Wednesday, 11 December 2024
News

Campagnolo launch 1485g Levante gravel wheelset

Campagnolo has launched its first all-gravel wheelset; Levante, an all new 1485g carbon fibre design.

Levante brings a host of proven Campagnolo technologies to the gravel scene and is designed for off-road adventures and racing alike. The premium carbon-fibre wheelset adopts a series of subtle styling

Campagnolo Levante front wheel fitted to Colnago CX bike

cues that complement Campagnolo’s ground-breaking 13-speed Ekar gravel groupset, completing an understated yet head-turning aesthetic.

The rim sports a stunning mirror-like C-LUX finish – first seen on the brand’s ultra-premium Bora Ultra WTO wheelset – which is so pristinely smooth that it doesn’t require lacquer, saving more valuable grams. When applied to the rim bed, C-LUX also helps to ensure the safest possible seating of tubeless tyres and further reduces the risk of abrasions to the bead. Levante couples this practical and beautiful finish with durable laser-etched rim graphics capable of withstanding the demands of gravel riding.

Beyond the striking aesthetic lies a series of in-house technological innovations designed to enable fast, fun and controlled gravel riding, which translates into a confidence-inspiring ride feel with no compromise on strength.

Levante benefits from Campagnolo’s Hand Made Ultra-Light Carbon (H.U.L.C) which is used in the wheels’ rim construction, and is the result of extensive development over decades of in-house carbon fibre moulding, enabling Campagnolo’s engineers to optimise the usage of both fibre and bonding resin for the perfect blend of strength, stiffness and light weight.

Rear wheel drive side with freebody on show

A simple and familiar cup and cone hub system ensures ease of servicing and external nipples allow for on-the-go spoke re-tensioning if needed, with no new tools required. Equally, Levante’s adoption of a regular spoke pattern, using straight-pull spokes, means that replacements (if ever needed) are easy to source and fit no matter where the road takes you.

Levante utilises Campagnolo’s Next 3 Ways (N3W) freehub body. N3W is a patented standard for a freewheel body engineered to house Campagnolo 11, 12 and 13-speed cassettes. The wheelset is also available to purchase with Shimano HG and SRAM XDR freehub bodies.

Not only is the wheelset durable, but versatile too. Campagnolo’s two-way fit rim profile ensures tubeless and clincher compatibility while the 25mm internal rim width can accommodate a broad range of tire widths from 38mm to 76mm (1.5-3.0”). Combined with its middle ground 30mm rim depth, this makes Levante suitable for every ride – from fast gravel races to multi-day off-piste bikepacking trips.

Underpinning it all is a considered engineering approach that makes no compromise on durability and serviceability, making the wheelset an ideal choice for off-the-beaten track adventures.

Priced at £1349.99, $1899.95 USD, €1575 with N3W hub, Levante is available now.

This marks the first product launch following the ‘Dream Bigger‘ announcement, in which the brand reported its “turnover increasing by 45% from 2020-2022, with OEM sales in financial year 2022, projected to represent 45% of the company’s turnover – a staggering five-fold increase in absolute terms since financial year 2019.”