Campagnolo has unveiled its revamped Shamal – Dual Profile wheelset, which moves to a wavy rim profile for a claimed aerodynamic advantage and improved handling.
First spotted by Jack Luke at Velofollies last week, the new wheelset sees a 2mm bump up in internal rim width to 23mm to better support larger tyres.
Elsewhere, incremental improvements all round bring the weight down by 105g compared to its predecessor – to a claimed 1,480g.
The wheels will be available with Campagnolo N3W, Shimano HG11 and SRAM XDR freehub bodies and will retail from £1,649.99 / $2,085 / €1,890, with Australian pricing to be confirmed.
Riding the wave
Wavy rim profiles are not new, with the likes of Zipp and Princeton CarbonWorks most notable for their use. Fulcrum, Campagnolo’s sister outfit, launched its Sharq wheels in 2024, so it makes sense that Campagnolo is jumping on the trend.
Like Fulcrum, Campagnolo says the wavy profile was developed using CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and the concept was then tested in the wind tunnel and on the road before settling on the final design.
But the finish between the Fulcrum Sharq and the Campagnolo Shamal differs greatly. The Shamal – Dual Profile appears far more conventional than the shark-fin-like shaping of the Sharq (hence the name).
The new rims vary between a 40 and 45mm rim depth – deeper than the outgoing Shamal's 35mm front-rim depth and 40mm rear.
The rims are raised to 45mm where they meet the spokes and drop to 40mm in between. In combination with differentiated flanges on the hubs, the new rim shape has enabled Campagnolo to use a slightly shorter spoke to boost the wheel’s overall rigidity without forgoing comfort.
Like its Hyperon and Bora WTO line, the new Shamal rims are manufactured with one join (rather than the industry standard of four), which the brand says reduces any points of weakness.
One for the road?
The Shamal was historically Campagnolo’s premium lightweight aluminium offering, but when it revamped the platform in 2021, the Shamal was repositioned as an endurance option that was also suitable for gravel.
While Campagnolo says the new Shamals are suitable for gravel, the brand seems to be pushing the wheelset more for the road.
The 23mm internal rim width isn’t as generous as the Fulcrum Sharq’s 25mm measurement, but it is equal to the Zonda GT wheelset the brand released in 2024 alongside its Ekar GT groupset.
Campagnolo is sticking with hooked rims, despite introducing its ‘Mini-Hook’ standard on the Levante gravel wheels, which it claimed combined the advantages of hooked and hookless. The brand recommends a minimum 28mm tyre and a 45mm maximum width.
The rims continue to use Campagnolo’s 2-Way Fit technology, which means they lack spoke holes, offering compatibility with clincher or tubeless tyres.
Tried-and-tested hubs
In addition to the differentiated flanges, the aluminium hubs feature Campagnolo’s revered cup and cone bearings. USB or CULT ceramic bearing upgrade kits will also be available.
Campagnolo continues to use its G3 lacing pattern, which sees seven groups of three parallel spokes in a 2:1 ratio. On the front wheel, this is biased towards the disc brake rotor and the cassette on the rear wheel, which exhibit the greatest forces.
