Campagnolo and sister outfit Fulcrum displayed a wealth of new road wheels at this year's Eurobike trade show. Although there were no disc brake-compatible models on hand, both companies are clearly making the most of rim brake technologies with Keronite and diamond-machined surfaces. Select rims have grown in width, too.
The star of the new Campagnolo range is the revamped Bora 50 carbon wheelset, which gets a new 17mm-wide (internal width) rim for the full-carbon clincher version while the tubular grows from 20.5mm across to a much healthier 24.2mm. Campagnolo says this not only improves aerodynamic performance but it also lends better casing support for the higher-volume tires that even top pros now prefer.
The new Campagnolo Bora One 50 carbon clincher and Bora Ultra 50 tubular both get relatively wide rims
Although the clincher remains a tube-type, both versions get Campagnolo's 3Diamant sidewall treatment, which uses a diamond tipped cutter to effectively mill the rims as is done with most higher-end aluminum rims. According to Campagnolo, this leaves more carbon fibers and less resin exposed for better friction characteristics. Even the graphics receive an upgrade in the form of water transfer decals, which are more durable than traditional stickers and saves 15g.
Campagnolo claims improved braking performance from the 3Diamant milled sidewalls
Claimed weight for the Bora Ultra 50 tubulars is just 1,267g while the Bora One 50 clinchers come in at 1,313g.
The same upgrades can be found on the new Bora Ultra 35 and Bora One 35, whose shallower 35mm-deep rims bring the claimed weights down to 1,179g and 1,223g, respectively.
Campagnolo hasn't forgotten about its aluminum wheels, although we consider changes to the new Shamal Mille to be more revisions than a wholesale redesign. Indeed, the new wheelset carries over the same hubs, bladed aluminum spokes, 2-to-1 rear lacing pattern, and 15mm-wide (internal width) machined alloy clincher rims from before. However, the rim now gets a plasma electrolytic oxidation coating, which is better known by its Keronite trade name (and is the same surface treatment used by Mavic for its Exalith rims).
Meet the new Campagnolo Shamal Mille, complete with new Keronite-coated rims
Based on our experience with Exalith, the super-hard surface treatment should yield a longer-lasting dark grey finish to the rim. And like Mavic, Campagnolo claims improved braking performance as well (at least when used with the company's current red carbon-specific pads).
Claimed weight on the new Shamal Mille clinchers is 1,426g.
Full carbon clinchers from Fulcrum
Improvements to Fulcrum's wheel range come mostly on its shallower Racing Zero range for 2015.
Headlining the updated wheels is the all-new Racing Zero Carbon, which uses the same hubset and bladed aluminum spoke system as the standard Racing Zero but with an all-new 30mm-deep, 17mm-wide (internal width) full carbon clincher rim. The new rim makes do with a standard 3K weave on the braking surface, however. That said, Fulcrum does extend the Keronite treatment to the freehub body, which should reduce marring from cassette cogs.
Fulcrum now has a full carbon clincher called the Racing Zero Carbon
Claimed weight for the clincher version is 1,358g while the tubulars come in at just 1,268g per pair.
Also new is the Racing Zero Nite clincher wheelset, which is essentially a Fulcrum-branded version of the Campagnolo Shamal Mille, complete with the same 26/30mm differential front/rear alloy clincher rim profiles and Keronite rim coatings. The Fulcrum version uses conventional rear spoke lacing instead of Campagnolo's 2-to-1 pattern, though, nor does the Shamal Mille get the Racing Zero Nite's Keronite-treated freehub body. Fulcrum does, however, offer the Racing Zero Nite in a tubeless-compatible version.
Keronite-treated surfaces should retain their appearance for ages
Claimed weight is 1,428g.
And speaking of freehub bodies, they're largely the reason why Fulcrum exists. While Campagnolo offers its wheels with Shimano/SRAM-compatible freehub bodies, many riders with Shimano/SRAM-equipped bikes simply don't want to mix groupset brands and the Fulcrum label provides a more neutral alternative.