Review of the new Campagnolo Zonda: more accessible Italian-style carbon

With the all-new Zonda, Campagnolo makes its carbon wheels more accessible by offering a model designed to go from road to rolling trails, priced at €1,420. With their 50 mm rims, 25 mm internal width (30 mm external), and an announced weight of 1,550 g, they promise to combine road performance with versatility. It remains to be seen on the ground whether these wheels, which immediately display a particularly meticulous finish, live up to their promises.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©3bikes.fr

In the hierarchy of Campagnolo’s wheel range, these new Zonda wheels play an intermediary role. While the Bora Ultra WTO, Bora WTO, Hyperon, and Shamal aim for pure road performance and the Bora X targets pure gravel, the Zonda wheels offer to navigate between these two worlds without betraying the DNA of the Vicenza brand.

To achieve this, the Italian manufacturer has opted for high-modulus unidirectional carbon. The 25 mm rim width allows for the mounting of generous tire sections, so they are as comfortable on asphalt as on trails with more loose surfaces. The rims retain traditional hooks and accept both tubeless and inner tubes.

It’s impossible to talk about Campagnolo without mentioning the G3 spoke pattern, recognizable by its groups of three spokes. This asymmetrical architecture, with twice as many spokes on the drive side, balances tensions when pedaling and under powerful disc braking. Beyond the theoretical gains in lateral stiffness and responsiveness, it has also been an iconic visual signature for nearly 25 years.

The adjustable cup-and-cone bearings confirm this attachment to Campa’s historical solutions. Finally, it should be noted that manufacturing is entirely European, carried out in the brand’s factories.

A Valued Finish

Even before riding, the new Zonda wheels make a strong impression. The finish is impeccable and immediately pleasing to the eye. The C-LUX treatment gives the rims a particularly successful glossy appearance. The hubs and spokes extend this sense of coherence. For Campagnolo’s entry-level carbon, the result is very appealing: it’s far from a sacrificed product to lower the price.

Initial handling confirms this feeling. The bearings turn smoothly, with the freedom one would expect from a higher-end product. Only a prolonged winter test will allow us to judge their longevity, but the perceived quality is already there.

Vittoria Corsa Pro Control 30mm Tires in Their Element

Campagnolo France entrusted us with these wheels mounted with Vittoria Corsa Pro Control Tubeless Ready tires in 30 mm. A choice in line with the adventurous spirit of the Zonda, as claimed by Campa. Rather than ultralight tires designed for time trials, the focus here is on a profile capable of handling greasy and rough roads, cobblestones, and rolling trails. A 320 TPI cotton casing, Graphene + Silica compound, and reinforced tread prioritize grip and puncture resistance.

Announced at 325 g per tire by Vittoria, these tires don’t chase weight, but their performance is surprisingly good. The sensation of fluidity is real, with contained rolling resistance and true dynamism in accelerations, even if they lack a bit of sharpness compared to a Corsa Pro or a Corsa Speed. This reminds us that weight isn’t everything. The suppleness of the casing and the work of the rubber make these tires suitable for sporty riding, even if it’s for difficult conditions here.

Smooth and Stiff Wheels

On the road, the Zonda Carbon All Road wheels offer another pleasant surprise: their level of performance, which I didn’t necessarily expect from an entry-level model in Campagnolo’s carbon range. From the first kilometers, I noticed excellent lateral stiffness, noticeable when I stood on the pedals to accelerate on false flats or to relaunch on the succession of small bumps that punctuate the beginning of my training rides.

However, the contact with the road is a little less refined than with wheels mounted with Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed, which are much lighter and more oriented towards pure performance, but also much more fragile. With an adapted inflation pressure, around 4.8 bar in the 30 mm Corsa Pro Control, I don’t feel any particular vagueness, even when I strongly stress the wheels out of the saddle, with a large gear. The whole gives an impression of precision and solidity, without perceptible deformation when pressing hard on the pedals.

The sound of the tires on the asphalt, combined with the slight characteristic resonance of high carbon rims, also contributes to the sensations. There is something particularly pleasant about this impression of fluidity, with wheels that respond well to various demands.

Obviously, the Zonda wheels suffer a slight handicap compared to wheels that are 200 g lighter, especially on long climbs where each change of pace requires a little more energy. At a steady pace, however, they roll along without a hitch.

On the flat, the Zonda wheels benefit from appreciable inertia, especially when the wind is favorable. Their 50 mm profile remains reasonable and allows for satisfactory control of the bike when side gusts occur. The advantage of this rim height is also noticeable when it comes to maintaining a high cruising speed. However, it is no longer quite as simple at high speeds, on open descents exposed to crosswinds, where riding requires more attention.

At this level, I found the Zonda a little less convincing than the Zipp 404 S, which belong to the same category of wheels. On the other hand, the Campagnolo wheels seem stiffer and more effective when it comes to chaining sprints on the flat or powerful accelerations. Two slightly different characters, therefore, which show that the choice is not limited to the rim profile or the displayed weight. However, it is on the ability to venture off the asphalt that the two pairs of wheels differ most clearly. Zipp specifies that the 404 S are not intended for gravel use, while Campagnolo presents the Zonda as a model suitable for mixed use.

I must admit that I haven’t really tested the latter on real gravel roads, rough and stony. I limited myself to a few kilometers on a dirt road, more comparable to the Strade Bianche than to the treacherous descents of the Traka. On this terrain, the Vittoria Corsa Pro Control proved to be comfortable and showed no signs of unusual wear after this first pass. The wheels, for their part, maintained their consistent behavior with the bike, without giving the impression of being limited by this surface.

Further testing will be needed to evaluate their performance on more demanding terrain. The 25 mm internal width nevertheless allows for the mounting of wider tires, while respecting the compatibilities and limits recommended by Campagnolo. With suitable 40 mm tires, the Zonda could thus constitute an interesting base for fast gravel.

A Good Compromise for Road and Rolling Trails

After several hundred kilometers of testing, the results are largely positive. Meticulous finish, lateral stiffness, and road behavior make these Zonda wheels endearing, without the feeling of equipping oneself with cut-rate Campagnolo. The 50 mm profile ensures stability on the flat, while the 1,550 g weight indicates some limitations on long climbs.

Thanks to their versatility, the new Campagnolo Zonda wheels are aimed at those who want to venture off the beaten path without sacrificing serious road riding. But the overall finish can also be the deciding factor. Which is not the least of the qualities of a pair of wheels sold at a retail price of €1,420.

The +

• Finish
• Stiffness
• Road/gravel versatility
• Bearing quality

The –

• Weight 

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

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