Campagnolo has today unveiled what it is calling its "most advanced" groupset to date.
Taking its already extremely premium flagship product, Super Record 13, the brand has added an extra element of bling, with more of cycling's en vogue buzzwords: carbon, titanium, and ceramic.
Called the Super Record 13 "Ultra" – quote marks included – the groupset is essentially the same but… more.
Well, technically, less, as the whole thing promises a weight saving of 81 grams. However, in terms of its opulence, it is more. More luxurious, more expensive, and purportedly designed to "enhance the performance and aesthetics" of the existing Super Record groupset.
Specifically, it includes a carbon fibre chainring, with a choice of 50T and 52T, weighing 78g and 102g respectively. That's a saving of 34g and 28g versus the existing models, and boasts 7075 aluminium teeth, a special heat treatment that improves longevity, and "design details obtained directly from the mould."
It also includes a titanium cassette, with sprocket sets machined from bigger blocks of titanium. Here, there's a choice of 10-33T or 11-36T, with a weight saving of 30g and 44g, respectively.
These were made "with clear Campagnolo aesthetics in mind," including laser-etched graphics and a colour combination that, according to the brand, "makes the entire groupset unique."
Thirdly, and finally, an upgraded bottom bracket includes a switch to ceramic bearings. Notably not from the 'CULT' range that features on most of Campagnolo's high-end wheels, but a newly designed option that includes Silicone Nitride ball bearings which were "selected according to international aerospace standards," and a redesigned bearing cage to reduce friction and noise. This is paired with a double seal for longevity.
No specific efficiency or longevity savings are promised, but there is a claimed small weight saving of three grams.
Combined, all three items will save you approximately 81 grams, for a total price of €1,114.00, or almost €14 per gram.
But as the headline suggests, luxury doesn't have to make sense. Davide Campagnolo, grandson of the company founder Tullio, told a collective of cycling media in 2023 that the company was intent on focusing on the 'sports luxury' market, and this is the clearest symbol since of it doing just that.
Basic physics tells us that an 81-gram weight saving will, all else equal, make your bike faster, but in reality, it will do so in such vanishingly small quantities that it's hard to believe anyone will be spending €1,114.00 for those reasons alone.
And despite Campagnolo being intent on reassuring its potential buyers that they will feel the differences (its press release says: "On the road, an improvement of this level will not go unnoticed and will certainly be felt immediately thanks to the possibility of saving up to 81g…"), I'm not sure this is the reason people will buy it either.
More likely, per my admittedly limited knowledge on the motivations of 'haute couture' shoppers, is that buyers will buy it for the sense of achievement, perhaps the ability to connect to Campagnolo's history, not dissimilar to Colnago customers buying its $2,611.00 trench coat.
Perhaps others will buy it for the social recognition, or the pride in owning the best-of-the-best; something few others own. Surprisingly, this isn't an 'exclusive' run, but given the price, it's effectively no different.
To me, none of that makes sense, but if it makes you feel good, who am I to tell you how to spend your money? And to that end, if you'd rather just the new chainring, cassette or bottom bracket without the other items, you can buy them each individually too.
