Campagnolo Zonda DB

Campagnolo has applied its extensive wheel design know-how to produce an alloy disc-brake wheel that achieves an impressive price point and has solid performance to boot.

Colored a dark, matte charcoal — which suited our taste — these wheels have an exotic look. Like most Campagnolo wheels, the Zonda’s 21 spokes, front and rear, are grouped in threes. In the back, two drive-side spokes are paired with each one on the left. The pattern is flipped on the front to put more spokes on the disc rotor side. All of these spokes are bladed, tapered, and made from stainless steel.

The Italians also went to great lengths to design specific rims for Campagnolo’s first disc brake wheelset. The machined aluminum hoops are asymmetrical, and the front is slightly lower profile at 26 millimeters to the 28 millimeter deep rear.

Although not many bikes come stock with Campagnolo parts, these wheels are available with Shimano/SRAM compatible freehubs as well. They employ a straightforward cup-and-cone bearing system that can be adjusted with a small ring, like most other Campagnolo hubs. Similar to the spoke configuration, the rear hub has a large drive-side flange, and the front has an oversized flange on the left side.

Out on the road, the Zonda wheels are on par with a number of other more expensive carbon wheel options. We noticed that solid feel while carving corners and sprinting out of the saddle. Plus, the stiff ride quality doesn’t come at the expense of manners in the crosswinds. Thanks to the shallow rims, these wheels would be nice all-rounders for riders living in windy places.

However, at this budget price, the Campy hoops are a bit heavy, and that held them back when we accelerated up steep hills.

Weight: 786 grams front; 889 grams rear
Spoke count: 21 front/21 rear
Rim width: 22mm outer; tk mm inner
Rim type: Clincher
Moment of intertia: 512929.1974
Deflection data: 5.48mm front/6.13mm rear