Campagnolo released the update to its Super Record groupset and the new components do seem to share quite a lot in common with Sram's RED AXS eTap groupset.
So the question stands, how do they really compare and which is best?
Sam Gupta has been hands-on with both groupsets and has judged them both across ten categories.
These include: weight, practicality, braking performance, shifting quality, aesthetics, ergonomics, features, gearing options, power meter and price.
What do you make of the results, and which would you buy?
So the question stands, how do they really compare and which is best?
Sam Gupta has been hands-on with both groupsets and has judged them both across ten categories.
These include: weight, practicality, braking performance, shifting quality, aesthetics, ergonomics, features, gearing options, power meter and price.
What do you make of the results, and which would you buy?
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00 Campagnolo recently dropped the update to its flagship groupset, Super Record Wireless.
00:05 In the words of none other than son of the founder, Valentino Campagnolo,
00:10 the pathway of development was paved with patterns. It's not out of the question to
00:14 assume that many of those pre-existing patterns will have stopped Campagnolo
00:19 from creating the groupset that it really wanted to.
00:22 This may play into the reason why the groupset generally received a rather lukewarm response at
00:28 launch. So, since this groupset does seem to share quite a few similarities with the SRAM Red
00:34 groupset, I'm going to play a little game of Top Trumps to see how these two really
00:40 stack up against each other on paper. First off, we're going to start with a
00:49 pretty easy category and one which lands in a bit of a tie. That being, weight.
00:56 The claim weights are remarkably similar. Super Record Wireless comes in at a claimed
01:01 2,520 grams, while Red comes in at 2,518 grams. Just two grams of difference.
01:10 The only caveat to make in the case of Red is that in the power meter version of the groupset,
01:15 it will weigh an extra 36 grams. Of course, these are just claim weights,
01:20 and the Cycling Weekly Scales of Truth may tell a different story. But until that day comes,
01:26 comparing claimed weights has resulted in an early tie.
01:29 Up next is the practicality of owning and using each groupset.
01:37 Happily, charging on both groupsets is very easy. The batteries can be removed and charged
01:43 within the home. And with Super Record, you also have the option to charge the batteries in situ
01:49 without removal. Charge times also look to be pretty similar. Both claim to be able to reach
01:55 a full charge in an hour when connected to an AC power source. Both groupsets also have
02:01 accompanying apps, which allow you to update, customise and just take ownership of your
02:06 groupset. From a maintenance point of view, the new Campagnolo doesn't need any new tools,
02:11 which is a great relief. And the tools needed to maintain the SRAM groupset
02:16 are generally no different to what any normal workshop would have.
02:20 Again, I'm going to call this round a tie.
02:22 On to braking performance, and I think Campagnolo takes this one.
02:30 The brakes didn't actually see any radical changes over the previous generation,
02:34 other than some aesthetic updates and a few changes to the internal components. It was one
02:40 aspect that Campagnolo didn't really feel the need to greatly improve upon, as what they already had
02:46 was already pretty good. And I'm inclined to agree. They feel smooth and progressive,
02:51 while still maintaining a really high level of power and control. SRAMs aren't bad by any means,
02:58 but they don't possess the same level of feel and modulation. So this one goes to Campagnolo.
03:04 Shifting performance is a huge part of what makes a good groupset, and both deliver lightning fast
03:14 shifting at the rear. I found on my short test ride with the Super Record Wireless groupset
03:20 that it was slightly more prone to a mis-shift compared to red. There were a couple of occasions
03:26 when it felt like the gears were slipping, or that the chain just wasn't properly engaging with the
03:30 cassette. But over 90% of the time, the shifts were fast, smooth and reliable. SRAM has a higher
03:38 hit rate, and it's only on the very rare occasion that you might feel something out of the ordinary.
03:43 Now, as I turn my attention to the front mech shifting, it's clear that they both have their
03:48 problems. While neither are especially bad, neither are as fast as Shimano. Super Record
03:54 Wireless did also carry that same vagueness of feeling across to the front mech, as occasionally,
04:00 when the cadence was a little bit slower, it did take a little bit longer to change.
04:06 I'm going to give this round to SRAM, as on the whole, my experience has been better. But I will
04:12 be happy to eat my words after spending more time with the Super Record Wireless groupset.
04:17 Aesthetics is really down to personal preference. But to me, SRAM Red looks like a top of the range
04:27 groupset. Super Record doesn't. The mechs are much bulkier on Super Record, and it doesn't have one
04:34 standout feature or aspect of design language that appears to be carving out a future for the brand.
04:40 It looks more like the affordable version of the groupset that you really want.
04:44 To my mind, you want your flagship groupset to be bold and daring in design, so that you can then
04:50 rein in the design for the groupsets that sit below. However, with Super Record, it already
04:57 looks like it's been reined in. I worry how tame, or similar to Super Record, the second tier record
05:04 will end up looking. On the other hand, there is a very clear design language in the SRAM lineup,
05:10 with Red looking very bold and very sleek, with Force taking on a more subdued look.
05:17 This round goes to SRAM Red, but you might disagree.
05:20 Ergonomics were something Campagnolo were very keen to improve upon, which is why the Shifters
05:30 are a complete ground-up redesign, and it's something which the engineers themselves
05:34 are particularly proud of. SRAM, too, has been working on its shifter design,
05:39 and we're now seeing the same hood shape pop up on Force, Rival and Apex, and I would not be
05:45 surprised to see the same appear on Red in the future as well. However, as it currently stands,
05:50 there are a couple of key points which differentiate the two. While the Super Record
05:55 hoods were comfortable when just riding along casually, when I started to ride a bit more
05:59 aggressively, especially up a climb, as I was pulling on the shifters, the gap behind the brake
06:05 cleavers in the main shifter body dug into my fingers and it was quite uncomfortable. I believe
06:10 that these hoods will suit those with larger hands, as I felt they just dwarfed mine to some extent.
06:16 Conversely, SRAM's hoods have softer curves and fit in my hands rather well. The softer edges,
06:21 grippier compound of rubber and simple one-button actuation make it an easier shifter to interact
06:27 with. Now, that's not to say that I wouldn't love to see the brake reservoirs shrink on a
06:33 future generation, but with what we have today, Red just feels better to me.
06:38 The number of features is an area where Super Record really falls behind. For example,
06:47 as it currently stands, Campag doesn't offer any satellite shifters, which SRAM does,
06:53 and you can't swap the batteries between the two derailleurs, which you can on SRAM. It's clear
06:59 that SRAM has beaten Campag to the punch on many aspects, and it does start to show up here.
07:04 Campagnolo has built in the ability to manually turn off the groupset via a couple of buttons on
07:10 the shifters. This is so the batteries don't drain whenever the bike is in motion, as it'll just wake
07:16 up every time it's moved. But this is less of a feature and more something that's just needed
07:22 so that battery life is maintained. So really, this round goes to SRAM.
07:27 One of the big updates that Campagnolo made to the latest generation is the changing gear ratios.
07:37 It claimed that it wanted riders to always be able to find the perfect cadence, and this resulted in
07:43 the brand joining SRAM by only offering cassettes that start from 10 teeth. It's unlikely that the
07:49 resulting increase in chain actuation resistance will be on the minds of the Campag customers,
07:55 as refining cadence is arguably a more tangible improvement to ride quality.
08:01 So how do the two brands go about it differently, and more importantly,
08:04 who does it best? Well, I used a gear inch calculator to tell me. While both group sets
08:11 offer the same hardest and easiest possible gear, it's the bits in the middle which are of more
08:17 interest. On the biggest possible chainrings and the tightest cassette, essentially your go-fast
08:23 setup, Campagnolo offers a little bit more range, as the easiest possible gear is slightly lower
08:29 than SRAM's. On the other hand, when looking at the setup best suited for climbing, it's SRAM
08:34 that offers a slightly wider range. Sheer gear ratios are one thing, but the jumps between those
08:41 gears are also very important to allow you to fine tune your cadence, and once again,
08:47 both are very similar. Each has opted for one tooth increments at the bottom of the block,
08:52 and then revert to two to three jumps at the top of the block. Now, I have always praised SRAM for
08:57 this setup in this regard, as it always means that you can really hone in on the perfect cadence,
09:03 and I really enjoyed this aspect of the Campagnolo group set too. So, I'll call this round a tie.
09:10 Our penultimate round is a simple one. Power meters. Quite simply, SRAM has one,
09:20 and Campagnolo does not. It says that one will be coming in the future, but as yet, we have no idea
09:28 when that will be. In contrast, SRAM has some deep roots in the power meter game. Since the brand
09:34 owns Quark and Powertap, it has some great technology at its disposal, and this has resulted
09:40 in a very accurate and clearly integrated chainring-based power meter. For now though,
09:46 if you're an early adopter of the Super Record Wireless group set, then you'll need to look at
09:51 other options for your power needs. This one goes to SRAM. Perhaps one of the most contentious
10:02 issues that people had on the release of the Super Record Wireless group set was its price.
10:08 Maybe had the price been a little more in line with its competitors, people would be more willing
10:14 to forgive and look past some of the lack of finesse. To highlight just how much more the
10:20 group set really is compared to SRAM, on screen you can see the retail pricing of the standard
10:26 2x hydraulic red group set. Below that is the price for the same group set, but with the power
10:33 meter. And then below that is the price for the Super Record Wireless, in its currently only
10:39 available form. Here in the UK, the difference between the comparable group sets is £1,150, or
10:47 $1,651, with it dropping to £705, or $1,141 when comparing the power meter version of red
10:57 to the only available version of Super Record. As I often say in many group set videos,
11:04 few people are going to go out and buy a group set by itself. No, group sets come on bikes. So,
11:11 how do the full build costs stack up against each other? Well, here in the UK, the Specialised
11:16 S-Works Athos is available for £13,000 with the full SRAM Red with power meter. The Campagnolo
11:25 build is being offered at £15,000, an extra £2,000. It should be highlighted that this isn't
11:34 just down to the group set. The bike is also fitted with Campagnolo's own Hyperon Ultra wheels,
11:40 which will cost Specialised more money to fit over and above its in-house Roval wheels. But,
11:46 this is a story which I believe is likely to be seen across multiple builds. Really,
11:51 it's safe to say this round goes to SRAM. The result of this battle of top trumps paints a
11:57 pretty harsh picture for Campagnolo, but given my experience with both group sets and the hard
12:04 facts, it's a reflection that I think will keep appearing. You may be questioning why I didn't
12:10 bring Shimano into this video, and that's because the current form of Dura-Ace doesn't share quite
12:15 so much in common as these group sets do, and on the surface, pose a rather titillating comparison.
12:22 SRAM Red, as we know it, was last updated in 2019, so it would not be a surprise to see a
12:29 new version of it very soon. Now, if these results are anything to go by, any potential new SRAM Red
12:36 could be about to leave Super Record Wireless in the dust. Let me know down below, what do you
12:42 think of today's comparison? Would you be willing to purchase Campagnolo purely because of the name,
12:49 or do you want to adopt more of that modern approach that SRAM takes? If you enjoyed the
12:54 video, then please do drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content, and I will see you
12:58 again very soon.