For die-hard Campagnolo fans, this might be the moment Christmas 2025 came early – the launch of ‘Ultra’, the brand’s Super Record 13 groupset upgrade package.
At launch, the brand outlines that Ultra is the ultimate configuration: “From the carbon chainring to the titanium cassette, including the ceramic ball bearings in the bottom bracket: the Ultra upgrade of the new Campagnolo groupset is addressed to ultra-demanding cyclists who will appreciate the ultimate expression of mechatronics applied to a bicycle.”
What magical number does this upgrade package for Super Record 13 offer riders? “The possibility of saving up to 81g with the entire kit, making the Super Record the lightest groupset on the market by an even greater margin.”
Now, it’s fair, at this point, to say non-Campagnolo fans might not be feeling this – not really appreciating the full Spinal Tap, ‘amps that go up to 11’, wow factor. And it’s not that hard to understand why, especially when the brand is talking about saving 3g on the Ultra Ceramic BB ball bearings. Yours for only £150. I say ‘only’ because it is eminently possible to spend more on a Ceramic BB. And, yes, it’s fair to say that Ceramic bearings aren’t about weight saving, but friction reduction. Vital for your latest Grand Tour assault, KOM attempt, or cafe ride.
Moving swiftly onward, the new Ultra 13 Titanium cassette is something which Campagnolo weight weenies will likely get excited about.
Two versions available:
- 10-33 cassette, with a single block of 4 titanium sprockets, weighing 215g (30g less than the Super Record 10-33)
- 11-36 cassette, with a final single-block of 5 titanium sprockets, weighing 238g (44g less than the Super Record 11-36)
Made of aircraft-grade titanium, the sprockets are machined from a solid titanium block that weighs 1250 grams for the 36T version (5 sprockets) and 900 grams for the 33T version (4 sprockets). The fully machined 36T version weighs 113 grams, and the 33T version 84 grams.
Not only is this made-in-Vicenza technical solution designed to reduce weight, but it also has clear Campagnolo aesthetics in mind. The brand states, “the laser-etched graphics and black chrome/natural titanium colour combination transform the cassette into a distinctive element that makes the entire groupset unique”.
It won’t come as much of a surprise to find out that the titanium upgrade comes with a ‘Campagnolo does titanium’ price… UK RRP £575.
Taking pride of place on the Super Record 13 crank, the discerning Ultra rider will have chainrings “made of a carbon fibre bearing structure combined with aluminium teeth”.
The teeth are made of 7075 aluminium, with a special heat treatment to improve its technical characteristics over time – thick, hard-anodised heat treatment. Alloy 7075 is among the lightest aeronautical-derived alloys and, from a mechanical standpoint, among the most resistant to workloads: a choice that guarantees longevity and durability of the chainring and chain.
Campagnolo says the composite is “stabilised at 130 degrees under controlled moulding pressures throughout the polymerisation cycle, so that the matrix (in this case, the resin) seals the correct orientation of fibres according to the work planes of the finished component”.
We’re told the new carbon chainring has been entirely designed and is manufactured at the Vicenza headquarters: the Ultra logo and tooth design details have been obtained directly from the mould, demonstrating Campagnolo’s attention to detail and expertise in working with technically advanced materials like carbon.
Ultra chainrings will be available in the following versions:
- 50-tooth chainring: 78g (34g less than the 50-tooth Super Record chainring)
- 52-tooth chainring: 102g (28g less than the 52-tooth Super Record chainring)
- UK RRP £299
Good news comes in the form of Ultra parts available as individual components, or in an exclusive ‘full pack‘. “To immediately underscore this exclusivity, the Ultra kit comes in equally striking packaging, echoing the aesthetic finish of the groupset with an elegant chrome-plated metal plate and a contrasting black Ultra logo.”
Final thoughts
As premium cycling products go, there’s little to compete with the way Campagnolo serves up its latest offering. For a select few, Ultra will be an absolute must-have. And it’s here that Campagnolo really does know its fans best.
Important to say, clearly, here – Super Record 13 has been positively received, seen by many as a return to form for the storied Italian business. Certainly, at the very least, it’s seen as a recovery from the previous iterations, very clearly articulated, and objected to, shortcomings.
The worry is that a business that needs volume seems further from that than at the time of its Ekar groupset launch, when Specialized specced a bike with Campagnolo for the first time in more than a decade.
What happened to the Ekar GT variant? Which bike brands are OE speccing Campagnolo at pricepoints which everyday riders are looking at?
Can any groupset and wheelset business thrive on hyper luxury?
