Campagnolo Super Record 13 and Condor Cycles Leggero: Inside an Italian-Built Road Bike

Introduction

Some road bikes are simply assembled from whatever parts happen to be available. A few are built around one clear idea, and this is the second kind: an Italian frame, an Italian groupset, and Italian wheels, all pulling in the same direction.

Three components carry that idea. The Campagnolo Super Record 13 brings 13-speed wireless shifting and the return of a signature control. The Condor Cycles Leggero supplies the fourth-generation flagship race frame, designed in London and made in Italy. The Campagnolo Shamal wheels finish the build with a rim finish and spoke pattern that could only come from one brand.

Each part deserves its own attention, so here is what stands out about all three before you consider a build of your own.

What Defines This Build

Three things matter when a bike like this is judged as a whole: where the frame is actually made, how the groupset feels in the hand over a long ride, and whether the parts were chosen to work together rather than to hit a price point.

This build is aimed at riders who care about finish, feel, and long-term ownership more than about chasing marginal aerodynamic gains. That priority shows up in the details, from the frame construction to the way the wheels visually match the drivetrain.

The frame comes from an Italian manufacturer with a strong reputation for in-house production, which is a meaningful signal for consistency and build quality. The groupset offers a genuinely wide spread of gearing, from wide-range cassettes suited to long sportive days to tighter options for racing. The wheels are matched to the groupset, which keeps the visual language of the whole bike coherent.

Campagnolo Super Record 13: A Wireless Groupset

Campagnolo Super Record 13 is the brand’s second-generation wireless groupset, and it arrives with a clear design personality. The crankset carries a large slab of carbon fibre, and the rear derailleur is carbon throughout with an exoskeleton look that reads as purposeful rather than delicate.

The most welcome change is the return of the thumb shifters. They were dropped on the previous wireless generation, a decision that was poorly received, and they are back in a revised form. Hood shape and ergonomics remain a Campagnolo strength, with tactile materials and a comfortable platform for long rides.

The front derailleur is the least elegant part of the group. It is bulky and chunky, and it lacks the compact, diminutive shape that gives rival systems a cleaner look. The rear derailleur is also larger than older Campagnolo designs, though that is now normal across the industry in order to accommodate wide-range cassettes.

Gearing flexibility is a genuine strength. The range covers four cassettes and seven chainring options, combining the wide-range cassettes and compact chainrings that suit sportive and gran fondo riders with high-end options for racing. Campagnolo no longer sponsors professional race teams, yet the group still spans that full spread of riders.

The system runs on replaceable batteries, one on the front derailleur and one inside the rear derailleur. The two batteries are different sizes, unlike the identical batteries used by SRAM, but they share the same charging port and the group ships with two charging cables. Campagnolo claims around 750 km of battery life, which is roughly in line with the main rival. Claimed groupset weight is 2,445 g.

On price, the group sits more or less level with SRAM Red and Shimano Dura-Ace, and it is around £1,000 cheaper than it was at launch. That places it firmly in the conversation for anyone with a generous budget.

Condor Cycles Leggero: An Italian-Made Frameset

Condor Cycles has been a London bike shop since 1948, and the Leggero is its fourth-generation flagship race frame. The lineage stretches back around ten years, with development from the brand’s earlier racing programme feeding into the design of each generation.

The frame is designed by Condor Cycles, including all the tube profiles, and manufactured in Italy by a maker with a strong reputation for in-house frame production. That combination matters: the shape and geometry are the shop’s own, while the fabrication comes from an established Italian workshop.

The result is a modern-looking race bike with dropped rear stays, full internal routing, and tube profiles optimised for aerodynamics. Condor’s position is that its customers are not chasing wind-tunnel marginal gains, so the priority is a sleek, fast, elegant shape rather than outright aero numbers. The paint finish is a highlight, and the frame looks especially strong in good light.

The frameset costs £5,000 and includes a free bike fit. Complete builds start at around £6,000 to £7,000 with 105 Di2 and climb past £10,000 for a specification like this one. Geometry is fairly typical for a race bike.

The build also includes Condor’s own carbon fibre handlebar, an aero-optimised design, paired with a stem that supports internal routing, and an SLR saddle.

Campagnolo Shamal Wheels: The Finishing Touch

The Shamal wheels complete the Italian theme. The rims wear a glossy, mirrored premium finish that catches light in a way most modern wheels do not, and the spoke bed has material removed around the spoke area to keep the build purposeful.

The signature detail is the G3 spoke lacing pattern: three spokes grouped closely together, then a wide gap, repeated around the rim. It is a distinctive visual rhythm, and it ties the wheels directly to the groupset.

As a set, these wheels suit a build at this level, where matching components and a consistent finish matter as much as raw weight. They are the kind of detail that makes a bike feel finished rather than assembled.

Buying Advice

A build like this makes sense if your priorities are feel, finish, and a coherent Italian specification rather than the lowest possible weight or the most aggressive aerodynamic profile. It rewards riders who notice hood shape, rim finish, and the way a frame is made.

Campagnolo has gone through a difficult period. The brand reported losses of 24 million euros since 2023 and reduced staff at its Italian headquarters as part of a restructuring, which is intended to put the company on a firmer footing. That is worth weighing if long-term brand stability matters to you when spending at this level.

On budget, the groupset sits close to SRAM Red and Shimano Dura-Ace, so it belongs on the shortlist rather than off it. For the frame, the £5,000 frameset including a bike fit is the starting point, and complete builds run from around £6,000 to £7,000 upwards depending on specification.

Conclusion

Three parts, one idea. The Super Record 13 brings 13-speed wireless shifting, a wide gearing spread, and the thumb shifters that riders asked for. The Leggero frameset supplies an Italian-made platform with full internal routing and a finish that stands out. The Shamal wheels tie it together with a mirrored rim and the G3 lacing pattern.

For the right rider, that combination justifies the money. It suits people who value how a bike looks and feels over chasing the last few watts.