Campagnolo has launched the latest Super Record update, which sees the top-tier electronic groupset go fully wireless. The new release isn’t groundbreaking but does contain a host of refinements that sees Campagnolo match Shimano and SRAM in technology terms once again.

The Campagnolo Super Record Wireless groupset remains 12-speed, with the brand choosing not to incorporate the 13-speed technology it already offers in its 13-speed Ekar gravel mechanical groupset. The new-look Ergopower controls sport updated ergonomics and do away with Campagnolo’s infamous thumb shifters. The derailleurs operate on individual batteries that can be charged on or off the bike, with a claimed range of 750km.

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The Wireless groupset has adopted a 10t smallest sprocket for the cassette, with the largest cassette going up to 29t, while there are three chainring options and the crankset retains its carbon/titanium UltraTorque construction. There is no power meter available.

Campagnolo says that Wireless will replace the existing EPS groupsets in a gradual phasing process. The new groupset is a claimed 15g heavier than its predecessor, at 2,520g, and costs £4,499 / $5,399 / €5,200. The Wireless groupset is confirmed to be available on select Specialized, Pinarello and Canyon bikes.

No more cables

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Shimano brought out its first semi-wireless groupset in 2021, and SRAM went fully wireless way back in 2015, so it’s about time the Italian giant caught up with the times. With frame manufacturers moving ever further along the integration route, even brands such as Pinarello were unable to support Campagnolo’s wired EPS electronic groupset technology, so it’s about time Campagnolo entered the cable-free shifting game.

The EPS cables of old have been replaced with two derailleur-mounted batteries, with watch batteries integrated into the levers powering the wireless transmission.

Though similar, the batteries vary slightly from one another, which Campagnolo says was due to navigating ‘other’ – read: SRAM – patents. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Campagnolo says the Wireless groupset includes around 120-130 patents of its own.

The batteries do use the same magnetised charging cable though and can be charged on or off the bike. Both the levers and derailleurs have LED lights to indicate battery life.

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As for mileage, Campagnolo says a rider should get up to 750km per charge with ‘pro’ usage, while the average rider on flat terrain could get up to 1,000km. This makes the mileage comparable with claims from Shimano and SRAM, who both say their electronic groupsets have a range of around 1,000km.

According to Campagnolo, the batteries can receive 90% charge in 45 minutes, with a full charge taking an hour. All the components are said to be pressure washer-resistant, with an IP69K waterproof rating.

Out with the old

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The most obvious change to the levers is that the signature thumb shifters have gone, replaced with two buttons attached to the brake lever, à la Shimano Di2. Campagnolo says it has redesigned the shifter ergonomics to make the body longer, in an attempt to provide better grip while riding on the hoods.

The move away from the thumb shifters was two-pronged, according to Campagnolo. Firstly, it said it had found that the design didn’t suit everyone, with some riders finding it uncomfortable. The second reason, and arguably the more realistic, is that it was time for a change. The brand said it wanted the internal changes to be matched with an equally altered exterior.

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Where the thumb shifter once was, now there is an LED light and a mode button. The LED light denotes the current battery status and will flash when it reaches 15%. The mode button can be used in the traditional manner for adjustments during servicing and can also be paired with a bike computer to switch screens while keeping your hands on the levers.

There are also significant updates to the MyCampy app, with the release of the 3.0 version. Campagnolo says the gears will be fully customisable through the app, with the possibility of not only adjusting elements like the multi-shift but also swapping the lever-derailleur connection entirely.

Cadence is king

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There’s a big emphasis on improved cadence with the Super Record Wireless, with new cassette and chainring sizes. The new cassettes adopt a 10t sprocket making for a harder top gear, with 10-25t, 10-27t and 10-29t ranges available. The maximum capacity for the rear derailleur is 29t.

To keep the gearing usable, Campagnolo has made three, smaller chainring options for the new groupset: a Shimano-like 50-34, a SRAM-like 48-32 and a tiny 45-29 for hilly terrain.

Campagnolo says that the 25t and 27t options provide the optimal jumps between gearing, with smaller steps between sprocket size, increasing in 1-tooth steps for the first half of the cassette. Given the larger range, the 29t jumps are slightly larger.

The brand says it wants to provide options for riders to find their ideal cadence at any point, and that the 10t sprocket produced less drivetrain friction for the same ratio in comparison with an 11t sprocket, so Campagnolo doesn’t believe pedalling efficiency should be affected by the more compact gearing.

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If the aim is to provide the smallest possible steps between gears, it is slightly odd that Campagnolo has chosen to not make the new groupset 13-speed. The brand already has the technology from its 13-speed Ekar gravel groupset, but Campagnolo says there isn’t the need for the extra gear on a 2x setup so chose not to include it.

The rear shifting itself is said to be improved thanks to modified shaping on the teeth of the cassette sprockets. For optimal shifting, the new 10t cassettes are apparently optimal but Campagnolo does accept that the groupset will work with older 11t cassettes, saying that ‘the shifting may be impaired’.

Driving force

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The crankset remains relatively unchanged from the existing UltraTorque model, with the same uni-directional carbon crank arms and titanium spindle. The BCD is slightly different however, now 121/88mm instead of 145/112mm, so older chainrings won’t be compatible. The crank arms come in traditional lengths – 165mm, 170mm, 172.5mm and 175mm.

An interesting omission is the lack of a power meter for the Wireless update. It has become almost standard to see integrated power meters on the top-level groupsets, so the lack thereof, given the £4,499 price, is somewhat surprising. However, Giacomo Sartore, the product manager in charge of the Super Record Wireless update, alluded to the fact that power options may not be too far in the future for the groupset.

One element borrowed from the Ekar gravel groupset is the new Protech bottom bracket. The BB uses a patented external seal that Campagnolo says makes it dustproof and highly durable.

Better brakes

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The new Wireless groupset has revamped its braking as well, with a patented new rotor profile and temperature cooling system, though, as yet, we don’t know fully how this system will work.

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Campagnolo says the new rotors have been designed to best dissipate heat and will still feature the existing ‘anti-cutting’ system to protect riders. The rotors are available in 140mm and 160mm.

The groupset also features the launch of Campagnolo’s new brake pads. The backing plates are now made from aluminium and said to be a claimed 30% lighter than the previous model. The new brake pads can be used in groupsets with the old brake callipers, and vice versa.

Find out more at campagnolo.com.