I tested new Campagnolo Super Record 13, and Shimano and SRAM should be worried – here's why 

Little more than two years after its previous effort, Campagnolo has come out swinging with Super Record 13 – the world’s first 2x13-speed wireless electronic road bike groupset.

It’s fair to say Campagnolo’s outgoing flagship groupset, Super Record Wireless, received a lukewarm reception at launch.

Super Record 13, though, sees the historic Italian brand take a number of steps forward in terms of performance, while bringing back fan-favourite features such as larger chainrings and, most notably, its iconic thumb shifter.

It remains an expensive proposition, but a cheaper price of £3,900 / $4,750 / €4,300 (without a power meter) at least makes it competitive with similar offerings from the likes of Shimano and SRAM.

Ahead of the launch, I was invited to Vicenza, Italy, to test ride the new groupset, and visit Campagnolo's headquarters and factory.

Overall, I came away impressed, both by the groupset’s performance and Campagnolo’s commitment to European manufacturing.

• Read more: Campagnolo unveils Super Record 13 – the world's lightest electronic disc brake groupset

Campagnolo Super Record 13 setup and specification

To showcase the new groupset, Campagnolo took me on its classic post-work ride route – a rolling 38km or so, with a mix of short, punchy climbs, fast descents and, of course, a cafe stop for espresso.

My bike was a Factor Ostro VAM, with a beautiful, special-edition paintjob created to celebrate the launch of Super Record 13.

It was set up with 52/36t chainrings and an 11-32t cassette, plus Campagnolo’s Bora Ultra WTO aero wheels, 28c Continental GP5000S TR tyres and a 160mm brake rotor up front, paired to a 140mm rear.

All things considered, it was a WorldTour-worthy spec (although no doubt the pros would want even larger chainrings).

Riding laps around the hotel car park to familiarise myself with the bike, the first thing Campagnolo was keen to point out was the revised shifter logic.

With the thumb shifter back, Campagnolo has also returned to a single button behind each brake lever. The addition of a user-assignable ‘Smart Button’ on each shifter – located on the inside of each brake hood, towards the front – gives riders a choice of three buttons per shifter and six in total (satellite shifters will also be available at some point).

Each can be reassigned via Campagnolo’s smartphone app, although the stock setup employs the thumb shifters for downshifts and the lever buttons for upshifts. The Smart Buttons can be assigned to control compatible bike computers or a derailleur – whichever you prefer.

To start with, I left the shifting layout as stock – with the knowledge I’d be able to adjust it mid-ride if desired, thanks to Campagnolo’s support crew.

Campagnolo Super Record 13 ride impressions

Rolling out with the group, the most obvious change compared to the outgoing Super Record groupset was the revised shifter ergonomics.

Thumb shifters aside (more on these shortly), the new Ergopower controls are a little longer and slimmer than the previous versions, with a less pronounced pommel on top.

This brings them more in line with Shimano’s Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 shifters, as well as those from SRAM’s latest Red AXS groupset, and is a clear step up in terms of hand comfort.

I was less enamoured with the thumb shifter, though. Prior to testing the groupset, I was worried it would be tricky to use from the drops, but I found the opposite to be true.

The extended section makes it easy to hit with your hands, grasping the hooks of the drops, as you do when sprinting. From the hoods, though, it's too far back, and I had to consciously move my hand slightly every time I needed to use it.

Noticing my struggles, one of Campagnolo’s staff suggested trying to reach around the bottom of the shifter to hit it with a finger.

This wasn’t ideal either, however, because my fingers aren’t long enough and the thumb shifter isn’t a rocker switch – it can only be pressed down, not up (as an aside, Campagnolo said it initially tested the thumb shifter as a rocker switch during development, but pro riders said it led to too many accidental shifts while sprinting, so that idea was dropped).

During a stop, then, I opted to assign the Smart Buttons to control the derailleurs. I set the left-hand one to ‘toggle’ the front derailleur (meaning it triggered a front shift up or down depending on which chainring I was using), with the right-hand one set to shift down at the rear, mimicking the thumb shifter.

This solved my shifting problems – the Smart Buttons are well placed and easy to actuate from the hoods – although it left the thumb shifters feeling like sprint shifters and meant I couldn’t use the Smart Buttons to control a bike computer.

In terms of shifting quality, though, Super Record 13 is impressively refined. It’s noticeably faster and quieter than Super Record Wireless at the rear, with shifts feeling and sounding like more of a subtle snick than a mechanical clunk.

This also represents a move away from Campagnolo’s traditional, feedback-heavy style of shifting – and therefore might not be welcome news to all – but making the shifting as fast and smooth as its competitors is a win in my book.

Unless you’re counting, having 13 sprockets at the rear instead of 12 isn’t especially noticeable while riding, but the simultaneously wide range and tight ratios were, and the drivetrain remained whisper-quiet in every combination other than big/big (which wasn’t particularly loud either).

Front shifting was also generally excellent, although I experienced one overshift towards the end of the ride, where I shipped the chain over the outside of the big chainring. If it wasn’t a limit-adjustment issue, it could have been rider error, because I was soft pedalling over the crest of a climb and may have mis-timed my shift. Time will tell.

Either way, I was able to rectify the issue by allowing the chainring to gently hook the chain back on, and it didn’t happen again.

I was also pleased to see the sharp edge on the underside of the Ergopower controls, at the rear of the brake lever, is gone, because that was a key gripe of ours with the old shifters.

Everything else is very familiar. The cranks, brakes and rotors are effectively unchanged compared to the previous generation, but that’s no bad thing – Campagnolo’s hydraulic disc brakes remain among the best available, while the carbon fibre cranks are as stiff, light and beautiful as ever.

Campagnolo Super Record 13 initial verdict

Although I had only a limited amount of time with it, I came away impressed by Campagnolo Super Record 13.

As expected, the addition of an extra cog at the rear isn’t game-changing compared to 12-speed drivetrains, but it is a ‘nice to have’ and a unique selling point compared to the competition.

Beyond that, Super Record 13 offers a clear step up from Super Record Wireless in terms of ergonomics and shifting performance. The thumb shifter wasn’t quite my cup of tea on first impressions, but others may love it, and I was able to use the customisation options to find a comfortable shifting setup in any case.

More importantly, the faster and quieter shifting represents a big step up compared to its predecessor.

Super Record 13 also manages to hit a competitive price point – an impressive feat considering Campagnolo says 80 per cent of its components are made in Italy.

That’s especially important because Super Record Wireless was so expensive that it was a relatively rare sight on complete bikes. If brands can spec Super Record 13 on bikes priced comparably to those with Dura-Ace Di2 or Red AXS, riders shopping for a high-end bike will have a tough decision to make.