Campagnolo Super Record 13: The Wireless 2x13 Frontier
The first wireless 2x13 groupset is not about the thirteenth cog. It is Campagnolo proving it can still set the standard at the peak of road cycling — lighter, faster, and cheaper than before.
Campagnolo's Super Record 13 — the world's first wireless 2x13-speed road groupset — is as much a strategic statement as a technical one. It is Campagnolo asserting, under sustained pressure from Shimano and SRAM, that it can still define the frontier at the summit of road cycling.
The technical claim
Thirteen rear cogs across two chainrings, fully wireless, sits at the edge of what is mechanically and electronically feasible in a bicycle transmission. The tighter jumps between gears appeal to the road enthusiast chasing optimal cadence; the wireless architecture removes cable housing and its compromises. Campagnolo engineered the system to be lighter, faster-shifting, and notably more affordable than the outgoing flagship — a deliberate broadening of appeal rather than a pure halo play — and brought back the signature thumb lever on the Ergopower controls.
The platform, not just one product
| Variant | Configuration | Launch |
|---|---|---|
| Super Record 13 | 2×13 road | April 2026 |
| Record X | 1×13 gravel | April 2026 |
| All Road | 2×13 all-road | July 2026 |
| 1×13 road | single-chainring road | July 2026 |
Super Record 13 is being rolled out as a platform across 2026: the 2x13 road and a 1x13 gravel version first, followed by all-road and 1x13 road configurations. The rear derailleur uses Nano Clutch technology to minimise chain drops — a reliability-minded detail that matters more on rough surfaces. The breadth of the rollout signals that this is Campagnolo's new foundation, not a limited flagship.
Why the launch matters more than the cog count
The marginal benefit of a thirteenth cog over twelve is real but small for most riders. The significance is signalling. Campagnolo, whose groupset share has been pressured as rivals matched and then exceeded its electronic offerings, is demonstrating it can still be first to a new standard. In a premium brand built on heritage and perceived technical leadership, that demonstration has commercial value far beyond the spec sheet.
The competitive landscape
The road groupset market is effectively a three-way race, and Campagnolo has been the one most often written off. A genuine first — wireless 2x13, on a platform that is also lighter and cheaper — resets the comparison on Campagnolo's terms and forces rivals to respond to its move rather than the reverse.
The broader read
Super Record 13 is a halo product. Most riders will never buy it, but its existence shapes perceptions of the entire Campagnolo range. For a heritage brand, defending the top is how you defend the middle — the credibility of the flagship is what makes the mid-tier desirable. The thirteenth cog is the headline; the audience it is really aimed at is the one deciding which groupset brand still leads. Campagnolo's answer, with this launch, is that it still does.
Sources: Campagnolo; BikeRadar; Velo/Outside; Bikerumor; Cycling Weekly.
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