Campagnolo Bora Ultra 80 Wheelset Tubular

Campagnolo's wind cheating Bora Ultra 80 Wheelset takes its name from the north wind of the Mediterranean. This is an appropriate choice, because if there was ever a wind that you'd want to keep from gaining purchase on you, it's the Bora, whose top speed of 136 miles per hour almost doubles the base speed of hurricane grade winds. While it's obviously not equal to those conditions, the Bora 80s' profile is the best balance between handling and aerodynamics in Campagnolo's legendary line of deep rim wheels, placing it at the testa della corsa of aerodynamic wheels writ large. The rims' generous 80 millimeter depth is likely the Bora 80s' top selling point, but Campagnolo has also gifted them with a wider, more modern width of 24. 2 millimeters. This is a marked increase compared with the previous width of 20 millimeters, and its benefits include better handling and cornering, lower rolling resistance, and a smoother ride. It also nets better lateral stiffness and in a counter intuitive twist actually improves aerodynamics. The width also saves weight by letting Campagnolo build a more structurally sound rim with less material, and it means you can mount bigger tires, up to 27 millimeters, for a tubular ride that's more plush and durable than ever. The Bora's deep rims and iconic branding may be the first image we associate with pro level wheels, but their heart is actually in the CULT bearings. CULT marries superlative ceramic bearings with thermochemically treated Cronitect races for a claimed 3. 5 more watts per pedal stroke over non CULT bearings. The interface between the ceramic balls and Cronitect races is so smooth that they virtually don't wear out and only require a thin film of oil instead of grease. Campagnolo touts these as the lowest friction bearings in the world. While we normally approach anything that smacks of marketing hyperbole with healthy skepticism, taking the Boras for a spin lends credence to Campy's claim. A good wheel can't j...