Campagnolo Super Record 13-Speed Groupset Review: Iconic Shifting, Real Trade-Offs

Introduction

Campagnolo’s Super Record 13-speed groupset is a wireless electronic road groupset, and it arrives in a market where Shimano and SRAM have spent years refining their own electronic shifting systems. Campagnolo brings a 13-speed drivetrain and a design language that is unmistakably its own, which makes it a genuinely interesting option for riders who want something different from the two dominant systems.

The defining detail is the shift layout. Campagnolo has kept the thumb shifter that has long been a signature of its groupsets, pairing it with a paddle behind the brake lever. The paddle moves the chain up the cassette toward a bigger sprocket and an easier gear, while the thumb shifter moves it down toward a smaller sprocket and a faster gear. Extra buttons on the lever bodies replicate the thumb shifter’s function.

That combination shapes almost everything about the riding experience, from where the hands sit on the hoods to how quickly the right gear can be found on a rolling road. This review looks at shifting performance, hood shape, braking, gear ratios, and the practical questions worth answering before committing to a Campagnolo drivetrain.

Who This Groupset Is For

Super Record 13-speed makes the most sense for riders who already appreciate Campagnolo ergonomics and want a modern wireless drivetrain with 13 speeds. The available gear ratios suit racing and sportive riding, and the batteries are easy to remove and charge, which keeps routine ownership straightforward.

It is also aimed at riders who are open to a different shifting system rather than a familiar one. The brand’s biggest challenge is convincing people raised on Shimano and SRAM to move to a layout that is not as immediately intuitive as either of those systems. Riders who value familiarity above all else are the hardest group to win over.

This is not positioned as a value option. Pricing sits at the top of the groupset market, and even at a lower price point the thumb shifter configuration would likely remain a hurdle for some riders who might otherwise be open to a change. Different has to be better, not simply different.

Shifting Performance

Rear shifting is quick. Some gear changes are clunkier and noisier than others, and the overall impression is a drivetrain that performs in the same league as other electronic groupsets without matching the very best for outright speed and absolute precision. Shimano still holds the edge on that front.

Front shifting is good. Shifts between chainrings are clean and predictable, again with Shimano retaining a slight advantage in precision and speed. For most riders the gap will be a matter of feel rather than function.

Taken as a whole, the shifting is competitive rather than class-leading. Riders moving across from another electronic system will find it capable, but they should expect a slightly coarser soundtrack from some changes.

Gear Ratios and Batteries

The gear ratios on offer work well for racing and sportive riding, with a spread that covers fast group riding as well as long days in the hills. Batteries are easy to remove and charge, so keeping the system topped up does not require special tools or a workshop visit. That simplicity matters on a groupset intended for regular, high-mileage use.

Ergonomics and Hood Shape

The hood shape is the strongest part of the design. The hoods have a tall profile that is easy to wrap the hands around, and the shape feels more comfortable than the equivalent Shimano and SRAM hoods.

The thumb shifter is where the ergonomics become complicated. With hands on the hoods, which is where most riders spend nearly all of their time, the paddle behind the brake lever is easy to reach, but the thumb shifter is not. The thumb does not naturally fall onto it, so reaching it means sliding the hand back along the hood.

There are workarounds. Riders with long enough fingers can wrap them around the hood and press a gear button, and the extra buttons on the lever body also change gear and work well once the hand is wrapped around the hood. The catch is that these alternatives make the thumb shifter largely redundant while riding on the hoods.

Braking Performance

Braking power and modulation are strong. The levers have a clear bite point that can be felt through the lever, which makes it easy to feed in exactly as much braking as a corner requires, and the brakes work well from both the hoods and the drops. The lever curve is particularly comfortable when braking from the drops.

The one drawback is lever weight. The spring return on these levers is heavier than on the latest SRAM levers, so noticeably more effort goes into pushing the lever back to its resting position. Power delivery itself remains excellent.

Brake noise has not been an issue so far, even in wet and gritty conditions. That is a reassuring sign for a groupset likely to see plenty of poor-weather miles.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The thumb shifter is the central question. Campagnolo has used it for years and it is genuinely iconic, but on this groupset it sits outside the natural reach of the thumb when riding on the hoods. For riders who spend almost all of their time on the hoods, that is a real compromise rather than a small detail.

Campagnolo has already tested the alternative. An earlier wireless groupset dropped the thumb shifter in favour of a two-paddle configuration that was closer to the ease of use offered by Shimano and SRAM, and the response was strongly negative. Whether that feedback came from riders who would have bought the groupset is an open question, and it leaves the brand in a difficult position: the feature that makes it distinctive is also the feature that makes it harder to adopt.

Then there is the price. This sits at the top of the groupset market, and the layout question does not disappear at lower price points either. A system that is harder to learn than the alternatives needs a strong reason behind it, and the case rests almost entirely on how much a rider values Campagnolo’s particular feel.

Buying Advice

Super Record 13-speed is worth considering if the hood shape appeals and the idea of using the lever buttons rather than the thumb shifter while on the hoods sounds acceptable. Riders who already like Campagnolo ergonomics and want 13 speeds with easy battery handling will find plenty to like, particularly in the shifting performance and the braking feel.

Riders who prize an intuitive layout above everything else should think carefully. Shimano and SRAM both offer systems that require less adaptation, and the thumb shifter’s placement makes this groupset harder to recommend to anyone who expects gear changes to fall naturally under the thumb.

Either way, the decision comes down to whether the Campagnolo layout fits how you actually ride, rather than which system looks best on paper. Riders willing to adapt will be rewarded with a capable drivetrain that has real character.

Conclusion

Campagnolo’s Super Record 13-speed groupset delivers competitive electronic shifting, excellent braking modulation, comfortable hoods, and useful gear ratios for racing and sportive riding. The thumb shifter, however, is a legacy feature that now works against the groupset’s wider appeal, and it is the main reason an early look leaves a mixed impression rather than an easy recommendation. Riders who adapt to the lever buttons will get a capable and characterful drivetrain. Riders who want the most intuitive system available will find the alternatives easier to live with.