One of the few major changes in the 2001 lineup is the addition of a new, single-pivot rear brake for the Record and Chorus gruppos.  Campagnolo is hailing this as an important innovation, citing as one feature the 40-gram weight reduction compared to the 2000 dual-pivot Record brake that this year's model replaces.

Longtime Campy users may ask, "What's the big deal?"  After all, Campagnolo was making single-pivot brakes decades ago (we used to call them "sidepulls," to differentiate between the "centerpull" brakes common at the time).  Sidepulls were lighter, but not as powerful as centerpulls, which had a greater mechanical advantage.  Dual-pivots were a kind of hybrid between the two types, providing greater power at the cost of a heavier unit.  Compared to sidepulls, dual pivots were anchors, a situation that the addition of lighter hardware (and some titanium in the Record version) didn't help much.

Campy's "new" single-pivot rear brakes, thus, aren't really so new.  If anything, they are somewhat of a throwback to an earlier day.  Campagnolo's 2001 catalog hails the in-depth research that determined (as if it was ever really in doubt) that we can all live with a little less braking power on the rear wheel, where it isn't really needed anyway.  The front brake for Record and Chorus remains the same as in 2000.

Still, we were eager to try out this latest innovation (and drop almost 2 ounces off our bike in the process), and had Branford Bike ship us out a set.  (Note: If you buy a set of the new brakes, you may see "DEF" written on the outside of the box.  Does this mean the brakeset is "Defective"?  No.  According to Tim at Branford Bike, "Def" is the Italian abbreviation for "Differential," and is used to mark boxes with the single-pivot rear brake.   Brakesets with the dual-pivot rear brake don't get this marking.)

Here are our first impressions:

November 18, 2000--This brake is way light.  Compared to the Chorus dual pivot it replaced, it feels almost weightless in the hand.  The startling loss in weight (40 grams, compared to last year's rear brake) is accomplished through the change in design and through some pretty substantial hollowing out of the brake calipers (see photo).  Campy also throws in some lightweight hardware--the collar that mounts to the frame is alloy, and the bolt that tightens the cable clamp is titanium.  In fact, it's hard to find any steel at all on these brakes.

One other change in hardware--the socket that the brake cable and housing fits into is narrower than my Chorus brakes, and won't accept the metal ferrule that's typically placed on the end of the housing.  I had to ditch the ferrule and put the cable housing right into the brake.

January 1, 2001--We've been riding the new brakeset for more than a month now, and can report that this new brakeset is truly excellent.  Campagnolo describes this as a "differential" brakeset, and suggests that the rear brake has less stopping power because the front brake (as any cyclist knows) does most of the work.  In our experience, however, the new single-pivot rear brake stops just as well as the dual-pivot it replaced.  This may be partly to the brake's design, or to the larger brake shoes (now longer, thinner, and curved to match the rim).  Whatever the reason, this new rear brake begs the question: When will Campagnolo offer a single-pivot front brake?

Summary:  If you're order a new brakeset, get the differential version.  If you're upgrading and seeking to lose some serious weight, this is also a great option.  One downside--to date, we haven't heard that the rear brake will be available for purchase by itself; you'll need to buy an entire brakeset to get it.