Campagnolo Hyperon Ultra wheelset

With the Campagnolo Hyperon Ultra wheels, the company has breathed new life into that iconic Hyperon moniker. The new wheelset has been designed for duty in the mountains, but boasts a slew of attributes to help it excel in myriad other conditions.

Our testing comprised upwards of a thousand kilometres in all kinds of conditions ranging from rain and wind to heat, not forgetting an assortment of topography to test its performance claims and understand where it fits in among the best road bike wheels currently available.

The headline specs for these wheels read as follows:

• A 37mm deep rim that's 21mm across internally and 27mm externally.
• An all-up weight of 1,240g - that's pretty light by today's disc-brake standards.
• A 2-Way Fit system which means the wheels can be run in either tubeless or tubed, plus a tubular-specific version that drops the weight to a staggering 1,160g.

Visually, the Hyperon Ultras follow Campagnolo's contemporary design script, adopting a sophisticated treatment that is both refined and alluring.

As such, the wheels utilise the brand's typical high-gloss finish – something it calls C-Lux – which works well in this application, especially when it comes to accentuating the laser-etched keyline graphical treatment of the Hyperon wordmark and copper-hued Ultra logo. The gloss treatment is also said to keep weight to a minimum.

The unidirectional carbon fibre is both beautiful and functional. See, the aerospace-grade fibres and resin, not to mention the one-join construction – most wheels are manufactured with four – make for a very stiff wheel. The punchless spoke holes also work to reduce lateral flex.

Campagnolo has been championing the asymmetric rim philosophy for a while now (it's also seen on its sub-brand Fulcrum), and the Hyperons employ this concept too. They also posses a fully-sealed rim bed that requires no tape – the nipples are below the sealed rim. It's claimed it saves weight.

No, we didn't cut ours up... that's a press shot. The wheels come with a three-year warranty and are rated to accommodate a total system weight (rider and bike) of up to 115kg.

Unlike many rivals, the Hyperon Ultras use a hooked rim – the aim being better security for thinner tyres and higher pressures – and according to Campag, 37mm represents the sweet spot between climbing ability and aerodynamics.

The hubs feature Campagnolo's CULT ceramic bearings, complete with water-resistant stainless steel races to prolong life. The front wheel uses 21 bladed spokes laced radially on the right with a two-cross pattern on the caliper side; the hub flange is asymmetrical, with a deeper section on the left than right.

The rear wheel ups the spoke count to 24, but uses a two-cross lacing pattern with the same asymmetric hub flange depth.

The ratchet-based freehub has 36 points of engagement (so a 10 degree engagement angle) and is available with Campag's NSW freehub, which plays nicely with 11, 12 and 13-speed cassettes. There's also scope to fit Shimano 11 or 12 speed, or SRAM 11-speed and XDR.

Performance

The Hyperon wheels are superb in most conditions. I tested them exclusively on a Pinarello Dogma F Super Record EPS, which proved the ideal platform for the job. At 37mmm deep the wheels do indeed strike a great balance between aerodynamics and climbing efficiency, and do well to thwart crosswind interference too. They are predictable in most situations, and this sense of assurance tends to encourage you to push harder and carry more speed into corners.

The standout feature of these wheels, however, is the ability to adapt to any situation, condition or terrain type. They fly up the climbs thanks to feathery weight, barrel along the flats and respond almost instantaneously to pedal inputs thanks to impressive lateral stiffness and the crisp hub engagement. Pick-up feels immediate.

The rear hub is neither obnoxiously loud nor completely silent, but rather emits a low-key buzz – there's no need for these wheels to shout out their credentials.

The 21mm internal rim width seemed to have a positive effect on the rolling efficiency of some 26mm Pirelli P Zero Races, as well as increasing the contact patch. Lowering the pressure – both front and rear – did wonders to unlock bonus levels of comfort and performance.

As brilliant as the Campagnolo Hyperon Ultra wheels are, the £3,200 price places them out of reach for many, if not most. That aside they're hard to fault, especially considering how good they are as an all-round rapid option.

Value

In terms of rivals, the Hyperon Ultras go head-to-head with the Zipp 353 NSW wheels that Stu reviewed. At £3,376 and 1,340g, the Zipps are marginally heavier and a touch more expensive, and are limited somewhat when it comes to tyre size and format.

Then there's the Princeton CarbonWorks Wake 6560 wheels also tested by Stu, which are more still at £3,700. The Wakes are deeper than both the Zipps and Hyperons but also heavier, which is always going to be a deal breaker when it comes to items of this stature.

Overall

The Campagnolo Hyperon Ultra wheels are a work of art – they're superbly designed, well built and deliver the experience we've come to expect from Campagnolo. What that means is a wonderfully performing wheel that can cope with the demands of any situation; be it crosswinds, hills, mountains, flats or descents.

Sure, there are cheaper and lighter alternatives, but these options often lack the same level of stiffness and response, not to mention the brand cachet. The Hyperons are premium in every way and will undoubtedly give you an advantage if you compete at a high level; if not, these are not for you and you're better off with a mid-level offering.

Verdict

Expensive yet incredibly well-constructed and efficient wheelset