Few manufacturers higher embody the romance of Italian biking than Campagnolo. At nigh on 100 years previous, it represents the passionate, conventional facet of our sport, notably when in comparison with the scientific effectiveness of Shimano and SRAM and, very like with Alfa Romeo on the automotive aspect, Tifosi will usually overlook a product’s shortcomings or quirks.
And so it’s prone to be with Campagnolo’s newest flagship groupset, Tremendous Document WRL 12-speed. WRL stands for wi-fi, and similar to SRAM 9 years in the past, Campagnolo has ditched any type of cabling or bodily connection between the shifters and derailleurs. It will make dwelling mechanics’ lives simpler when becoming a complete groupset and reduces the variety of cables that should move by the handlebar, headset and body. As a long-time SRAM eTap/AXS consumer, I like wi-fi groupsets and have had zero points with shifting or connectivity over tens of 1000’s of kilometres.
Campagnolo aficionados have lengthy needed to pay for the privilege of using their favorite Italian marque, and Tremendous Document WRL is not any exception. It’s significantly larger priced than the already costly Dura-Ace and Crimson AXS groupsets, and there’s no choice to incorporate an influence meter both but. RRP is about £4,500, placing it properly above the Japanese and North American model’s energy meter-equipped groupsets. Its value pushed the value of the Dogma X that I examined it on over the £14,000 mark.
Weight is aggressive although, close to as dammit all three groupsets weigh round 2,500 grams, relying on a couple of choice decisions.
Shifters
Even perhaps bolder than going wi-fi, Campagnolo’s option to ditch the long-lasting thumb shifters has prompted uneasy murmurings among the many devoted. As a substitute, shifting is actuated by two cutout levers on both aspect that sit behind the brake levers – a bit like a mashup of SRAM and Shimano’s techniques.
I discovered them straightforward to make use of from the hoods, however I needed to cock my wrist at an unnatural angle to achieve the upper button on both aspect when within the drops. Enjoying round with the shifter’s place or a special handlebar might need alleviated this slightly, however I don’t suppose it could have totally cured the issue. As the 2 buttons/levers sit on high of each other relatively than aspect by aspect like Di2, it’s all the time going to be exhausting to slot in two levers which might be massive sufficient to make use of simply and nonetheless each be accessible from the drops and the hoods.
Campagnolo Tremendous Document WRL left shifter
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
I’d even have appreciated the motion of the levers to have been extra distinct, with every press accompanied by a tangible ‘click on’. In comparison with SRAM AXS and former Campagnolo, the motion was a bit ‘mushy’ and imprecise – it didn’t give a lot haptic suggestions as as to whether I had really pressed exhausting sufficient to name for a shift or certainly pressed an excessive amount of and shifted two sprockets directly. That is an odd criticism as Campagnolo has all the time been identified for feeling extra mechanical and offering a greater connection to the drivetrain than different manufacturers.
The hood form was typically wonderful although, and I discovered it very snug straightaway. The exaggerated, bent-in form of some Campagnolo hoods is gone, however there’s a delicate inward curve that feels actually good. Nonetheless, there’s an odd, cookie-cutter part underneath the hoods behind the levers that is not snug in any respect – firmly gripping the hoods while climbing out of the saddle this sharp edge might be felt very distinctly. Surprisingly unergonomic given how good the remainder of the design is.
Campagnolo Tremendous Document WRL brake lever
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
Maybe it was the nice and cozy climate or my efforts, however the rubber overlaying the hoods didn’t really feel very grippy to me. I normally experience with out gloves if I can, however I discovered myself contemplating sporting some mitts for a greater buy.
If the shifting was vague on the levers, it actually wasn’t on the again finish. A really particular clunk (and occasional clang) accompanied each shift and left you in little question {that a} ratio change had been achieved. That is in sharp distinction to the Dura-Ace Di2 I rode lately the place I often couldn’t really feel the chain transfer and needed to look right down to examine generally.
Two buttons sit on the within of the shifters, permitting the system to be adjusted and turned off/on (helpful for journey) whereas the small LED signifies battery cost (for the coin cell in every shifter) or mode. Nonetheless, there are not any ‘additional’ programmable buttons that might be used to scroll by laptop screens for instance.
Derailleurs
By far and away probably the most hanging and most commented-on facet of the groupset was the scale of the derailleurs. Each entrance and rear items are significantly bigger than SRAM’s wi-fi equivalents. It’s spectacular that Campagnolo has managed to maintain the load right down to match Shimano and SRAM given their measurement – copious portions of carbon fibre have been employed all through the derailleurs, and certainly the remainder of the teams,t in an effort to do that, which does a minimum of assist to elucidate the value.
Campagnolo Tremendous Document WRL entrance derailleur
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
Whereas SRAM makes use of an identical pair of interchangeable batteries on its wi-fi derailleurs, Campagnolo has used a very completely different design for entrance and rear mechs, that means that, in contrast to SRAM, you’ll be able to’t swap them round if you happen to run out of energy. It’s not clear whether or not that is for technical/purposeful causes, or if Campagnolo encountered patent points with this as they’ve hinted at. Both manner, it appears to be a a lot much less helpful manner of doing issues. Moreover, every of the batteries is larger than the SRAM unit, contributing to the scale of the derailleurs.
Campagnolo Tremendous Document WRL rear derailleur
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
Charging is fast and straightforward, and will be completed with the batteries in place or off the bike utilizing the magnetic cable. It takes about an hour to achieve full capability. Nonetheless, so as to have the ability to cost on the bike, the charging ports are open to the weather and don’t have a canopy, though I suppose {that a} bike with Tremendous Document WRL on it’s extremely prone to be a dry weather-only machine.
Pairing the shifters and derailleurs is slightly bit like a response check – anticipate the lights to alter color after which press the suitable button, however was simple sufficient once I managed to get the sequence proper. There’s an accompanying app that offers details about the system and permits a level of personalisation, nevertheless it isn’t required to arrange or use the groupset. It may be fortunately ignored until you need to tinker.
Chainset and cassette
In one other departure from custom, Campagnolo has adopted SRAM in utilizing smaller chainrings and a smaller 12-speed cassette to realize its desired ratios. The check bike had a 50/34 chainset and a 10-29 cassette, which gave me each the next and a decrease gear than my normal 52/36 with an 11-30 cassette. 45/29 and 48/32 chainsets are additionally obtainable as are 10-25 and 10-27 cassettes, so an enormous vary of potential ratios can be found to go well with any rider or terrain. It was straightforward to search out the cadence I needed, and I by no means felt caught between ratios and the all-steel development ought to assist with longevity too.
The carbon chainset seemed beautiful when caught within the sunshine, and, together with the titanium axle and aluminium rings, helps hold the load right down to underneath 600 grams, considerably undercutting Dura-Ace.
Campagnolo Tremendous Document WRL chainset
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
The drivetrain was completely joyful to be cross-chained because the entrance derailleur makes small changes because the rear derailleur strikes and I often used 50-29 in order that I didn’t should hassle shifting to the small ring. As talked about, shifting was a bit agricultural feeling generally, and was actually slower than Dura-Ace. Identical to with SRAM, I discovered that shifting was a discernibly 4-part course of each entrance and rear; press a shift lever, take the strain off the pedals, wait a fraction for engagement, and energy again on the pedals, whereas Dura-Ace would most likely have accomplished the motion by the primary comma.
Brakes
The Tremendous Document WRL hydraulic disc brakes are excellent. Quiet, highly effective and straightforward to manage, they had been a pleasure to make use of and a highpoint of the groupset. The levers are fairly stiffly sprung, which took me unexpectedly at first however not in a foul manner, and as soon as the pads come into contact with the rotors the ability is there in spades – one-finger braking from the hoods will not be a difficulty, helped by the lever’s very snug, barely angled form and the hood’s slim design.
Campagnolo Tremendous Document WRL disc brake calliper
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
There was by no means any annoying ‘ting’ from the pads barely catching the rotors, even after some respectable descents and exhausting braking – Campagnolo says that higher pad return was one thing that that they had labored exhausting on.
Attain may be very straightforward to regulate, with the screw accessed by a gap within the entrance of the lever.
Worth and conclusion
Worth is a tricky one. The RRP of the groupset is £4,499 which is about £800 greater than Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (and not using a energy meter) and a few hundred pound greater than both SRAM Crimson or Dura-Ace with an influence meter. So it’s actually ‘reassuringly costly’.
However, whereas beforehand, some people had been greater than keen to pay a premium for Campagnolo’s fashion, finesse and wealthy heritage, I feel that this can be a larger ask than ever with Tremendous Document WRL. The majority of the derailleurs, the idiosyncratic shifting, completely different batteries and the value aren’t sufficiently offset by its improbable braking efficiency and (principally) neat hood/brake lever design. Its weight is aggressive however not class-leading and the dearth of an influence meter (there’s one deliberate, however little question it can add to the price) would appear to present SRAM and Shimano gross sales. It received’t assist Campagnolo’s trigger that there are not any 2024 WorldTour groups utilizing their groupsets both.
Campagnolo Tremendous Document WRL
(Picture credit score: Andy Jones)
I’m completely not towards high-priced, premium merchandise, however for me, there must be a minimum of a semblance of justification to pay greater than chilly logic may dictate. That may be efficiency, weight, fashion, reliability or service and I’m struggling to justify the additional value of Tremendous Document WRL on any of those bases, though you might be drawn to its rarity worth – I haven’t seen one other bike with Tremendous Document within the 12 months because it was launched.
Finally, I wouldn’t actively keep away from Tremendous Document WRL if it was specced on a motorbike that I actually needed, particularly if it was by an Italian model, however I wouldn’t search it out or pay a premium for it both. For me, it lacks a sufficiently compelling distinctive promoting level to justify its value or overlook a few of its foibles.
