Campagnolo Super Record Wireless 2x13 Review: A 13-Speed Flagship

Introduction

Campagnolo has moved its flagship road groupset onto a 13-speed wireless platform, and the 2025 Super Record Wireless 2x13 is one of the most significant changes to the range in years. It keeps the Italian brand’s distinctive character while modernising the parts that matter most to riders and mechanics: derailleur packaging, gearing range, and the way a bike is built around it.

The headline numbers are straightforward. This is a 2x13 wireless transmission with hydraulic disc brakes, a redesigned pair of derailleurs, and a much wider spread of available gear ratios than before. It was ridden on a custom-made carbon frame in the hills around Venice to see how the new platform behaves in the real world, and whether the extra sprocket earns its place on a premium build.

Who the Campagnolo Super Record Wireless 2x13 Is For

This groupset is aimed at riders already shopping at the very top of the road market. The appeal is clearest for two kinds of buyer. The first is riders who want an unusually wide spread of ratios without giving up close steps between gears. The second is anyone who values Campagnolo’s lever ergonomics and the tactile feel of a thumb shifter, a layout the brand has now brought back in a new form.

It also matters to bike builders and home mechanics. Assembly is simpler than on the previous generation, which counts for a lot on modern frames with fully integrated cockpits.

Riders who are content with 11 or 12 speeds, or who are working to a tighter budget, will find the value case much harder to make.

Main Strengths

13-Speed Gearing and Cadence Control

Thirteen sprockets are not strictly necessary for most riders, but the benefit is real: more gears at the back means smaller jumps between them, which translates into better cadence control. Campagnolo also offers multiple cassette options, with the range extending to a 36-tooth largest sprocket. There is no restriction on combining cassettes with the front chainrings, so a super compact 48/32 crankset can be paired with a 10-36 cassette.

That is a very wide spread of gearing, and it is a genuine advantage for riders who want easier climbing gears without losing the close ratios that keep cadence steady on flatter roads. The new platform is also lighter than the generation it replaces.

Redesigned Derailleurs and Easier Assembly

Both derailleurs have been reworked. The rear mech is noticeably more compact than before, with the battery recessed into the front of the body and a skeletonised construction. The front derailleur is shallower and lower in profile, which reduces the chance of a rider’s calf or heel catching it while pedalling. Set beside a SRAM Red derailleur, it does not look meaningfully deeper.

Two practical points stand out. Batteries still cannot be shared between the front and rear derailleurs. More importantly, bleeding has moved to a top-down procedure at the shifter. The previous generation could not be bled at the lever, which meant routing brake hoses from the rear of the bike to the front, cutting them to fit an integrated cockpit, then pulling everything back out and reassembling the front end. The new approach makes building a bike considerably simpler.

Shifter Ergonomics and the Return of the Thumb Shifter

The thumb shifter is back, and it sits at the inside bottom of the lever body, closer to the layout of Campagnolo’s mechanical groups than to the earlier electronic design. The tactile feel is a highlight. The lever shape follows the more modern, longer-hood trend seen elsewhere in the market, with a profile that feels close to a SRAM Red lever while remaining distinctly Campagnolo in the hand.

A function button sits at the bottom of the lever and can be programmed to operate the gears or to change screens on a cycling computer, depending on how the rider sets it up. The hoods remain a strong point, and they are one of the main reasons this groupset feels so comfortable over long distances.

Shifting and Braking Feel

Shift quality is solid rather than dominant. The front derailleur is crisp and the rear is quick and precise, and shifting feels adequately fast at this price point, though it does not obviously leap ahead of the quickest rival systems. Braking feels very similar to the previous generation. Once the pads were bedded in, control and modulation improved noticeably, with plenty of confidence available late into a corner.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The headline concern is price. At around £3,900 in the UK, this groupset sits in line with the top-tier offerings from Shimano and SRAM, and it remains a serious outlay for any rider. It is, however, roughly £500 cheaper than the outgoing 12-speed wireless groupset it replaces, which is a meaningful step in the right direction.

Two further points are worth weighing. Batteries are still not shared between derailleurs, so charging remains a two-part routine. And while a trickle-down programme is widely expected, with lower-tier road groupsets and a wireless gravel groupset anticipated, nothing has been officially confirmed. Buyers who want the platform but not the flagship price may prefer to wait and see what arrives first.

Buying Advice

Buy the Super Record Wireless 2x13 if you are already committed to a premium build and you want the widest usable gear range with the smallest steps between ratios. The 48/32 crankset paired with a 10-36 cassette is the standout option for riders who want easier climbing gears without sacrificing cadence on the flat. The revised derailleurs and the top-down bleeding procedure make it a friendlier groupset to live with and to build around.

If your priority is outright shift speed, or the lowest possible cost per gear, this is not the obvious pick, and the expected trickle-down models are worth watching before you commit. Either way, the direction of travel is encouraging: Campagnolo has addressed several long-standing practical frustrations while keeping the character that makes its groupsets distinctive.

Conclusion

The Super Record Wireless 2x13 is a confident, well-rounded flagship. The 13-speed layout delivers real cadence benefits, the cassette and chainring combinations cover an unusually broad range, and the redesigned derailleurs plus top-down bleeding make modern integrated builds far less painful. Ergonomics and braking control remain strengths. The main obstacle is price, and the fact that comparable performance is available from rival flagship groupsets for similar money. For riders who want the range, the feel and the brand’s distinctive shifting character, it is a genuinely appealing package.