Campagnolo Shamal Dual Profile 2WF C23 Disc Brake Wheelset

The Campagnolo Shamal Dual Profile 2WF C23 Disc Brake Wheelset carries one of road cycling's most respected names forward into a disc brake era built around wider tires and tubeless setups. First introduced in 1992 as Campagnolo's original high-profile aero wheel, the Shamal has always occupied the performance end of the lineup without climbing into Bora Ultra territory — a wheel for serious riders who want fast carbon hoops with Campagnolo's engineering and serviceability. This generation brings a redesigned carbon rim, a lighter hub structure, and a front-to-rear rim depth pairing that reflects real-world aerodynamic priorities rather than a one-depth-fits-all approach.

Dual Profile: Two Depths, One Wheelset

The "Dual Profile" designation means what it says: the front and rear wheels run different rim depths. The front is 45mm; the rear is 40mm. The logic behind this is aerodynamic and practical in equal measure. A front wheel with greater depth contributes meaningfully to drag reduction at road speeds, and because it steers directly, its contribution to crosswind behavior is also the most consequential. The rear wheel operates in a different aerodynamic environment — partially sheltered by the rider and frame — where a shallower depth still provides aero benefit while shedding a small amount of rotational mass. Campagnolo developed this pairing in the wind tunnel and on the road, and the result is a wheelset that is faster than a matched 40mm set and more manageable than a matched 45mm one.

G3 Lacing and Hub Design

Campagnolo's G3 spoke lacing pattern is one of the most recognized visual signatures in road cycling, and it exists for reasons beyond aesthetics. The G3 arrangement groups spokes in sets of three — alternating drive-side and non-drive-side clusters — rather than distributing them one-by-one around the hub flange. This grouping allows for more even spoke tension across the wheel and distributes load more gradually through the rim and hub. Campagnolo holds a patent on the G3 design, and it has been a defining feature of their performance wheels for years.

The hubs on the Shamal Dual Profile use aluminum construction with Campagnolo's cup-and-cone bearing system. Cup-and-cone bearings have a longer service history than cartridge alternatives and can be adjusted precisely — a mechanic with the right tools can dial in bearing preload and service them over multiple seasons. The redesigned single-piece hub shell increases stiffness while reducing weight compared to the previous Shamal generation. Differentiated flange geometry — different flange positions on each side of the rear hub — allows for shorter spokes on the drive side, which reduces flex under power transfer. Spoke count is 21 front and 21 rear.

C23 Rim Bed and 2-Way Fit Tubeless

The C23 rim designation refers to a 23mm internal width — Campagnolo's current standard for performance road wheels designed around 28mm and wider tires. Running wider tires at lower pressure on a wider rim reduces the balloon effect that makes narrow rims inefficient with modern tire sizes, improves the tire's contact patch shape, and provides meaningful rolling resistance gains over typical road surfaces. The Shamal's C23 rim is sized for 28mm tires as the baseline, and it works well with 30-32mm for riders prioritizing comfort on mixed-surface routes.

The 2WF designation — 2-Way Fit — means the rim bed is tubeless-compatible without the addition of rim tape. The internal construction seals the spoke holes at the rim's core rather than relying on adhesive tape applied over them. This simplifies the tubeless setup process and removes a potential failure point. The wheel runs clincher tires with tubes if you prefer that setup; no changes to the rim are required to switch between the two.

Weight, Finish, and Compatibility

The Shamal Dual Profile 2WF comes in at 1,480 grams for the set — more than 100 grams lighter than the previous generation Shamal. The C-LUX carbon fiber finish is Campagnolo's premium surface treatment for their carbon rim sidewalls, providing a consistent appearance and surface quality across the wheel. Brake type is Centerlock disc, and the axle interface is thru-axle. The wheelset is available with three freehub options: HG11 for Shimano and SRAM 11-speed drivetrains, XDR for SRAM's 12-speed AXS road cassettes, and Campagnolo N3W for the N3W standard used on Campagnolo 12 and 13-speed groupsets.

At just over $2,000, the Shamal Dual Profile 2WF sits in a segment where the names that matter are few and the differences between them are real. This is a wheel for the rider who wants genuine Campagnolo craftsmanship at the tier below the Bora Ultra — performance carbon with a heritage that goes back to when high-profile road wheels were still a new concept, updated for the demands of disc brake road riding in 2024.