It’s a bold new chapter for Campagnolo’s road groupsets 

By Oscar Huckle

Published: Tuesday, 30 May 2023 at 12:00 am

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Campagnolo Super Record Wireless is the brand’s long-awaited new halo 12-speed wireless electronic groupset.

Not only does the electronic groupset ditch the thumb lever synonymous with the Italian brand, it also casts out rim brakes.

The brand also claims faster shifting speeds and improved braking. Super Record Wireless is available in 2x gearing only and the cassettes now start with a smaller 10t cog.

Super Record Wireless is Campagnolo’s first road bike groupset release since 2019 and weighs in at a claimed 2,520g (in its lightest configuration with a 45/29 crankset and 10-25t cassette).

The groupset is available now and will retail for £4,499/$5,399/€5,200. Australian pricing is to be confirmed. Campagnolo hasn’t provided claimed weights or individual pricing for any of the components.

We initially spotted the groupset when it leaked on various retailer websites.

Canyon, Colnago, Pinarello, Specialized and Wilier will be offering bikes with the groupset at launch, with BMC soon to follow.

Want to know our initial impressions of the groupset? Check out our first ride review, as well as a column mourning the death of the thumb shifter and a look at the first bikes to feature the new flagship groupset. Read on for all the key details.

8 things you need to know about Campagnolo Super Record Wireless 

1. Super Record Wireless is 12-speed
2. Campagnolo has ditched the iconic thumb shifter and introduced a new shifting logic 
3. There are three cassette options, all starting with a smaller 10t cog
4. The front and rear derailleurs are claimed to shift faster than Super Record 12 EPS
5. Due to the smaller 10t cog, Campagnolo is offering smaller chainring sizes
6. Super Record Wireless inherits Campagnolo’s ProTech bottom bracket system, first found on its Ekar gravel groupset
7. Campagnolo has finally introduced a quick link to its 12-speed chain 
8. The brand says it will not be developing an updated mechanical Super Record groupset 

Campagnolo Super Record Wireless key features

Campagnolo Super Record Wireless is, as the name suggests, wireless.

The previous generation, Campagnolo Super Record 12 EPS, ran wires from the shifters to the derailleurs, connecting to a central battery.

Campagnolo says it’s a big step forward for the brand due to the simplified installation compared to routing wires and a battery.

David Rome / Immediate Media

Campagnolo isn’t the first groupset manufacturer to introduce fully wireless electronic shifting – SRAM was first to the table with its Red eTap groupset in 2015.

Although its Ekar gravel groupset is 13-speed, Campagnolo decided to stick with 12-speed for its new flagship groupset, stating it is “more than enough for the road” in terms of range.

Oscar Huckle / Our Media

Super Record Wireless looks different from its predecessor. Gone are the red graphics, which are now replaced by a more subdued white, which the brand says suits a larger range of bikes.

The derailleurs feature removable batteries that can be charged on or off the bike. Campagnolo says the batteries will last 750km in heavy use but reckons you could get 1,000km from them in normal conditions.

Oscar Huckle / Our Media

Both derailleurs feature magnetic ‘Mac-type’ charging ports. Campagnolo claims the batteries can be charged to 90 per cent in 45 minutes or full in 60 minutes.

If you happen to run out of battery on a ride, Campagnolo says you can charge the system up to 20 per cent in 10 minutes, providing you’re carrying the charge cable.

You cannot swap the batteries between the derailleurs because they are different. Campagnolo says it needed to use different battery shapes to avoid infringing on SRAM’s patent.

SRAM shares batteries across its front and rear derailleurs, as well as other wireless components such as its dropper post, so they can be interchanged.

Campagnolo

Campagnolo says replacement batteries are available if you want to carry spares on a ride. If the groupset runs out of charge, you will be stuck in whatever gear you happen to be in. Campagnolo says it is developing a ‘Ride Home Function’, where you can manually select a gear, and plans to roll this feature out in a future firmware update.

The electronic components of the groupset are ingress protection rated to IP69K (the outgoing Super Record 12 EPS groupset was rated to IP67).

Campagnolo says this level of protection means you can even pressure wash the components. The brand says it tested this in production, although it doesn’t recommend doing so.

Campagnolo will also be launching the MyCampy 3.0 app. This will enable you to monitor the charge of the components and customise the groupset’s settings.

The existing MyCampy app for the previous EPS groupset will continue to exist for now, but Campagnolo says it is planning to combine the two together.

Campagnolo Super Record Wireless shifters

Oscar Huckle / Our Media

The shifters represent the most significant development, with Campagnolo ditching its iconic thumb shifter. Campagnolo’s previous shifters use a thumb shifter on the inside face to change into a smaller cassette cog or chainring.

The brand says the decision to remove the thumb shifter was market-oriented and it says there was a 50:50 split on whether people got on with it.

Each shifter paddle features two separate buttons, with Campagnolo referring to the shifting logic as “one lever, one action”.

In fact, the shifting arrangement is similar to Shimano Di2, only the buttons are separated vertically, rather than sitting side by side and overlaying each other.  Unlike FSA’s K-Force WE, the buttons aren’t shared on a single rocker paddle.

By default, the uppermost button on the right shifter shifts the rear derailleur into an easier gear, with the lower button for a harder gear.

The uppermost button on the left shifter shifts you into the big chainring and the lower button into the small chainring.

However, you can customise the shifting logic in the MyCampy 3.0 app, if this isn’t to your tastes.

The body lever shape has been redesigned and Campagnolo says the new hood features extra grip and cushioning for enhanced riding comfort, as well as more efficient braking.

Oscar Huckle / Our Media

The lever is also a slightly different shape compared to its predecessor – a little shorter and wider than the previous Super Record 12 EPS groupset.

On the inside, where the thumb shifter used to live, are two mode buttons, which are used to set up the indexing and monitor battery life.

When you shift gear, a blue flash next to the mode button indicates good charge. If the light flashes red, that signifies there is less than 15 per cent of charge left.

Campagnolo has also removed the bump on the shifter hood where it transitions to the handlebar.

Oscar Huckle / Our Media

The shifters are powered by a CR2032 coin battery on the outside of each shifter. Campagnolo says it’ll last for two years, broadly in line with SRAM’s AXS and Shimano’s Di2 systems.

The levers feature 15mm of reach adjustment. This is adjusted with a 2.5mm hex bolt on the inside of the lever blade. Campagnolo has abandoned its AMS (Adjustable Modulation System) contact adjustment, which adjusted the bite point of the pads contacting the rotor because it found riders didn’t really use it.

The shifters communicate with the derailleurs via Bluetooth and ANT+.