Campagnolo

Bora One 35 Wheelset - Clincher

The median depth of Campagnolo's Bora One 35 Wheelset strikes a balance between the advantages of low rotational mass for climbing and drag-reducing aerodynamics for holding speed on the flats. They also exhibit no signs of compromise in the build, the hubs, or the price, bringing a modern-width rim with Campy's legendary bearing expertise to a price point that matches the glut of carbon hoops laced to lesser hubs. If a person had such an uncompromising disposition, they wouldn't be pleasant at all, but when it comes to do-it-all race wheels, that level of intractability is a good thing.

While the convenience afforded by their clincher compatibility means that the Bora One 35s are now more viable as an everyday and race wheelset, we're maybe more excited by the new width. For the new generation, the Bora 35 rims have expanded to 24.2 millimeters, which allows for more tire volume, better handling and cornering, lower rolling resistance, and a smoother ride. The wider rims also net better lateral stiffness and — in a counter-intuitive twist — actually improve aerodynamics. These gains in ride quality also come with an overall weight loss since the stronger cross-section of a wider rim lets Campagnolo build a more structurally sound wheel with less material.

Despite all of our bluster about no compromises, the Bora One Wheels do make concessions to Campagnolo's flagship Bora Ultra Wheels in the hubs. The Bora Ones' hubs are made from aluminum instead of carbon, and the bearings are Campy's Ultra Smooth Bearings (USB) instead of CULT. Of course, USB hubs still use legendary Campagnolo ceramic bearings, so they're a claimed 50% smoother than steel, which puts the USB hubs in a league above.

Campy has expanded the use of 3Diamant braking surface to include all Bora models because it addresses some of the key braking issues we've all had with carbon rims in the past. Campagnolo literally uses diamonds to hone the brake track to near perfection, removing imperfections and resin so that the pads connect straight to a strip of slightly textured carbon. This eliminates pulsing and reduces the time it takes for the brake pads to grab the rim and it all but eliminates the usual breaking-in period for carbon brake strips, increasing stopping power by 40% in wet conditions and 20% when it's dry.

Campagnolo finishes off the Bora One 35s with a few more thoughtful details. The oversized rear flange nets additional stiffness for power transfer that takes advantage of the rims' aerodynamic profile and smooth bearings. The included quick releases have also been redesigned with an eye toward weight loss and aerodynamics. Returning features include the signature G3 spoke pattern, which absorbs road noise and improves power transfer, and rim balancing that offsets the nominal weight imbalance caused by the valve stem hole and associated hardware. Campy constructs and lays-up all of the carbon for the Boras in Vicenza, and every piece is X-rayed to scan for imperfections.