With the breathtaking Record 12-Speed drivetrain Campagnolo faced the realities of wider frame spacing for larger volume tires as well as the reality that the chainline needed to effectively handle rear dropouts from 130mm-142mm wide. Campagnolo's engineers solved the challenges via the crankset and chainring designs without changing their traditional 145.5mm q-factor or ultimately changing the UltraTorque crank / bottom bracket system. As such you get the same split axle system with the splined Hirth coupling, pre-installed bearings on the crank axle, and 10mm Hex center-axle fastening bolt- accessed from the non-drive side. The cups that the bearings ride on still function in the same way, and have the same frame-specific options (threaded, PressFit, etc.). The exciting developments are largely difficult to see, but the striking visual effect of the UD carbon crankarms and spider system are the exception.

To make the teeth of the chainrings thinner for the 5.15mm chain and tighter spacing of 12-speed, as well as pitched properly for the chainline, Campagnolo needed to make the driveside crankarm/spider assembly stronger and stiffer. Some of that gain was made in the UD carbon fiber and how the carbon lends itself to lightweight, stiff construction. Two 4-hole chainring BCD mount standards, one for the outer (145mm) chainring, and one for the inner (112mm) chainring created very stout mounting points so that each ring was secured directly to the carbon via a shorter bolt, and more in line with the circumference of the ring, maintaining better overall stiffness closest to the stress point created by the chain riding on the teeth. The second design feature impacting the stiffness of the 4-arm asymmetric spider is the gradual wasting of the wide carbon "arms", which extend much further outward towards the circumference of the large chainring, adding some real "backbone" the ring itself. It is this feature that draws the eye to the Record 12-Speed Crankset, but while the design aesthetic is respected, the function is paramount to keeping the arm and ring assembly performing at premium efficiency.

The UT crank axle for Record is again made with steel, as are Campagnolo's bearings. While Record has always stood for excellence it has also demonstrated superior durability and longevity, setting the standard for all pro-level high level performance equipment. The attention to detail follows in the sculpted aluminum 12-Speed Chainrings, which are not only maximized for paired performance in up and down shifts, but also how they manage the chain when not shifting. The inner ring features fully symmetrical teeth, which hold the chain better while the chain is under slightly less tension, especially under the extended angles of wider spacing and the full cog ranges of a 12-Speed Cassette. The large ring features the most specific shifting technologies, with gates, pins and pick-up zone primed for the the lightning fast responses required of 12-speed. The pins and gates vary with the double chainring combination selected, thus a 34-50 has fewer, the 39-53 has more. All positions are optimal for each set-up. Campagnolo is using a surface treatment to harden the rings and teeth, as well as fight corrosion and wear while promoting lower friction on the chain.

Campagnolo has created a Record 12 crankset that is uniquely designed for the 12-speed drivetrain system and wider frame spacing requirements without compromising the overall dimensions and the pedaling biodynamics that Campagnolo riders have been riding for years. That aspect was always crucial to the engineers. Same tools to work with, same bottom bracket options across frame designs, same physical feeling while pedaling. Tradition, performance, innovation, and excellence- all hallmarks of this venerable Italian component innovator- the first with a 12-speed road double drivetrain, as it was with 11 and 10 speed. The Campagnolo Record 12 Speed Crankset drives it forward, brilliantly. Return to Top