For a long time, Campagnolo’s position in the groupset market was up for debate. There was a lacklustre response to its Super Record Wireless groupset, and then Super Record 13’s price tag meant it catered only to the top end of the market.
But the Italian brand’s new Record 13 groupset, launched on Wednesday, looks set to change that. Record 13 means Campagnolo can compete in that critical part of the market that caters to enthusiasts and club cyclists, who want top performance without a top price tag.
In other words, Record 13 is direct competition for Shimano Ultegra and SRAM Force. It competes with these groupsets on price and weight. It’s a technical match, too, and perhaps even has the edge due its one more speed than Shimano and SRAM’s groupsets.
Campagnolo has also made new Record 13 available across road and gravel, which sees it cleverly take on SRAM’s AXS ecosystem. It’s a great statement for the brand's future, after a tumultuous 2025 with reports of staff reductions and restructuring.
The bike industry seems keen on Record 13
What is super-encouraging is that we are seeing the new groupset being specified on bikes.
Orbea, De Rosa, Standert, Basso and others already offer complete bikes with the new groupset.
I expect the brands that have continued to spec Campagnolo’s top Super Record 13 groupset on their bikes, such as Pinarello, will also embrace Record 13.
I’m sure we’ll see plenty of bikes with Record 13 announced in the coming weeks.
But Campagnolo can do more
Record 13 looks like the beginning of a more rounded range from the Vicenza component innovator.
Now it has the components to take on SRAM and Shimano at the higher and premium end of the market, I would love to see Campagnolo revive its entry-level Chorus groupset.
Reimagining Chorus as a wireless SR and Record-matching system to take on SRAM’s Rival and Shimano’s 105 Di2 would be a confident move.
Just as Campagnolo has stripped back some of the high-end materials to bring us Record 13, it could do the same for Chorus.
One step forward could be for Campagnolo to revisit its history as the master of forged aluminium cranksets.
Switch the Record 13’s carbon crankset for an aluminium option with the mirror polish of the 1990s Record crankset, and you would have something to truly cherish – and a bit more appealing than Shimano and SRAM’s 105 and Rival options.
Campagnolo could also replace carbon derailleur cages with alloy or even steel, use alloy levers instead of carbon and create simpler, cost-effective tech for the Ergo Levers.
If a new Chorus groupset came along that was upward-compatible with Campagnolo’s other groupsets, similar to the way SRAM’s AXS system works, I’d be sorely tempted to choose it for my next bike.
Either way, this week’s Record 13 announcement is a big move for Campagnolo and great news for road and cycling tech in general.
Competition is a great thing for consumers, and having another major player alongside Shimano and SRAM will drive further innovation – not to mention getting the big three groupset makers competing on tech and pricing once more.
As a long time fan, I’m keeping my fingers crossed Record 13 will help Campagnolo return to being a serious challenger across a wide range of bikes.
