Campagnolo Super Record Wireless 13, Super Record X and Bora X: A Serious Comeback

Introduction

Campagnolo has spent years watching Shimano and SRAM take the lion’s share of the road and gravel market. The brand’s answer arrives as a single platform rather than a single product: Super Record Wireless 13 as the umbrella name, with Super Record X covering gravel and the new Bora X wheels rounding out the package. Campagnolo frames this as a turning point rather than a one-off launch.

That framing matters, because the brand’s previous wireless groupset removed the thumb shifter and did not land well. Dealers and riders responded positively when the thumb shifter returned, and the new platform doubles down on that direction. The result spans road 2x, road 1x, all-road and gravel from one family of components.

Why Campagnolo’s 13-Speed Platform Matters

New Campagnolo groupsets are rare, and this one is unusually broad. The earlier Ekar 1x13 gravel groupset was widely liked for its gear ratios and worked extremely well, but no cheaper or wireless versions followed. That gap is now being addressed, with the Super Record Wireless 13 name covering road, all-road and gravel rather than sitting above a single discipline.

The range also reflects how people actually ride. Campagnolo has developed groupsets for road 2x, road 1x and the all-road space in between, plus gravel, instead of forcing one configuration on every rider.

For riders who mix surfaces on the same bike, that flexibility is the headline. A platform that can be configured across disciplines is more useful than a single flagship groupset aimed at one style of riding.

Campagnolo Super Record X: Built for Gravel

Super Record X is the gravel expression of the platform and the spiritual follow-up to the original Ekar 1x13 groupset. Its centerpiece is a new rear derailleur with a nano clutch, designed to keep the chain in place over rough ground. Campagnolo claims class-leading impact resistance and structural rigidity for the design, which is based on the road version.

The derailleur is compatible with UDH frames but mounts to a regular mech hanger. It does not adopt a full-mount interface of the kind that removes the mech hanger entirely on some competing gravel groupsets.

Gearing choices are generous. There are seven chainring and four cassette options, with combinations starting from a 9-42 and a 10-48 cassette, and chainrings from 38 up to 48 teeth. The arrow-profile chainring is a distinctive piece of design, similar in spirit to popular aftermarket upgrades seen on Shimano and SRAM bikes.

Crank arms are carbon fiber, with a single crank arm design and eight chainring options to keep selection simple. Crank lengths run from 165 mm to 175 mm, a built-in power meter is available, and a bash guard sits at the end of the carbon arms. A new left-hand ErgoPower lever carries no electronics or shifting controls and acts purely as a brake lever, while the carbon brake levers are matched left and right.

The Thumb Shifter Debate

Shifting on the new groupset happens entirely from the right-hand lever, using a thumb shifter and a small button. It is a very different arrangement from Shimano and SRAM, and it remains the defining characteristic of a Campagnolo bike. Riders raised on other brands often need time to adapt, and some never find it as ergonomic.

Purists, however, are firmly attached to it. When Campagnolo moved away from the thumb shifter on its earlier wireless groupset, the reaction was strong enough that the design has now returned. That is a clear signal about where the brand’s identity sits, even if the layout narrows its appeal for some buyers.

The same rear derailleur can serve a 1x13 road setup as well, paired with larger chainrings from 44 to 52 teeth and the same four cassettes used on the 2x13 road groupset: 10-29, 10-33, 11-32 and 11-36.

Campagnolo Bora X: Deep-Section Speed

The Bora X is the wheel to match the new platform, with a 50 mm deep profile and a 27 mm wide hooked rim compatible with tires from 35 mm wide. As with all Bora wheels, it uses a distinctive spoke lacing pattern.

The set runs 73 spokes, with arrow spokes on the cassette side and electrical spokes on the opposite side, and it carries a claimed weight of 1,430 g. For an aero-focused wheel, that is very light.

Riders pairing the wheels with Super Record X should note the 35 mm minimum tire width, which suits the gravel and all-road side of the range more than a pure road setup.

Super Record Wireless 13 on the Road

Super Record Wireless 13 covers the road side of the platform in both 2x and 1x configurations. The 1x13 road option uses chainrings from 44 to 52 teeth, while the 2x13 setup pairs with the four road cassettes from 10-29 up to 11-36.

The road groupset also restored the thumb shifter that disappeared on the earlier wireless generation, and the reception from dealers and riders has been positive. That combination of a familiar control layout and a broader gear range is what makes the platform feel like a return to form rather than a nostalgia exercise.

What It Costs

Super Record pricing has never been modest, and this platform is no exception. The groupset starts from around £3,000, with a power meter adding roughly £1,000. The Bora X wheels are listed at £2,000 or $2,600.

Those figures put the range firmly at the top of the market. The counterargument is that a cheaper tier should follow soon, and Campagnolo’s stated ambition is to restructure its range and regain ground lost to Shimano and SRAM. Whether that happens quickly will matter more to most riders than the flagship price itself.

Buying Advice

This platform is easiest to justify for riders who already know they get along with Campagnolo’s thumb shifter and want one system that can cover road, all-road and gravel. The 13-speed spread, the nano clutch derailleur and the wide chainring and cassette choice mean a single groupset family can be configured for very different bikes.

If you have never used Campagnolo controls, it is worth being honest about how much the lever layout matters to you, because the ergonomics are the one thing that divides opinion most sharply. The Bora X makes sense for riders who want an aerodynamic wheel with a broad enough rim to run wider tires, though the 35 mm minimum width steers it toward gravel and all-road builds.

Budget-conscious buyers should treat the current pricing as a first wave rather than the final word. The platform is genuinely broad, and its real accessibility will depend on the cheaper versions Campagnolo has signalled.

Conclusion

After years of watching from the sidelines, Campagnolo has returned with a coherent 13-speed family rather than a single headline product. Super Record Wireless 13 handles road, Super Record X brings a clutch-equipped gravel option with wide gearing, and Bora X adds a light deep-section wheel to match. The thumb shifter is back, the range finally reflects how people ride, and the pricing is unapologetically premium. It is a real comeback in product terms, and its success now depends on how quickly the range becomes more accessible.