It looks, somehow, like Campagnolo have made something sensational even better.
Version three of the Super Record EPS groupset has a few standout new features. First up, the battery has been redesigned yet again, now coming as a long, thin cylinder which can be just as easily mounted in a seat post as in the seat or down tubes.
Alongside keeping the battery inside the frame – which is a much more elegant way to do things – it also makes it far easier to install and remove, and will leave the nightmares of Campagnolo’s proprietary tools firmly in the past.
Better than that is the headline feature: the all new DTI (digital tech intelligence) interface unit. First of all, you can now charge the system through the interface unit, meaning the charging port that used to have to protrude from the frame is thankfully a thing of the past. But before you all jump off your sofas, grab your credit card and rush out to buy it, we haven’t even mentioned the best feature: wireless connectivity.
Yep, you can now control your EPS interface unit from your phone and, specifically, from the MyCampy app. You’ll be able to edit the multi–shifting (how many sprockets you shift with one button press), update the firmware on your bike and run diagnostics in case any part of the system starts playing up, a helpful and easy way to identify any issues.
You’ll also be able to view information about the wear of each individual component, letting you know how many miles and shifts they’ve done, giving you an indication of when they might need replacing.
The unit will also collect shifting data – when and where you’ve shifted on a ride – and overlay it on your performance data so you can see any correlations between the two. That wireless connectivity comes in the form of Bluetooth Smart, so you won’t need an ANT+ stick to connect your mobile either.
It’s also worth bearing in mind, Campagnolo won’t be rolling out the wireless features on all the EPS models, so while Super Record and Record users will be thrust flailing into the future, Athena and Chorus riders will still be stuck in the dark ages of ‘standard’ electronic shifting. If you want the best features, you have to shop at the top end of the range.
Outside of the battery and interface box though, Campagnolo have sensibly stuck by the idea that you don’t need to fix components that aren’t broken and focused their R&D efforts on those two particular areas, leaving everything else largely unchanged.
That’s because, functionally, there’s nothing wrong and everything right with the way Super Record EPS functions, and seeing as it works wonderfully, Campagnolo have very sensibly decided that any tweaks could be detrimental as easily as benficial, and left things alone.
And as a result, it looks, somehow, like they’ve made something sensational even better.
