Campagnolo roll out new Bora One DB, Shamal Ultra DB and Scirocco wheelsets

To compliment their new hydraulic disc brakes and the Centaur groupset, Campagnolo has unveiled three sets of wheels. The Shamal Ultra DB 2WF and the Bora One DB are disc wheelsets to complete a Campagnolo disc build. The disc wheels are part of Campagnolo’s DB360 solution designed to provide all the components riders need for a disc road bike. The Scirocco get updated with the idea of being paired with Centaur as an extremely accessible Campagnolo offering.

Campagnolo Bora One DB

The Bora One wheelset, like all the other Campagnolo wheelsets takes its name from a wind. It is a strong, cold and dry northeasterly wind that blows in the upper Adriatic that gives Campagnolo’s top-offering,which that was introduced in 1994, its name.

“The Bora One disc brake wheelset stands on shoulders of the rim brake model and incorporates lots of new logic and technology to achieve the same fantastic results,” explained Campagnolo press manager Joshua Riddle. Campy have one disc brake offering in their line-up, the aluminum rim Zonda Disc but with the Bora One they add a carbon race ready set of hoops.

RELATED: Debut of the new Campagnolo H11 disc brakes

The tubular Bora One DB wheelset I rode with the Campagnolo H11 disc brakes had a 35 mm carbon rim. The tubular version will also be available with a 50 mm profile and their will be a clincher Bora One DB 35 mm that will be available in July. The others are coming later in May.

While the rims maintain the aerodynamic properties of their rim brake counterparts, the internal structure needed to be modified and optimized for the forces created by disc brakes. The type of carbon fibre is slightly different as is the orientation of the fibers. Without the brake track, there has been a slight reduction in weight as well.

Campagnolo found the Mega G3 spoke pattern—used to address the asymmetric forces of the drivetrain—valuable in addressing the forces applied to the wheels by disc brakes. Unlike rim brakes that squeeze symmetrically on the braking track, a caliper and rotor place asymmetric forces on the wheel. The front wheel uses eight spokes on the drive side and 16 on the brake side. The forces on the rear wheel were also altered with the opposing forces created by the drivetrain and disc brake. Campagnolo determined that the force applied by the drive side is still stronger than that of the disc, they say 60 percent from the drive train and 40 percent on the break side. Campagnolo went with 16 spokes on the drive side and 8 on the brake side.

MoMag technology allows the spoke holes to be created in the molding process maintaining the integrity of the carbon fiber. No drilling is required to create the spoke holes. The spoke nibbles are put in place using magnetic mounting, hence the name.

The hubs see the most changes with a one-piece solid aluminum construction. The added strength is needed to counter the forces placed on the hubs by the disc brakes. USB ceramic bearings are used to keep things rolling smoothly. Different adaptor kits will be available for different axles but the wheels come stock with HH12/142 mm axle spacing in the rear and HH12/100mm on the front.

Bora One DB 35 tubular – US$1,965 – 1,297g (604 g front, 693 g rear)
Bora One DB 50 tubular – US$1,965 – 1,364g (639 g front, 725 g rear)
Bora One DB 35 clincher – US$2,195 – 1,509g (703 g front, 806 g rear)

I had a chance to ride the new Bora One 35 DB tubular wheels up and down the mountains of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. The wheels held speed really nicely on the long descents with no nervousness. When I got out of the saddle to input a bit more power they responded with eager immediacy. It’s a wheelset I look forward to putting more miles on in the future as the first sensations atop them were excellent. Campagnolo’s attention to detail has ensured they feel right at home on a high-performance disc-equipped bike.

Campagnolo Shamal Ultra DB 2WF

A hot, dry north-westerly wind blowing across the Persian gulf in summer, typically causing sandstorms, is the wind that gives the Shamal their name. The Shamal Ultra DB 2WF are a high-quality aluminum race wheel for disc equipped bikes. The wheels have a 22 mm wide rim with 17 mm internal diameter for a seamless platform with 25 mm and 28 mm tires.

Riders can choose to run standard clinchers or tubeless tires on the wheels. The only additional hardware required to do so are tubeless valves. MoMag technology is once again used to guarantee the strength of the rim but also make compatibility with different tires seamless.

The front wheel is 27 mm deep while the rear is 30 mm. Both use 21 spokes with Mega G3 spoke patterns. Seven spokes are found on the drive side of the front wheel with 21 on the brake side. In the rear, 21 spokes are on the drive side with seven on the brake side to deal with the asymmetric forces of the drive train and disc brake. New black anodised self-locking nipples hold the spokes in place.

A carbon shell is used on the front hub where forces are only applied in one direction. The rear hub is alloy as are the flanges on both wheels. Like the Bora One, USB ceramic ball bearings are used. With a 2.5 mm allen key load on the bearings can be easily adjusted. The Shamal Ultra DB 2WF use HH12 mm axles for front and rear with adapters available. Spacing is 142 mm rear and 100 mm in the front.

Shamal DB will retail for US$1,375 and weigh in at 1540 g. They will be available in September of 2017. I did not have a chance to ride or even see the new Shamal wheels during my time with DB, but if previous experiences with the rim wheelset and if they job Campagnolo have done with the Bora One disc wheels, they promise to be a solid addition to the line-up.

Campagnolo Scirocco

Like all of Campagnolo’s wheels, the Scirocco take their name from a wind. It is a hot wind that blows up from the Sahara desert and onto the Italian peninsula that gives this aluminium offering its name. Like the groupset it was paired with on our test ride, the Scirocco borrow a lot of technology from the company’s race-ready wheelsets and transfer it to an offering accessible to more riders.

The wheels have a C17 profile for a clean and aerodynamic interface between 25 mm and 28 mm tires. They feature a welded, instead of glued, rim joint for increased structural integrity. The front wheel has 16 aero spokes with a variable profile radially laced. The rear wheel features the company’s oversized Mega G3 flange laced with 14 spokes on the drive side and seven spokes on the non-drive side. Each spoke has a support tab designed to distribute tension inside the rim. The wheel has an easily lock ring that can be adjusted using an allen key to adjust the wheels preload.

The wheels roll up to speed nicely and though my experience aboard them was limited, they complimented the Centaur built Sarto well. They responded to my pedal strokes well and though they don’t jump into motion with the same immediacy as a stiffer offering, I would be happy putting many miles of training into whether on the flats, climbs or descents.

With a 35 mm profile, Riddle says the Scirocco are “climbing wheels with a sprinters soul.” They weigh in at 1,654 g at $525.00