Campagnolo Super Record WRL: electronic, wireless and over 5.000€

The historic Italian firm renews its flagship groupset for road cycling. This new Super Record that Campagnolo has just presented evolves its electronic technology to meet the demanded cable-free operation, an optimal solution to simplify the mechanics of current bikes in which all the guiding is done inside the frame.

Campagnolo takes its Super Record to a new dimension

Much had been rumored, mainly due to Campagnolo's filing of several patents, that the Vicenza brand could be working on a wireless groupset. However, the fact that no information has come to light, nor the typical spy photos that are usually leaked, has taken the cycling world by surprise.

However, despite the reduced presence of Campagnolo groupsets on both production and competition bikes, the historic brand shows that it is still very much alive with this new Super Record WRL that puts the star groupset in its catalog at the cutting edge of technology. A groupset that maintains the elitism that has always accompanied the Super Record and that is evident in its price of 5,200€.

Casette 10

The first thing we notice about this new groupset is its redesigned cassette which, despite having the technology to include 13 sprockets like those used in its Ekar gravel groupset, Campagnolo has preferred to keep the 12 sprockets in this Super Record WRL. As with all of its latest groupsets, it uses its own N3W hub system. However what really stands out is that, like SRAM, Campagnolo has opted to start its cassettes with the 10-tooth sprocket.

We can find 3 available sprockets, 10-29, 10-27 and 10-25, the latter weighing just 210 grams. These gearing options allow us to have very close tooth spacing to achieve the maximum progressiveness of developments.

Exquisite cranks

Carbon fiber continues to play a leading role in the cranks that accompany the Super Record WRL, with a hollow structure for maximum lightness, to which the titanium axle also contributes its grain of sand. Of course, Campagnolo uses its Ultratorque fixing system with which the axle is divided into two half shafts that are fixed in the middle part by means of a cog and a sturdy screw.

As you might have guessed after seeing the cogs available for the cassette, the chainrings have been reduced in size, again, also emulating the philosophy initiated by SRAM. Those wishing to fit the new Super Record can opt for a 50/34, 48/32 or 45/29, with cranks available in 165, 170, 172.5 and 175 mm sizes. For reference, the 45/29 option in 172.5 mm has a weight declared by the brand of 585g.

Levers to fit the hand

The change in the ergonomics of the levers is undoubtedly one of the great innovations of this Super Record WRL. The first thing that stands out is that Campagnolo has given up and dispensed with the classic pushbutton on the inside of the body that we used to operate with the thumb to lower the sprocket set or chainrings. Instead, both shift buttons are placed in a more conventional position behind the brake lever in a solution that reminds us of the one used by the FSA electronic groupset.

As for the body of the lever itself, Campagnolo has evolved the shape of the lever to achieve better ergonomics, giving it a small hump in the area closest to the handlebars that serves to accommodate the hollow of the hand in the most natural way.

The levers, like those of its competitors, are powered by the usual CR2032 batteries that last up to 2 years, and you can keep track of their charge either through the LED on the lever itself or through the MyCampy 3.0 app that, in addition to managing the entire groupset, allows you to customize it to your liking. By the way, Campagnolo adds a small button on the body of the lever that allows you to turn them off to avoid unintentional changes during transport and, of course, to save battery power. It should be noted that the pair of levers has a weight declared by Campagnolo of 745g.

Design and precision go hand in hand for rear derailleur and shifter

In addition to the cranks and levers, the third most visible element of any groupset are the shifters in which Campagnolo, in addition to seeking the best performance, has taken advantage to create a spectacular design that, personally, seems to us to be a success. Rounded shapes and a perfect integration of the batteries in their structure make them aesthetically unbeatable.

As is tradition on the Super Record, carbon fiber is omnipresent on the rear derailleur body, pulley box, derailleur and the outer plate of the derailleur (the inner plate is aluminum).

The rear derailleur is designed to operate with any of the three available cassettes without having to make any adjustments since the rear derailleur itself is able to detect the sprocket on which it is placed and self-adjust its position accordingly.

As for the batteries, Campagnolo claims that they have 750 kilometers of autonomy with a magnetic charging connector and can be charged either by removing them from the bike or on it. The batteries recharge to 100% in just 60 minutes and, if we have to charge them at the last minute, just 15 minutes are enough to have a fifth of charge, enough to save the day's route if we remember just before going out to ride that we had forgotten to charge them.

Regarding weights, the shifter is declared at 160 g while the rear derailleur stops the scale at 295 g.

Perfect braking

The brakes have not been spared the evolution made by Campagnolo in this new groupset. Here Campagnolo has sought greater power and modulation for which it has opted for 22 mm diameter pistons. Another of the aspects most criticized by road cyclists, namely minor friction, has also been addressed. To this end, the return of the pads to their rest position has been improved, guaranteeing a free space with the disc of 0.4 to 0.8 mm.

In addition, a small metal plate has been added between the piston and the pad to reduce vibrations, which are often the cause of the loud squealing noises that sometimes accompany braking. The last point on which Campagnolo has worked is to reduce brake overheating. To this end, in addition to the specific design of the caliper body, the discs themselves, available in 140 or 160 mm, are floating and have been lightened compared to the current ones, also featuring an anti-cut bevel on their edge.