Campagnolo Launches New Bora Ultra WTO Line

Campagnolo has been hard at work over the last three years to build a faster wheel. The first Bora wheelset was released in 1994 and after 27 years of development, the 10th edition of the wheelset, the new Bora Ultra WTO (Wind Tunnel Optimized), is set to continue to raise the bar in speed.

From the beginning, the latest version of the Bora wheelset has been designed for disc brakes, specifically Centerlock rotors. The rims are made using Campagnolo’s latest H.U.L.C. (handmade ultra-light carbon) material and a molding process that has been refined over 20+ years to balance strength, weight, and stiffness. The rims are finished using their C-Lux (Campagnolo Luxury) finish, which gives them a polished (no pun intended) look and also reduces weight by not needing a lacquer coating to finish off the carbon. This mirror-like finish not only looks good but also creates an optimized finish in the rim bed for tubeless. With the 2-way, undrilled rim bed, this makes for an exceptional setup for tubeless tires, a nod to the technology‘s growing presence on the road and racing. Campagnolo finishes the wheels off with minimal, subtle copper and ghosted black graphics.

Campagnolo uses their new Aero Mo-Mag nipple seats molded into the rim. While traditional nipple holes and nipples can cause stress points in the rim, Campy’s Mo-Mag nipple seats are molded into the rim with a polymer plate. This helps to spread out the stress, while also keeping the nipple slotted in place to match the spoke angle. It also means that all of the spoke holes and valve stem hole are all molded into the rim, reducing the weak points caused by drilling into the rim after molding. Aero Mo-Mag expands upon this by moving the nipple inside of the rim for improved aerodynamics, yet still allowing easy access for truing wheels. The Bora Ultra WTO wheelsets come with a special tool to use to adjust spoke tension for truing.

Adding to the aero optimization, Campagnolo used their elliptical aero spokes in their G3 design. This groups together three spokes instead of more traditional lacing patterns that use equal spacing. This 2:1 pattern is biased differently for the front and rear wheels and uses straight pull on the side with more spokes, J-bend on the other. The front wheel has more spokes on the non-drive side to handle stress from disc brakes, while the rear focuses on the drive side. This helps the wheel handle the largest stresses on the wheel better, making it more laterally stiff and reducing stress points, helping to create a longer-lasting wheel.

When it comes to the hubs, Campagnolo uses a carbon front thru-axle with an integrated radial flange on the straight pull side of the hubs. Out back, the rear wheel gets an aluminum thru-axle hub with a 36T pawl ratchet, providing quick engagement. Three different freehub bodies are available, Campagnolo’s 11-13 speed N3W standard, SRAM’s XDR, or Shimano HG 11 speed. Inside, they use their CULT (Ceramic Ultimate Level Technology) bearings, which Campagnolo claims have a 40% reduction in friction over standard sealed bearings. They use extremely round ceramic balls that roll on wear resistant stainless steel races that are engineered to precision tolerances for efficiency and durability.

What is created is an overall aerodynamic package, which is part of the WTO concept. Campagnolo found that riders spend about 80% of the time in the equivalent of the 10-20 degree range in the wind tunnel. In their own testing, a standard rim had an average drag of about 20.17 watts. The WTO 45, which includes the new Bora Ultra WTO 45, had an average drag of about 13.33 watts. The combination of the rim design, spoke shape, and a sculpted hub shape creates an aerodynamic wheelset that performs in the real world. But WTO is not just about aerodynamics, but also stiffness and light weight. Campagnolo combines all of the technologies mentioned above to find that balance.

The Bora Ultra WTO line consists of three wheelsets.

When your ride is going up, the Bora Ultra WTO 33 is your choice. At 33mm tall, 21mm internal width, and 27.4mm external, it keeps weights down to 1385g for the pair. It remains stiff for putting the power down on the step attacks, yet still has an aerodynamic benefit on the flats and descents.

For all-around days, the Bora Ultra WTO 45 adds the aerodynamics of a 45mm tall, 19mm internal width, and 26.1mm external width rim with a minimal weight increase up to 1425g for the pair. In their testing, the Bora Ultra WTO 45 set up with 25mm Continental GP5000 TL saw significant time gains over previous versions in both a climbing time trial and a hilly stage.

When speed is your main concern, the Bora Ultra WTO 60 ups the game with a 60mm tall, 19mm internal width, and 26.1mm external width rim. Even with a slightly narrower internal width, the 60 is optimized for a 25mm wide tire. At 1530g, it’s a minimal weight penalty for the aerodynamic gains of a taller wheel.

All three versions are priced at $3,585, and will initially only be available as a set.

Scott Kingsley

Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Scott joined Bike World News as the Cyclocross Editor in 2012 before taking over as Tech Editor in 2016. He has also worked as a photographer for various pro teams and shoot races along the east coast of the US, including the 2012 US MTB National Championships, 2013 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, and 2016 UCI Road World Championships. Scott has a passion for performance and technology, with 35 years of riding and mechanic experience. He also enjoys soccer, running, teaching group fitness classes, and is the founder of Lancaster Beard Company.

www.teamkickass.org