# New Chorus 12 speed



## Bee-an-key (May 5, 2007)

So the new Chorus launches and they have changed the shift/brake lever to metal from carbon. Some of the rear mech parts have also gone back to metal as well. The shape and tech of many pieces are the same as Record and S. Record just heavier materials, which is the usual trickle down. No weight or prices out today, but anyone have any knowledge why they are using less carbon? It used to be that $ to gram/ounce for Chorus was a better deal than Record. Not sure where they are going with this. Larger cassettes, up to a 34 I believe, and more options in the front chainring. That part makes sense for old guys like me and for people setting up a gravel bike possibly. Curious if anyone has any inside scoop where they are trying to position this.


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## nova_rider (Sep 23, 2005)

Here are some weight & price info:

https://road.cc/content/tech-news/2...upset-launched-lower-price-points-and-smaller

I'll take the lower cost over the slight weight difference penalty (<180g vs Record) anytime.


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## Bee-an-key (May 5, 2007)

Saw this and another today that had price comparisons to Rec/SR as well as 11 speed Chorus comparison. Thanks for the update.


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## flatlander_48 (Nov 16, 2005)

I have 11sp late model Chorus. With 12sp now out, HOPEFULLY 11sp EPS prices will drop soon!?!?


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

I'm curious about the pricing of the Chorus cassette. The Super Record cassette costs a lot.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

The Chorus cassette is 2/3 of the SR price. Still pretty damn expensive though.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

kbwh said:


> The Chorus cassette is 2/3 of the SR price. Still pretty damn expensive though.


I just got a 11-27 Chorus 11-speed cassette for $91. I'm sticking with 11-speed for a while. How much thinner can chains get?


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## rideit (Feb 8, 2005)

Shimano’s patents go up to 14 speeds, if that helps. 
Then we will reach the singularity, and the bots will ride for us.


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## DrSmile (Jul 22, 2006)

The rim brake devolution of Chorus makes me sad. Thank god I have bunch of 14 year old Record brakes that will last forever.


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## smokva (Jul 21, 2004)

Bee-an-key said:


> So the new Chorus launches and they have changed the shift/brake lever to metal from carbon. Some of the rear mech parts have also gone back to metal as well. The shape and tech of many pieces are the same as Record and S. Record just heavier materials, which is the usual trickle down. No weight or prices out today, but anyone have any knowledge why they are using less carbon? It used to be that $ to gram/ounce for Chorus was a better deal than Record. Not sure where they are going with this. Larger cassettes, up to a 34 I believe, and more options in the front chainring. That part makes sense for old guys like me and for people setting up a gravel bike possibly. Curious if anyone has any inside scoop where they are trying to position this.


With 11s speed groups Campagnolo made awful marketing mistake and created top three groups basically the same. Super Record, Record and Chorus were hard to distinguish. On one hand "cheap" Chorus was taking away from the sales of expensive Super Record and Record and on the other hand they didn't have proper group to fight with much cheaper Shimano Ultegra and 105.
The problem was amplified even by introduction of unnecessary Super Record.
They completely messed up positioning on the market.
They started this process of moving away Chorus from Records in 2nd generation of 11 speed, but now with 12 speed they made bigger jump.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

smokva said:


> With 11s speed groups Campagnolo made awful marketing mistake and created top three groups basically the same. Super Record, Record and Chorus were hard to distinguish. On one hand "cheap" Chorus was taking away from the sales of expensive Super Record and Record and on the other hand they didn't have proper group to fight with much cheaper Shimano Ultegra and 105.
> The problem was amplified even by introduction of unnecessary Super Record.
> They completely messed up positioning on the market.
> They started this process of moving away Chorus from Records in 2nd generation of 11 speed, but now with 12 speed they made bigger jump.
> ...


That's pretty much business as usual at Campy. I remember back in the 1990's and early 2000's, Record and Chorus got updated almost every year. The saying was 'this year's Chorus, last year's Record'. Frankly, I think buying anything else but Chorus in the upper end Campy line up silly. Chorus, Record and Super Record only differ by some carbon fiber bits and pieces and little 'weight saving' machining. 

Someone at Campy got nostalgic a while back when they brought back Athena and offered it in a beautiful polished finish. Unfortunately that didn't last. Athena disappeared and Potenza replaced it. That group does come in a polished finish, but its not nearly as nice as the finish was on Athena, and the cranks are ugly. Plus, it's the lower end shifting. I have no idea why Campy doesn't just do their entire line up in ultra shift. Must be to make folks that buy the lower end stuff know that they're cheap. 

Campy will never compete with Shimano in the new bike market. Ultegra is just too good of a group for the money. I'd take Ultegra over Potenza. I think Chorus is nicer, but its a couple hundred dollars more. Campy ought to make Chorus their bread and butter group and try to market it against Ultegra, but that's not happening. Sadly, Campy is looking more like Shimano each year. Less carbon and more aluminum. Ugly cranks.


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