For many traditionalists Campagnolo Record is the optimal road groupset and once updated in 2015, few thought adjustments would come again to the 11-speed system, but as the Italian component manufacturer has worked to develop and release their hydraulic road disc brake options, it became clear that new frame designs with greater rear dropout width, the use of thru-axles, and desirable greater gearing range that the set-up, shifting and performance of the rear derailleur system had to be addressed. The HO designation used here means Hydraulically Optimized, which may be somewhat confusing, as the rear derailleur has no hydraulic feature, just that the design was optimized to accommodate the range, rear spacing, and axle-type changes mentioned above, as most of these are associated with the move to hydraulic road disc braking.

This Record HO 11 Speed Rear Derailleur has been updated for disc brake frames that feature the wider rear dropout spacing without compromising standard 130mm road spacing performance. Both the Short and Medium (72.5mm) Cage versions feature an adapted mounting link for easier thru-axle removal and wheel insertion. The pulley wheels have also been redesigned for more for precise shifting, simpler adjustment, and chainwrap at more extreme chainlines thanks to the upper pulley wheel having longer teeth, while the lower with chamfered teeth that reduce friction and noise.

The re-design also features movement of the limit screws to a rear-facing position on the upper body that is easy to access for cleaner, more direct tool access. Overall, the geometry of the Ultra Shift cage parallelogram was changed for more efficient movement over the greater gear range and the impact of wider spacing on the chainline. Both cage models carry the new HO design and standard Record level technology and hardware, with the carbon body design, lightweight alloy hardware and stiff cage plates. The Medium Cage has an aluminum construction and is now compatible with 11-32 11-speed cassettes, while the carbon construction Short Cage maintains at 29T for the larger cassette cog.

Functionally, the HO design has been developed to deliver the performance, shifting precision, and reliability you love from Campagnolo's best-selling model. The Record HO 11 Speed Rear Derailleur simply expands the capabilities of the Record and other Campagnolo 2015+ 11-speed road line-up to include the current move towards to hydraulic road disc brake use, the frame standards, and user requirements that have evolved with that development. Shifting performance is still the incredibly positive, precise, and perfect; as Record should be.