Campagnolo

Chorus 12 UT Carbon Crankset

When it comes to putting power into the bike, we would be lost without a reliable crankset. The cranks are where our efforts get transmitted into physical results, propelling us forward when we surge energy in. Being that we also find the crankset to be one of the most eye-catching components on the bike, its easy to see why we covet head-turning cranksets like Campagnolo's new Chorus 12 UT Carbon Crankset. The newly updated Chorus 12 continues to pack in all of the trickle-down technology that we love Campy for, including Ultra-Torque design that's refined with a spider and ring assembly for elevated stiffness, and a chainline that's eager to please any steed from a narrow, 130mm rim brake frame, to lofty 142mm disc bike, all while keeping the Q-factor tight and tidy at just 145.5mm. Now, while we're eager to tout the technology benefits that the Chorus crank sees, its worth noting that it opts for a slightly more simple construction that utilizes a heavier steel axle that keeps stiffness and durability a priority, and durable steel bearings, which come at the cost of quite a few grams, scaling in 18-grams heavier than the Record version, and a full 110-grams heavier than the featherweight Super Record.

The unique engineering of the Ultra-Torque design places the bearings further apart, for better stability, and are captured on the crank's spindle rather than pressed into a cup. By doing so, the bearings receive less of a radial load for a reduction in friction and a boost in longevity. We're also a fan of the steel axle with a self-centering, self-aligning Hirth joint connection that's often used elsewhere in automobiles and industry where a secure connection and high torque applications are common and durability is paramount. The arms have four access holes for the joining bolts, which may not have the same smooth aesthetics as its Record and Super Record partners, but we think it still achieves a classic and clean look.

The sleek carbon spider connects to two aluminum chainrings that each have their own set of mounting holes, further contributing to increased stiffness, while allowing the spider to possess a standardized bolt circle diameter, 112mm inner and 145mm outer, meaning the crank will accommodate compact 50/34t, mid-compact 52/36t, and standard 53/39t just by swapping the rings. The aluminum rings feature a special treatment and carefully designed shift pins and ramps leading to faster and smoother up and down shifts, even under full power. Furthermore, the symmetrical design of the inner chainring's teeth improves stability when the chain is in a crossover situation. Just a few more notes about the chainring and spider, the q-factor remains the same at 145.5mm while the chainline accommodates 130, 135, and 142mm rear dropout spacing, and Campy claims the design and careful shaping is more aerodynamic.