Campagnolo has added a disc brake option to its second-deepest section aero-focused road wheelset. The Bora WTO 60 DB is touted as the brand's "first aerodynamic disc brake wheel" and it's a 60mm deep carbon clincher that takes both tubeless and standard clincher tyres.
WTO stands for "wind tunnel optimised" (not World Trade Organisation, as you could be forgiven for thinking) and Campagnolo claims its new wheel is "unrivalled" at wind angles of between 10 and 20 degrees, which it reckons covers 80 per cent of riding.
The brand also states that "at certain angles, the wind is transformed from an obstacle into a valuable ally for the rider".
Deep section, middling width
The Boras' rims measure a maximum 26.1mm wide externally but have an internal width of 19mm – not particularly wide by current standards – that's designed to be a good match for 23, 25 and 28mm tyres.
Where some of the competition have gone hookless (and hence tubeless-only), Campagnolo has kept to its 2-Way Fit design, meaning full compatibility with both standard clincher and tubeless tyres.
Campagnolo's MoMag system (where nipples are installed via the valve hole and guided into position using a magnet) eliminates the need for spoke holes in the rim bed so, unlike most rims, these don't require tubeless tape.
Both front and rear wheels use Campagnolo's signature G3 spoke lacing pattern which, on a disc brake wheelset, means the rear driveside and front non-driveside get twice the number of spokes (16) as the opposite side (eight) in an effort to produce more even left–right spoke tensions and hence a more durable wheel.
The spokes themselves are double-butted steel with an elliptical cross-section for reduced drag.
The Boras' hubs are exactly what you'd expect from Campagnolo, with the same USB ("ultra smooth bearings") cup-and-cone bearing design as the rest of the brand's premium wheelsets.
The hub bodies taper in the middle for reduced frontal area, while all standard road freehubs (including SRAM XDR) are supported.
Campagnolo says that even its hub flanges are aero optimised, claiming "nothing in the design has been left to chance".
Claimed weight for the Bora WTO 60 DB wheelset is 1,590g, a respectable figure for a deep-section clincher wheelset, particularly one that's tubeless-ready without the need for additional rim strips or tape.
The new wheels will retail at €2,160 for the set (pricing in other territories is to be confirmed) and they are available from now, although this will be impacted by the pandemic in some regions.
