This article was produced in collaboration with Campagnolo and first published in Rouleur Issue 144.
Trickle down economics is based around the belief that providing benefits to those at the top will eventually be felt across broader society. The theory goes that tax cuts for the rich and looser regulations on businesses will stimulate investments and create jobs for the less well off, but with it a long-term play. In practice it can initially widen inequalities, while the trickle might never reach the intended target.
That same supposed slow drip of progress is often touted with new innovations in cycling technology. Each year, brands pour money and time into research and development for pioneering, top-of-the-range releases, and the hope is that one day, everyday riders will get their hands on the goods. In some cases, like heart rate monitors, disc brakes and carbon fibre frames, this has happened. But there's a plethora of releases like power meters and ceramic bearings that are limited to the professional peloton (or those with deep enough pockets).
Even then, if the technological leap does appear on a lower rung of their offering at a later date, sacrifices could have been made or corners cut to get it to this new price point — from cheaper materials or manufacturing practices, to reductions in efficiencies. The result leaves riders weighing up the performance costs of the supposed savings.
A new standard
When Campagnolo launched its Super Record 13 groupset last year, riders would be forgiven for thinking that the world's first wireless 2x13-speed platform would remain solely at the pinnacle of the sport for a number of years before there was any likelihood of a second-tier release. And even then, that the five different configurations — complete with the X range's gravel-specific rear derailleurs — would be watered down for a wider audience when the Record iteration finally came.
But the Italian manufacturer isn't one for adhering to a set formula when it comes to releases — following 2025's Super Record 13 promptly with the Record 13 release this April; kickstarting a new 13-speed standard, rather than restricting the innovation as a niche, high-end outlier.
Same but different
The similarities between the groupsets extend beyond the shift to a 13-cog cassette too. Rather than widening inequalities, the only choice riders are left to make with the trickle down is one of a marginal weight increase.
(Image credit: Conductor Studio)
At its core, the Record 13 has the same design foundations as the Super Record 13. From the ergopower shifters to disc brake calipers, drivetrain kinematics to shifting speed, cassette ratios and ability to charge the wireless battery anywhere with a standard USB-C cable, the geometry, architecture and functionality are all shared, enabling cross-compatibility between the two groupsets and the same industry-leading riding experience for less.
Made in house in Italy, there's no sacrifice on build quality either, and riders are guaranteed a finished product that has passed stringent checks and controls to receive Campagnolo's seal of approval when it has come off the production line.
The difference lies in the groupsets' materials and finishes. The rear derailleur's pulley wheels, for example, feature stainless steel instead of ceramic bearings, while the crankset's axle is stainless steel instead of titanium and crank arms include a blend of plastics in less-stressed areas rather than being a hollowed-out carbon fibre construction. On the scales, this will cost between 208g to 342g across an entire groupset compared to its Super Record 13 equivalent — effectively the weight of a ride's worth of gels.
The look of the Record 13 also sets it apart distinctly from its Super superior, but it's no cheap imitation. The crank-set has a beautiful matt carbon finish that belies its price tag, and the Record logo on the ergopower shifter's lever and Campagnolo motif on the brake calipers retains the iconic Italian manufacturer's understated-yet-classic image.
(Image credit: Conductor Studio)
High five
If the Record 13's release less than a year on from the Super Record's initial road drop wasn't impressive enough, Campagnolo has also blown the competition out of the water by simultaneously revealing all five configurations (with all available by July at the latest).
And with such a broad scope — from a standard 2x13 road and all road to specialist, wide-ratio setups like the X-derailleur-toting 1x13 road — there's a Record groupset, whatever the pursuit. campagnolo.com
