The Super Record groupset is Campagnolo's top-of-the-line model, the pinnacle of quality and refinement for road cycling. But the historic Vicenza-based company wanted to make a further step forward, presenting the ULTRA package.
From the carbon crown to the titanium sprocket set machined from solid, up to the new ceramic bearings: ULTRA is a kit of components for those who don't want to compromise on weight, performance and aesthetics (and price).
50 and 52 carbon crown
ULTRA is in fact an upgrade of the Super Record 13 group presented in June. One of the novelties, and perhaps the one that catches the eye the most is the crownIt is made with a carbon fiber structure combined with aluminum teeth. In this case, the carbon is not a finish, but the supporting structure of the crown, which in this way achieves the maximum possible rigidity. Not only that: this choice makes the crown even more “racing” from an aesthetic point of view and even lighter (as we will see shortly).
The teeth are, as mentioned, made of aluminum, but given the quality of ULTRA It is not just any alloy, but 7075 aluminium of aeronautical origin. Furthermore, a special heat treatment has been carried out which improves its durability over time. The ULTRA crown is designed and manufactured at Campagnolo's headquarters in Vicenza, to ensure the highest quality in processing.
We were talking about weight. There are two versions, 50 and 52 teeth.The new 50-tooth chainring weighs 78 grams, which is a good 34 less than the “normal” Super Record 50 crown. The 52-tooth one weighs 102 grams, a saving of 28 grams.
Titanium cassette and new bearings
Another novelty concerns the sprocket pack. The new 13-speed ULTRA cassette It also has, in this case, a feature that combines aesthetics and quality. The largest sprockets (4 or 5 depending on the teeth) are made from solid starting from a single block of titaniumFor example, to get the 4 final sprockets of the 11-33 version, you start with a 900-gram monoblock. To arrive, at the end of the process, at a weight of 84 grams.
I the remaining pinions are instead made with special steels and a Black Chrome finish, which pairs beautifully with the titanium color: a distinctive feature of the ULTRA line. Two cassettes are available. The 10-33, weighing 215 grams, that is 30 less than the same Super Record version. And the 11 - 36a weight of 238 grams, 44 less than the Super Record.
Finally, the ULTRA kit also offers new bearings that promise even better smoothness. - ULTRA Ceramic are based on silicon nitride spheres which guarantee better roundness and an almost total absence of impurities. A further improvement concerns the inner cage of the bearing, which has been redesigned. It has been made of high-performance resin to minimize friction between the spheres.
Prices and availability
The new ULTRA components will be available either individually or with a “full pack”, enhanced by packaging that reflects the group's aesthetic. Finally, the prices are in line with the extremely high quality of the products.
The chainring (50 or 52 teeth) costs 330 euros. For the 13 speed sprocket pack (10-33 or 11-36) the price is 620 euros (compared to 358 euros for the Super Record). The ULTRA Ceramic BB bearings, on the other hand, cost 164 euros.
