brake cables remaining. the chain's going on last, after i measure the chainstay length.
there are a few notable differences in appearance from record eleven-speed: the outer plate of the front derailleur, once fashioned from carbon, is now of alloy. a similar fate has befallen the outer jockey cage. and that derailleur now sports a hanger as opposed to the previous direct mount. the brakeset still features two, dual-pivot calipers, but gone is the skeleton appearance. and where once there was the option of a single-pivot rear caliper...
but perhaps the most obvious visual change and one that also pervades super-record, is the all-enveloping carbon on the right-side crankset. where once you could see from one side to the other, before the bolt was fitted to the hirth coupling, now there's only a hole on the left crank, allowing insertion and tightening of the aforementioned bolt. the latter still requires a long 10mm allen key.
lest you fear for the safety of both yours truly and the record twelve-vitesses, fear not, for i have consulted at length with mr freestone king and i'm in possession of appropriate and necessary literature from italy. once all is over and done with, after i've sat and drooled over it for a day or two, i will have the best job in the world reviewing every vitesse.
campagnolo recrod twelve speed
friday 2 november 2018
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................