Campagnolo Bora WTO 45 wheels get race-ready aero gains, add disc brakes

New tubeless-ready Bora WTO 45 & 45 Disc wheels from Campagnolo expand the Italian brand’s top, race-ready aerodynamic road bike wheel line-up with a mid-depth all-rounder option. Campagnolo introduced their first entirely aero-focused, premium Wind Tunnel Optimized carbon Bora wheelsets last spring with 60mm & 77mm deep variants, so a new pair of 45mm deep wheelsets brings more versatility.

Campy Bora WTO 45 aero carbon rim brake wheels

Re-evaluating their top-level Bora carbon road wheel family, Campagnolo saw the opportunity to put real-world aerodynamics at the forefront of new designs. That was the impetus for the Wind Tunnel Optimized – WTO label, designed to further the Bora family’s claim to the most combined wins in the pro peloton of any wheel line – not only the fastest at a set yaw angle but designed for optimal performance across the range of real world racing conditions based on published wind condition data. We already went into the full WTO details last spring (and why they chose tubeless over any tubular variant), so now this is mostly an update on how they apply to a lower-profile, mid-depth 45mm rim, with new rim & disc brake specific designs.

The Bora WTO 45 rim brake wheels essentially share the same build tech as the deeper WTO 60 wheels, with aero optimized alloy hubs, diamond-shaped bladed stainless steel straightpull spokes, and Campagnolo’s basic USB ceramic bearings (claimed 2x as smooth rolling as premium steel bearings).

What is new of course is the 45mm deep, tubeless carbon C19 rim with a 19mm internal width. Again it is optimized for improved drag reductions across a range of yaw angle like you actually experience out on the road. The wheels feature Campy’s advance AC3 braking surface treatment that promises consistent, powerful braking in wet or dry conditions. They are also 2-Way Fit tubeless-ready thanks to Campy’s Momag rim construction technique that does not pull holes in the rim bed, instead guiding nipples into place during wheel building through the valve hole guided to each spoke hole with a magnet.

The 1496g Bora WTO 45 wheelset (657g front, 839g rear) is built with 18 radially laced aero spokes up front, and 21 grouped G3 spokes in the rear.

Campy Bora WTO 45 Disc aero carbon disc brake wheels

The Bora WTO 45 Disc wheels are a bit more unique as they are all-new, and a clear acceptance by Campagnolo of disc brakes for road racing. When Campy introduced the WTO lineup last year with its aero road racing focus, the lack of an aero disc brake version while they had just introduced a Super Record 2×12 disc brake road groupset was a clear indication that they were still prioritizing rim brakes for racing. That starts to shift with an all-new premium aero focused disc brake wheelset.

The WTO 45 Disc did require its own carbon rim design, with a shape similar to the WTO 45, but not constrained by the need for a braking surface – optimized for 25-28mm road racing tires.

The result is another 2-Way Fit tubeless-ready hooked C19 profile – 45mm deep, 19mm internal & 27mm external, widest just below the bead. The rims feature bead lock shoulder ridges, a continuous rim bed that doesn’t require tubeless tape, molded spoke holes, and an internal spoke washer to perfectly align forces onto the rim structure.

The disc brake wheels use an all-new aero aluminum disc brake hubset with a conical shape sloping into the center. They feature 24 straightpull spoke lacing front & rear, taking advantage of asymmetric grouped G3 lacing for even spoke tension, and again USB ceramic bearings.

Like all of Campy’s wheels, the WTOs are available with either Campagnolo or Shimano HG freehub bodies. The centerlock-compatible disc brake hubs come standard with threaded 12mm thru-axles, with adjustable bearing preload load.

Interestingly Campy claims similar weights for the disc brake wheelset at 1520g thanks to a lighter weight, if slightly less aero rear hub (708g front, 812g rear.) We put an early, pre-production set of the new WTO 45 Disc wheels on our scale including steel rotor lockrings and they came in about 30g heavier at 1553g (731g, 822g).

While alloy hubs & USB bearings aren’t the top-level for Campagnolo wheels, Campy did confirm to us that a carbon hubset is in development, and is expected in the future at a higher pricepoint more inline with the WTO 77.

Bora WTO wheels – pricing & availability

The new mid-depth wheels are rolling out in a bit of a staggered release. The Bora WTO 45 rim brake wheels retail for $2331 / 2160€ including carbon-specific brake pads, and are being delivered to distributors now for March consumer availability. (All $ prices are without tax, € pricing includes VAT.)

The Bora WTO 45 Disc centerlock disc brake wheels are expected to arrive a bit later this year, with August 2019 availability expected. Official pricing hasn’t yet been announced, but we expect they will add at most around $30/30€ over the rim brake wheels.

The WTO 60 wheels introduced last year with USB composite ceramic bearings sell for the same $2331 / 2160€ as the new wheels.

The front-only WTO 77 sells for a a lot more at $2151 / 1993€ as a single wheel, due to its more premium full ceramic CULT bearings. Rim brake 60mm & 77mm WTO wheels are available from global distribution channels already today. All of the wheels in pairs are also available individually so you can mix and match to get the optimal aero performance for your style of riding.

Campagnolo.com