In the case of the Campagnolo Shamal, what a difference 32 years makes. Before 1993, aerodynamic wheels were solely for time trialling. But the Campagnolo Shamal changed all that: it was, in the Italian brand’s words, the “forefather of a new generation of wheels aimed at all categories of user”.
With the original – now iconic – Shamal, Campagnolo claimed to be the first cycling manufacturer to use National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) research to create not just a rim profile but an entire wheel whose components worked together to penetrate the air more efficiently. The spokes themselves, also designed using NACA curve research, were lenticular in cross section and there were just 16 per wheel in the first-generation version – at the time an unthinkably low number for a road race wheel.
Although the weight of 1,885g for the tubular version was not the lightest – the rims were polished aluminium – the Gewiss team used them for all their road races, even the ones with the steepest gradients. Who can forget the team’s Classics dominance, in particular the notorious clean sweep of the 1994 Flèche Wallonne podium with Moreno Argentin, Giorgio Furlan and Evgeni Berzin?
More than 30 years on, the new Shamal bears little resemblance to the 1993 edition – and it’s the Bora Ultra WTO, not the Shamal that’s the flagship road race wheel, with the Shamal redirected to undertake broader ‘endurance’ duties including light gravel – but it still features some radical tech that isn’t available with any of Campagnolo’s other wheels. The 2025 Shamal has a dual-height rim profile that Campagnolo says improves aerodynamics in crosswinds and, thanks to the use of new materials, at 1,480g per pair they are over 100g lighter than the outgoing model – and of course considerably lighter than the 1993 version.
The new Shamals were conceived at the brand’s research and development laboratories in Vicenza using CFD analysis, wind tunnel data and road testing. Campagnolo reports that it took the characteristics of previous iterations to a higher level with the new rim design, called Dual Profile. Featuring a straight line between the curved sections of the rim, the new wheels are designed to improve aerodynamics in crosswinds and provide benefits in bike handling over all terrain and wind conditions.
Campagnolo highlights that, just like the original Shamal, all elements of the wheel work together to provide not only improved aerodynamics but also increased responsiveness: the new rim profile combines with hubs that also have differentiated flanges allowing the use of shorter spokes for better overall rigidity under pedalling forces without forgoing rider comfort.
For the rim construction, Campagnolo uses a unidirectional carbon with C-LUX finish. This means the fibres are not intertwined but arranged one on top of the other in a structure that evenly distributes mechanical loads along the direction of the fibres so that, says the brand, not only is ride quality optimised for the road but the Shamals can also operate with bigger tyres in an all-terrain environment.
It’s no surprise that Campagnolo hasn’t gone hookless, sticking with its 2-Way Fit system with tried-and-tested hooked-rim technology that’s compatible with clincher/inner tube or tubeless setups. With a 23mm internal rim width – an increase of 2mm over the outgoing version – they are compatible with a wide range of tyre sizes from 28mm up to a recommended maximum of 45mm. No rim tape is necessary with a tubeless setup since the spoke nipples are concealed inside the rim, positioned using Campagnolo’s patented MoMag system that guides them into place magnetically.
The spokes are configured in Campagnolo’s G3 lacing geometry, which comprises seven groups of three parallel spokes in a 2:1 ratio: The rear has two spokes on the drive side, which is subjected to greater load, balanced by a pulling spoke on the opposite side. In the front wheel the pattern is reversed so that the left side, with the disc, has two spokes for every one on the right. This is a patented system which provides riders with the perfect tensioning balance and the best rigidity. The Shamals’ aluminium hubs are built with the cup-and-cone system, allowing straightforward bearing adjustment and maintenance.
Like all Campagnolo’s wheels, the new Shamals are manufactured in Europe with a manual assembly process and, says the brand, every production phase, from creation of the individual components to final manufacturing, is carefully controlled to guarantee maximum quality and precision.
And finally, despite the specifically developed Dual Profile rim design that isn’t available with any existing Campagnolo wheel, the new Shamal is still competitively priced, with a recommended retail price of €1,890/£1,649.99 (up from the €1,581 of the outgoing model) and is also available with Shimano HG11 and SRAM XDR freehub versions at €1,897.
Go to Campagnolo’s website for more information.
