The historic Italian brand Campagnolo embodies a standard for both traditional and modern cycling. Since its inception, it has always stood out for the quality and innovation applied to all its products. For some, it represents the romantic side of cycling, linked to the epic victories of some of the sport’s most important riders. For others, Campagnolo is a brand faithful to its origins and a benchmark in the sector.

Over the years, we have seen how the Campagnolo family has embraced nonconformity and passion for the sport, and this has led them to where they are today. An Italian company with more than 3,000 certified patents and a worldwide recognition that few companies can brag about.

Today, more than 50 years since the presentation of its first Super Record, the first 2×13-speed wireless groupset is released. They did it before with 10, then with 11, and later with 12 speeds. Once again, history repeats itself, and Campagnolo becomes the first to bring this drivetrain to road cycling, achieving a new milestone for the Italian company.

This release means much more than the addition of an extra sprocket to the cassette. The redesign of every component that makes up this drivetrain has required an immense effort by the brand, yielding true innovation as its output.

During our visit to Vicenza, Italy, where the Campagnolo factory is located, we witnessed firsthand the excitement and satisfaction with which everyone at the brand presented this new groupset to the media. We weren’t just witnessing a simple product launch; it was the beginning of a new era.

Redesign and major improvements for the new Super Record

As presented, the new Campagnolo Super Record 13-speed is positioned as the world’s fastest and lightest wireless groupset (2,445g), featuring an unprecedented range of gear ratios. It also features a newly redesigned lever design that ensures total control, along with superior ergonomics and unparalleled performance.

The engineering team behind this new groupset has done an outstanding job. They have worked on each component to ensure they achieve the perfect balance between weight, performance, and durability, in a product that meets Campagnolo’s highest quality standards. A job in which, without a doubt, the Made in Europe factor plays a crucial role.

One derailleur, seven available configurations

Thanks to the redesigned, lighter front derailleur, we can use a wide variety of options without having to make significant changes. The engineering behind this carbon derailleur is capable of offering a range from a 29-tooth chainring to a 55-tooth one—a relevant change.

The battery, now located at the front, has a more extended range (750 km) and can be charged via a standard USB socket. Charging is faster and allows for its use while connected to a power source, so you don’t have to stop before resuming your ride.

Significant improvements to the gears’ range

While it’s true that they’ve gained experience and knowledge with the 13-speed Ekar gravel groupset, the new Super Record represents a big advance in many ways. Thanks in part to this development, the brand has been able to reduce the space between sprockets, achieving the goal of fitting 13 speeds into the same space as a 12-speed cassette. This additional sprocket minimizes the gap between consecutive sprockets and also allows for optimal cadence in any situation.

“A specific freewheel is not required; instead, we maintain Campagnolo’s usual N3W standard.”

Leaving the cassette aside and focusing on the rear derailleur, we can see that it is less bulky than previous versions. We also find pulleys that have been enlarged to 14 teeth to improve friction with the chain links, and ceramic bearings for the upper pulley. The derailleur can be mounted with a UDH or using a traditional dropout adapter.

In addition to those mentioned above, one of the most significant improvements is the chain line. The modifications to the front derailleur, cassette, and rear derailleur, working together, achieve the most immediate, fluid, and rapid shifting possible to date. With this improvement, the new Super Record 13-speed is capable of moving through the entire range of gears in less time than any 12-speed groupset available on the market, despite having one more sprocket.

Total control under the name Ergopower

Another notable new feature Campagnolo is introducing with this drivetrain is the new levers. The Italian brand presents the Ergopower as one of its greatest revolutions. With their latest design, they guarantee total riding control, greater comfort, and faster access to device functions such as the bike computer.

The ergonomic improvements in the lever design are substantial and easily noticeable when you position your hand. When they talk about greater control, they’re undoubtedly referring to the endless options they offer for configuring the drivetrain thanks to the buttons found on the lever. On the one hand, we have the familiar shifter lever, a single one per lever. On the other, we have the new additions: the Thumb Shifter, which is a button we can use with our thumb, whether riding with our hands on climbers or holding them at the bottom of the dropper; the Smart Button, located on the upper inner part, also reachable with our thumbs; and the Mode button, located near the Thumb Shifter. Each button is configurable from the Campagnolo app, allowing for endless options.

Regarding engineering and design, in our visit to Vicenza, we learned that the work they’ve done on the levers has been a key aspect in achieving the results they present today. They have managed to reduce the number of parts that make up each lever by half, thus considerably reducing their weight, simplifying the maintenance and repair process, and lowering manufacturing costs.

Moving from theory to practice

While it’s true that most product tests organized by brands involve an introduction first, followed by the actual testing, the complete opposite occurred with the Super Record 13-speed presentation. We had the opportunity to get to know the groupset and test it in action, without first learning the details and specifications. This allowed us to gain first impressions from a completely objective perspective.

The first thing that caught our attention was the comfort of the levers and the addition of the new buttons. Obviously, every time you change groupsets (from one brand to another), there’s a small adaptation period, and this case was no exception. It is also true that so many buttons can be overwhelming at first. Still, it’s only a matter of minutes and a bit of riding to identify which configuration you feel most comfortable with, and you’re done.

Another aspect we noticed almost immediately was the immediacy of the shifting. Although logic suggests that more gears should translate to slower shifting, the speed with which the groupset can shift gears is astonishing and greatly appreciated. We would also like to highlight that, compared to previous versions, the new Super Record is significantly quieter.

We rode it for nearly two hours on a short route, but on some demanding segments, so we were able to put it to the test. The mechanism is very fluid, and the jumps between gears that might occur with other groupsets are substantially reduced this time.

We were pleasantly surprised by its performance and carbon finishes in a full-black style. Campagnolo has always had a distinctive approach to its products, and once again, with the Super Record, the tremendous work behind it is evident.

The first preview of an entirely new platform

The brand describes the new Super Record 13 as providing precise, quiet, and immediate shifting, even in the most demanding situations. Combined with the ergonomics of the new shifters, the new features, and a more reasonable price than the 12-speed version (€4,300, approximately €900 less), we can assume that Campagnolo wants to remain a benchmark in the market and has a lot to offer.

Representatives from the brand used the presentation to inform us that this is just the beginning of what will become a comprehensive platform around the 2×13-speed, and that several new features will be introduced in the coming months. We’ll have to wait and see, but in the meantime, let’s enjoy the new Super Record.