“We do one more,” said Campagnolo when they launched Super Record 13, the world’s first 2x13 groupset in June. At face value, the simple statement appears to hugely underplay the sheer scale of innovation required to create a system that moves the Italian brand ahead not only in terms of sprocket count. Campagnolo’s competitor testing showed that Super Record 13 is “the fastest shifting system currently available: across a full gear range shift, our system is quicker than all existing 12-speed groupsets”. Additionally, the tooth profiles of the chainrings and sprockets have been redesigned, making every gear shift a little smoother and quieter than before. Despite adding an extra sprocket, Super Record 13 is lighter than before. And, with seven front chainrings and four cassette options it offers the widest range of gear options on the market. Perhaps most surprising of all, given the wall-to-wall improvements is that the new groupset is priced 900 euros lower than 12-speed Super Record WRL. But, as Leonardo da Vinci asserted, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Campagnolo’s factory in Via della Chimica, Vicenza is hallowed ground for cycling fans, of course, but it is also an ultra-modern facility where every phase of the development process of Super Record took place from the initial idea to full production. Everything is done in Vicenza until Campagnolo is 100 per cent satisfied, at which point mass production is moved to Campagnolo’s two plants in Romania: it is important to the brand that its manufacturing stays in Europe.
I visited Vicenza before the launch of Super Record 13, and once I had finished taking photographs of the entrance, which for a Campagnolo fan is everything you hope it’s going to be and more – classic blue Campagnolo logo outside, Ghibli disc clock inside, Pogačar’s yellow 2021 Tour-winning Colnago in the corridor – I was taken inside the factory and asked not to take any more photos for the time being. Super Record 13 is just the first release in what will be a new platform for Campagnolo, and technicians were working on new components that will complement it, still at prototype stage. There was, however, a dismantled, ‘exploded’ Super Record 13 Ergopower shifter on a table that had been specially prepared for viewing by the dealers and press visiting that day. The curving carbon lever and the hood were of course instantly recognisable, but the hidden jigsaw of internal pieces that work together under the hood to supply the famously intuitive Campagnolo gear-changing experience was a surprisingly literal illustration of sophistication creating simplicity.
Campagnolo’s product manager Matteo D’Amanzo told me later that the older 12-speed Ergopower shifters were made up of 74 parts whereas the new Super Record 13 Ergopowers are made with 36. “It’s a work of art in terms of its engineering,” he said. A simplified, leaner production, with fewer pieces to manufacture, has enabled the price to be super competitive.
Although the weight and the price have reduced, the flagship groupset has not only gained an extra sprocket but it has also regained the iconic thumb shifter and D’Amanzo explained that while everything is new for Super Record 13, the shifting feel is the same one that Campagnolo’s aficionados love and expect. “We’ve been careful to keep the mechanical feel so that when you shift you feel a click,” he says. “That’s something that we want because we have a mechanical heritage – we’re keeping the heritage but building the future.”
Interestingly, it was the Cofidis team which dissuaded Campagnolo from bringing back the thumb shifter as a rocker switch that could be activated either by pressing it upwards or downwards. The team tested a prototype version but, says D’Amanzo, found their thumbs bumping into it. “So we changed the design, refined the shape to make it a little longer to be pressed only downwards, and they were happy.”
Additionally, Campagnolo has added a new smart button to the Ergopowers that can be customised via the MyCampy app – which was awarded a Red Dot design award in 2024 – to scroll through computer screens, operate a playlist or just change gear in an aero position.
The shape of the hoods is also new – smoother, slimmer and designed for a choice of hand positions. The reduction in bulk is due to the hydraulic tube being moved to the caliper away from the hood. The new carbon brake lever has an optimised geometry with a fulcrum point that allows even more powerful and progressive braking.
Campagnolo has a history of being ahead of its competitors with sprocket count – it was first with 2x12 in 2018, first with 2x11 in 2008 and first with 2x10 in 2000. Adding a 13th into the same space as 12 – the 13-speed cassette uses the same N3W freehub standard was “complex” according to D’Amanzo – but because Campagnolo already had the Ekar 1x13 gravel groupset, it was able to port over improved shifting performance and durability. Now, there’s a choice of four cassettes, two starting with a 10 sprocket and two with an 11, making it possible to precisely tailor gearing to the terrain more than ever before.
The new chain is just 0.25mm thinner than the 12-speed chain and, reveals D’Amanzo, was tested not only with machines in the factory but also in the real world with the Cofidis WorldTour team: “I was with them in Calpe on training camp. I was in the car and it was sprinting day. We were on a stretch of road with a three per cent gradient and they had to go up it in 55x11 from almost a track stand to 1,500 watts. They did that six times. And it wasn’t the first day doing that. So of course it’s not as precise as using the machine in the factory but this is another advantage of using the team.”
The chainset is all carbon with the same sleek four-arm spider that has become Campagnolo’s signature, but the chainrings have a new surface treatment and a new tooth profile designed to make shifts smoother and quieter. There are seven configurations available – 45/29, 48/32, 50/34, 52/36, 53/39, 54/39, 55/39 – and crank lengths go from 165mm up to 175mm. The chainset uses the same tried-and-tested Ultra Torque bottom bracket system with two titanium semi-axles. There is a PWM power meter option which comes with the same configuration options and measures power with a certified accuracy of ~1% via 16 extensometers and an integrated gyroscope.
The front and rear derailleurs have been completely redesigned. The new architecture of the rear has delivered a 25 per cent reduction in bulk compared to the previous version. Despite the more skeletal aesthetic it runs two bigger 14-tooth pulley wheels with differentiated profiles that lower friction and accompany the chain more securely through shifts. The internal housing and the front part are made of carbon fibre, while the aluminium components are anodised after laser engraving. The branding is very premium – and the lines that evoke speed are designed as an aesthetic flourish to match the lines cut into the front derailleur. The speed of course is real: it is faster across the entire range than any 12-speed system currently available, despite the addition of an extra sprocket.
The front has a lighter design and features a new carbon fork with a wider chain draft range, plus a capacity that now goes from 29 to 55 teeth. The battery housing in the front section is designed to supply more clearance for the rear tyre. The battery itself has a range of up to 750 kilometres. Recharging takes 60 minutes to reach 100 per cent capacity, and charge level can be monitored via the integrated LED, the MyCampy app or on a head unit. The USB-C connector ensures maximum compatibility with modern recharging devices, including smartphones, which can be used as a power bank in emergency situations. The rear derailleur battery has the same specifications.
The new brake calipers are made from forged aluminium and feature two new titanium retention screws that save six grammes per pair without compromising solidity. Super-smooth, reliable, progressive braking has become a Campagnolo tradition and the new Super Record 13 calipers continue that tradition.
If it wasn’t clear already, there’s much more to Super Record 13 than an extra sprocket. Campagnolo’s “we do one more” can be taken to mean that the brand has gone the extra mile with every component. “We have to provide a perfect groupset for the guys in the WorldTour because they need the best possible performance, but it’s also for people who ride for passion,” says D’Amanzo. “They want components to be perfect when they see them as well as when they use them. Looking at the product has to create emotion. Every detail says something about this approach.”
