Campagnolo H11 EPS Ergo+ Hydraulic Lever & Disc Brake Caliper

Few companies in the cycling industry can lay claim to being venerable with Campagnolo's authority. Some of contemporary cycling's foundational innovations were conceived in the brain and born in the workshop of Tullio Campagnolo, including the obsolete rod-operated derailleur, the standard cable-pull parallelogram derailleur, and even the still-ubiquitous quick-release. Current Japanese and American/German outfits may outpace the Italian brand with constantly refreshed generations, but Campy doesn't worry about chasing the market, and the production, testing, and release schedule of the H11 EPS Ergo+ Hydraulic Lever and Disc Brake Caliper proves why. All of that history comes with a certain burden. Namely, Campy can't afford the bug-riddled roll-outs that so often plague the disc brakes of other brands. The brand's components are still often the benchmark of form, function, and innovation, but it insists on ensuring that innovation is equal to its exacting standards--the same standards that have ensured the company defines so much of cycling's history. Despite that history, though, Campy was beaten to the punch for hydraulic road discs. "Beaten to the punch" is a rare thing for the Italian brand; however, it also means there's a healthy body of existing competition to compare the H11 system to, and Campy does just that. The brand claims increased stopping power compared to the current crop of road disc brakes, and it does so without sacrificing its penchant for ergonomics and aesthetics. The hoods remain relatively unchanged, gaining just 8mm in height in order to accommodate the hydraulic reservoir. That extra real estate is hardly noticeable largely because the proper hoods are virtually unchanged. If anything, those 8mm only serve to further increase hand-to-hood security during long miles in the wind spent on the hoods' horns. The shifting is Campagnolo's EPS system, which has already been proven throughout the racing calendar by the likes of Quintana and t...