I have just built this up on my gravel bike and am very impressed. As someone who rides on the road to get to the off road sections, this group set hits the mark. Later down the line the fact that the smaller sprockets are separated from the main body means that replacements will be more affordable to the higher gears most likely to be affected by wear and tear. I have sram etap on my road bike, and didn’t find it difficult adjusting to my first experience with campagnolo. Also, the front chainrings are easily changed out to accommodate different riding styles. I have a 42 front chainring that is perfect for my riding, but feel safe in the knowledge that I can swap it for a 38 if I were to attempt steeper climbs.
This is exactly what I love about your reviews, David. Concise, to the point, no marketing bull, but fair and honest opinions from a user's perspective, which in my mind is a lot more valuable to the average consumer than just hyping the latest and greatest products. Keep it up!
I’ve always ridden campag in my younger years racing. After a 20 year gap from cycling, I’ve just purchased a gravel bike with Ekar. Delighted to say it’s just as magnificent as the Record on my road and TT bikes of yesteryear. Absolutely wonderful group set.
I have 15 year old Campag stuff that I actually rode to a 3rd place in a gravel race yesterday, I do not think durability has ever been an issue for the company. I have this groupset coming shortly for my new gravel bike, cannot wait. Thank you for the great review.
It has been, especially recently, but in lower tier gear. Like, centaur, veloce, early - xenon was pretty fragile and shifter ratchet was wearing quickly. Centaur has issues with front derailleur, i also have broken centaur RD (it broke on tiny bump on the road, lol), but higher tier is still very reliable, as well as wheels, cassettes, chains, etc
Hi David, Many thanks for another great review! I have bought an orange Kinesis AT3 frame (57cm) and ordered Hunt 650B wheels with Campag NW3 hubs, which should arrive in January. So thanks for your comparisons of gravel group sets I am obviously going Ekar, 38 chain-ring with the amazing 9-42 cassette. I have also bought a Lauf smoothie handlebar and 65 mm Bontrager stem, as I want to also do some off-road bike packing and want a bit less strain on the hands and wrists. I am 62 so I wanted something more relaxed for touring, but also more upright for that more techy singletrack. We will see how it turns out! Keep up the good work!
Ordered ekar for my upcoming build with parts are slowly arriving. Don't like SRAM, was going to go GRX but ended up choosing ekar after a number of reviews all said the same thing re GRX. As a campagnolo road user I can't wait for all components to arrive thus allowing the build to commence.
If I hadn't bought a GRX Di2 1x system only half a year ago, this would definitely be my favorite setup! Perfect range and ingenious small steps on the small cogs. Exactly supports my type of usage!
That gear ratio on the cassette is exactly what I am missing on my RED AXS XX1 setup running 10-50T with a 42T oval chainring. A 9-42 in rainbow colors would be amazing. With the increments 9-10-11-12-13-14. Would be the perfect fit for gravel and road combined :)
Grea review. I’m planning my first gravel bike build and since I’m coming from Campy chorus on my road I’m definitely going to go with Ekar. It’s just too bad that so few bikes (even Italian) come equipped with Campy these days.
Now that Campagnolo have made Ekar, I can now consider getting a Gravel bike. While it was only the two "S" brands, Gravel was not an option for a traditional roadie like me.
I'm riding Campy 9sp Mirage on my commuter. It has literally seen every possible weather with very lazy maintenance (as it is my daily commuter) and it's still working flawlessly, despite being Campags entry level offering back then. Currently riding Sram Rival 1X 11sp with mechanical disc (brought it over from my rim brake bike). I'm eyeing Ekar once a freehub will be available from Novatec for my wheels. For me, Ekar does everything right. I don't want electronic shifting on my gravel bike. I want good quality hydro brakes. 13sp is good enough to compensate the shortcomings of 1X. I love Campy's hood shape. Now if only it were that little bit cheaper...
Great review, thanks. I like Campy's strategy of keeping the jumps small at the higher gears, as it directly addresses my concern with 1x systems for road (I ride to the gravel, after all).
Excellent review, thank you David. My personnal choice for my CX bike (Specialized Crux aluminium) is an Ultegra R8000 with the RX version rear derailleur, 46-36 or 42-34 front depending the courses and an 11-32 at the rear. I installed Hope RX4 for the braking. Perfect for cross, gravel or winter roads.
I just built my new cx bike, using campy chrorus 2x. They make it with 48/32 front and 11-34 cassette. Hopefully that range will work with cyclocros racing? Also comes with a stiff rear der. but no clutch, is that necessary for cx? Thanks for your thoughts lol. I'm picking the bike up today (:
Campagnolo did bring out an MTB groupset in the early days of Mountain biking. It was called Euclid and was expensive and very heavy. It was never going to compete with Shimano and was soon discontinued.
GRX is so flexible and amazing value so unfortunately I would not switch when I replace my gravel bike until the price differential is more competitive
I got this on my 3T Exploro. Badass groupset. I still sort of miss di2 (have it on my road bike), but it doesn't feel like that large of a compromise and the weight is amazing.
@@ADyess086 I mean, it depends. It doesn't have the full range of a 2x11 groupset but its also super simple. It just depends on what you're looking for
Great summary and review. I just ordered a 3T with the EKAR as my "all in one" road and gravel bike. The EKAR really hit the sweet spot for me to get rid of the front derailleur. Even going back to a mech. groupset after years of DI2 and Campa EPS. Why now? Well I needed a new bike now... Otherwise I might have waited for a electronic 1by13... cheers
I'm a fan of Squirt lube, there was a test that showed it offer almost class-leading performance, and it's very easy to apply, keeps the chain clean and lasts long enough for most rides
Hi David, great review. I love campag but the price hike over GRX may just be too much. On another note, how about reviewing the Condor Bivio thru axle?
I love 1x but the weight i think is debatable, In some lower-end systems, the weight of the cassette alone is redik, 6-700grams in some cases. Putting all that weight out the back which is why i don't like the feel of e-bikes. Luckily I can get away with an 11-32 here Suffolk (pretty much flat). I saved 300 grames moving to this 11-32 and much closer ranges and further 150 using a wolf tooth direct mount chainring getting rid of the rival spider. But out the box weight isn't really a factor that should be considered with most 1x systems in most cases its heaver leading to an unbalanced feeling bike. Especially if that said bike is steel. There's a lot to be said for weight distatbution.
This might be a stupid question, but I'm more interested in climbing, and Chainset 38 might be too big for me? I'm hoping to install something like 22. Would that be possible? any suggestions? I'd even prefer a cheaper groupset, enabling for me to climb, while not going high speeds. Im not interested in mountain bikes at all.
I'm more interested in longevity and how frequently the drivetrain will need servicing, than range. Range is obviously good enough for most situations. I've seen reviews that said it needs frequent attention. What's your view on this? Their's was a long time spent with the groupset, review.
The Ekar system is a very nice one but a bit too expensive. I'm thinking about going with the SRAM Rival 1 because they have a lot of options for the front ring.
Hello David, How is this 1by when used on the ROAD? I’m in the 1 bike for both road and gravel(I just change a wheel set with lighter rims and road tires) so Having a 1by somewhat concerns me for top end speed. It is already a disadvantage not using an actual thorough bred road bike, much more so if using only a 1by. Thoughts? Maybe my concerns are unwarranted but I don’t have any exp with 1by for road bike use.
I drive a Pinarello Grevil with Ekar 38X9/36 now for a few days and I love the way it shifts for a mechanical groupset. I always drove Shimano 105 and Ultegra Di2. And I have to say, i hove to get used on the shifter shape. There is some sort of bump on de shifter shape where it meets the bar. My hand gets nubby on it. Thas this looks formilure to you guys?
I'm quite interested, as they seem to have sorted the 1X range/ cadence 'issues'. They need it on more bikes though; there aren't that many that have Ekar. If the likes of Ribble, Planet X, Dolan, etc had it, you may get a decent bike for your cash.
what do you think for a person who wants to live off his bike and bike around the world? Four panniers + smaller bags. I currently have a specialized diverge tiagra, 105 derailleur. I put a 40 cassette on the back but removed it cause there always was an issue and very unstable. I love the diverge!
Hello David. What do you think about using that rear derrailleur in a 2x11 setup? I know it has been designed for only one plate in front but... could it be working well with two?
I've no idea if that would work to be honest with you but not sure why you would want to really. I'm sure Campagnolo must be working on a 2x13 road bike groups so maybe wait for that?
Front mech and second chainring are pretty cheap though. Better chainline most of the time too. I know what you're saying, but it's definitely swings and roundabouts
Dave, I'd like to get this group but wonder if I can get it on my Lynskey. It has post mount brakes and wonder about my free wheel hub. Can you offer a place to a place check compatibility? Thank you!
Love a good Squeezy brake! 👌Good review, really thinking of this in my next build which is a road+ as I have an mtb and Gravel bike Im building a road bike for the poor irish backroads
Also of note: Labor costs : Italy /Romania is predictably more than Taiwan.. or China for that matter.. ( ie Chinese made Ti bikes or Sensah groupsets)... as it should be..
I did now about 2000kms with my Ekar on my Trek Checkpoint SLR. You are right that it takes more time to get used to the upshifting. I also have more misshifts than on a Shimano. A disadvantage when shifting down is that you have to move your hand in order to push the C lever on the inside. Another point is that you can not shift up and brake at the same time as on a Shimano shifter. The hoods are very small and a bit more uncomfortable than a Shimano hood, to my opinion. In this test there is no word on the floating discs (iso fixed like the other brands) and on the magnetic calipers. I have mine equipped with a 38 front blade and 10-44 cassette and that works fine.
1x is just not for me. I have a Grx 810 with 2x and that works flawless for me. Fast on flat roads and easy when it comess to steeper climbs. I wonder, how it is with the chain life with 13 gears and 1x? Does it matter?
Hi, I have used SRAM 1x11 for the most part of these year and I found it simple and just right. There's always a trade-off and with double tap system you may loose count on which sprocket you're in, hit the lever, and go down one sprocket when you wanted to go up only you were already in the uppermost one. Answering to your question it seems logical to me that once you remove the front derailleur, the chain will suffer less rubbing in the outter plates. That's something to help keep it healthy, and as for elongation issues, well, chains in the top groupsets are all super strong and reliable. IMO this shouldn't be any different.
Ace vid, even better when it turned more into a piece on the groupsets on general across all 3. Still, nobody yet has done it right - ekar is prb the closest with the cassette gaps being clever, but its so expensive and it will have problems inevitably. The big prb is that sram have gone backwards, as their 1x offerings now at 12spd are all a) electronic and b) dont offer a modern equivalent of the old 11-42 rival cassette. It goes from a 10-36 to a 10-50... So its either not enough or too much.
@@davidarthur yeah. Basically, theres an open goal for a new 12spd cable driven rival 1 groupset that mirrors what campag just did with their cassettes, but for about half the money.
I’d take the functionality/practicality over the gear range. If Shimano had the same gear range, then Ekar’s position drops immediately. I hope that made sense
It's not just "gear range." It's also ergonomics. With smallish, stiff, frozen hands depite wearing thick gloves, I have several times "lost" my brakes with Shimano road brifters, due to the gloves pushing the combo lever out of the way into a shift, before I manage to wrap my hands around them. And I'm not _that_ klutzy. I'm also, like you, generally predisposed to Shimano's focus on fundamentals over flash and features. DI2 levers doen't suffer from that failure mode; but two small, indistinct "buttons," close together, yet resulting in the exact opposite action when hit, ain't all that either as far as idiot prof ergos go. while, OTOH, Campag's ergos are just really well thought out, from a "lack of important failure modes" perspective. One lever/one function my require a bit more dexterity but, even if so, only for upshifts. Where absolute, 100% freedom from ever having to reposition a little bit, really only matter for competitive sprints. As for gear range; a gravel wheelset with the 10:44 casette, a lightweight climbing set with the 9:42, and an aero/tt set with the 9:36; all on an Exploro or similar "groad" bike, covers an awful lot of uses, even up to a pretty darned high and specific level. Ekar is overall just a very well thought out offering. At least for those coming to gravel mainly with a road, as opposed to MTB, mindset. Which is really what is to be expected from Campag, as they have little to no experience with the rather different challenges facing more MTB minded gravel riders.
@@davidarthur They've applied for patent on for them (presumably Ekar and road). This is the most recent application I found some time ago...pdfaiw.uspto.gov/.aiw?PageNum=0&docid=20190346323&IDKey=01A9306888C6&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fappft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPG01%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum.html%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D%25252220190346323%252522.PGNR.%2526OS%3DDN%2F20190346323%2526RS%3DDN%2F20190346323
Ribbed, not for your pleasure. Jokes aside, genuine question about the possibility of using this groupset with one of the larger chainrings as a road groupset. I think 3T has a build for their Strada with it.
I'm eyeing this groupset for a road build. I live in an area with punchy hills and I can't climb worth anything, but I already use Force 1x11 with a 42 up front and 11-42 in the rear and it doesn't often leave me wishing for any other gears. I used to ride quite a bit in Florida and my flat road cadence was slightly different that the cassette would offer, but 1x13 looks like it'll do the trick
That's not really true about buying whole bike instead of building your own, unless you like to pay full price retail , wich I rarely do. You could also add that campagnolo produces in europe still. It's more high end than others options . And you don't get campy if you push for a lower cheaper version. It's well priced . Buy sram instead
Still waiting on the Ekar Di2 version which Campy said it will produce. I give them to the end of this cycling season and I’m moving on. But they came out with another Ekar version for cheap people. Stupid!!!! Campy RIP
😂😂😂 the leaver throw is longer than shimano. How’s than then ? The inner lever shifts on a tighter radius, I may add to shimano’s main lever shifting. Then this is the bike that’s had the most miss shifts this year and then a minute later your saying everything worked faultless. No need to adjust the gears etc. Maybe cycling weekly could find a spot for you because sure feels like your going that way. Sorry if it’s harsh but we aren’t stupid
Because they are two different points. I mentioned I felt the lever throw was a little long for my liking, that’s not a fault just how the Campag setup is. And yes the groupset performed without any mechanical hiccups separate from the way the lever shift works. No adjustment would change the lever throw, and I mentioned it is subjective. Does that make sense and clear up my findings?
@@davidarthur My point on the level isn’t campagnolo virus shimano. It’s clearly got a smaller reach as it’s the inside lever for a start and if you look into the Campagnolo levers more you’ll find that the up shift level has a radius within the shift throw as to not increase in distance the more it shifts across.
@@davidarthur Yes I know you are. On the Campagnolo shifter it has a tighter radius for just such potential issues. Look on the website. But more to the point how can a shifter which is further away with out any additional built in radius’s have a shorter shift reach ? As for the machine gun down shifter as you put it. Well I’ve not heard that one before, perhaps your just not used to handling a weapon....
SRAM aren't getting anything out of that economy of scale if they're charging two and three grand for a groupset. That's ridiculous. SRAM aren't all that great IMHO even if they were half the price. Campag looks nice but that thumb shifter would be a deal breaker for me. Stick with Shimano thanks.
I think the groupset looks ugly in comparison to Shimano GRX series. So I thought it might be a cheaper lower level groupset. Boy was I wrong when I looked it up: groupset currently costs 1700 euro! Absolutely stupid price for a 1x mechanical groupset if you ask me.
What's the price of mechanical Dura-Ace? What was the price of the "old" 10spd top-end groupset? I love how people always are like "its too expensive....back in the days it was cheaper", well thats not true at all. And comparing EKAR with something like GRX 600 is not a good comparaison, you need to compared it to GRX 800 atleast. EKAR is on the same level as Chorus, which is the equal of Shimano Ultegra, if not higher.
Well then, clearly and fortunately it isn’t for people like you. Stick to your average Joes choice and don’t make stupid comments of things you obviously don’t understand ;)
1x is the single (get it) stupidest idea for bike gearing ever. Holy fuck are people suckers for slick marketing. 1x guarantees you give up high/low end (or both), AND you give up appropriate steps between gears. Which means you'll always be either mashing too hard a gear, or spinning to easy a gear. 2x for road bike forever! (3x for mtb forever!)... (Why I KNOW 1x sucks, they keep adding gears in the back don't they! 1x10 not enough. 1x11 not enough. 1x12 not enough. 1x13 still won't be enough....)
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I have just built this up on my gravel bike and am very impressed. As someone who rides on the road to get to the off road sections, this group set hits the mark. Later down the line the fact that the smaller sprockets are separated from the main body means that replacements will be more affordable to the higher gears most likely to be affected by wear and tear. I have sram etap on my road bike, and didn’t find it difficult adjusting to my first experience with campagnolo. Also, the front chainrings are easily changed out to accommodate different riding styles. I have a 42 front chainring that is perfect for my riding, but feel safe in the knowledge that I can swap it for a 38 if I were to attempt steeper climbs.
Interesting to hear thanks for sharing - the ability to replace some of the sprockets is a very good point
This is good to know. Here in my part of NZ we often have to ride a while to get to the vitamin G, so maybe this is the way to go.
This is exactly what I love about your reviews, David. Concise, to the point, no marketing bull, but fair and honest opinions from a user's perspective, which in my mind is a lot more valuable to the average consumer than just hyping the latest and greatest products. Keep it up!
I435
Those rotors might be the prettiest in the game
I’ve always ridden campag in my younger years racing. After a 20 year gap from cycling, I’ve just purchased a gravel bike with Ekar. Delighted to say it’s just as magnificent as the Record on my road and TT bikes of yesteryear. Absolutely wonderful group set.
I have 15 year old Campag stuff that I actually rode to a 3rd place in a gravel race yesterday, I do not think durability has ever been an issue for the company. I have this groupset coming shortly for my new gravel bike, cannot wait. Thank you for the great review.
It has been, especially recently, but in lower tier gear. Like, centaur, veloce, early - xenon was pretty fragile and shifter ratchet was wearing quickly. Centaur has issues with front derailleur, i also have broken centaur RD (it broke on tiny bump on the road, lol), but higher tier is still very reliable, as well as wheels, cassettes, chains, etc
Hi David, Many thanks for another great review! I have bought an orange Kinesis AT3 frame (57cm) and ordered Hunt 650B wheels with Campag NW3 hubs, which should arrive in January. So thanks for your comparisons of gravel group sets I am obviously going Ekar, 38 chain-ring with the amazing 9-42 cassette. I have also bought a Lauf smoothie handlebar and 65 mm Bontrager stem, as I want to also do some off-road bike packing and want a bit less strain on the hands and wrists. I am 62 so I wanted something more relaxed for touring, but also more upright for that more techy singletrack. We will see how it turns out! Keep up the good work!
Ordered ekar for my upcoming build with parts are slowly arriving.
Don't like SRAM, was going to go GRX but ended up choosing ekar after a number of reviews all said the same thing re GRX.
As a campagnolo road user I can't wait for all components to arrive thus allowing the build to commence.
What did the reviews say about GRX?
@@robdc4829 I use GRX Di2 2x on my gravel bike...and it's fricken flawless and smooth!
Its the lightest group, so i dont think its overpriced.... so ive bought it!
If I hadn't bought a GRX Di2 1x system only half a year ago, this would definitely be my favorite setup! Perfect range and ingenious small steps on the small cogs. Exactly supports my type of usage!
That gear ratio on the cassette is exactly what I am missing on my RED AXS XX1 setup running 10-50T with a 42T oval chainring. A 9-42 in rainbow colors would be amazing. With the increments 9-10-11-12-13-14. Would be the perfect fit for gravel and road combined :)
Grea review. I’m planning my first gravel bike build and since I’m coming from Campy chorus on my road I’m definitely going to go with Ekar. It’s just too bad that so few bikes (even Italian) come equipped with Campy these days.
Keep up the great review. You tell it like it is and that is very much appreciated
Now that Campagnolo have made Ekar, I can now consider getting a Gravel bike. While it was only the two "S" brands, Gravel was not an option for a traditional roadie like me.
I'm riding Campy 9sp Mirage on my commuter. It has literally seen every possible weather with very lazy maintenance (as it is my daily commuter) and it's still working flawlessly, despite being Campags entry level offering back then. Currently riding Sram Rival 1X 11sp with mechanical disc (brought it over from my rim brake bike). I'm eyeing Ekar once a freehub will be available from Novatec for my wheels. For me, Ekar does everything right. I don't want electronic shifting on my gravel bike. I want good quality hydro brakes. 13sp is good enough to compensate the shortcomings of 1X. I love Campy's hood shape. Now if only it were that little bit cheaper...
Great review, thanks. I like Campy's strategy of keeping the jumps small at the higher gears, as it directly addresses my concern with 1x systems for road (I ride to the gravel, after all).
Excellent review, thank you David. My personnal choice for my CX bike (Specialized Crux aluminium) is an Ultegra R8000 with the RX version rear derailleur, 46-36 or 42-34 front depending the courses and an 11-32 at the rear. I installed Hope RX4 for the braking. Perfect for cross, gravel or winter roads.
I just built my new cx bike, using campy chrorus 2x. They make it with 48/32 front and 11-34 cassette. Hopefully that range will work with cyclocros racing? Also comes with a stiff rear der. but no clutch, is that necessary for cx? Thanks for your thoughts lol. I'm picking the bike up today (:
I like it a lot, this cable loop though at the back... Like a shimano derailleur of yesteryear.
Surely that’s down to the frameset rather than the groupset. Caad12 needs a massive loop on the rd also even on a fairly recent dura ace
Campag - just do a flat bar shifter already and open it up to MTB ... talk about stubborn
Campagnolo did bring out an MTB groupset in the early days of Mountain biking. It was called Euclid and was expensive and very heavy. It was never going to compete with Shimano and was soon discontinued.
At some point adding sprockets to cassettes, chains gonna be thinner than necklaces.
Thank you. If I could afford it I would buy it. Great vids as always.
GRX is so flexible and amazing value so unfortunately I would not switch when I replace my gravel bike until the price differential is more competitive
Excellent review. Thanks David.
Glad you enjoyed it
I would love to see an electronic version
I don't think they will, however they might offer a 1* road set-up with an electronic option. Imo....
Had campy on my older bianchi commuter and it was extremely reliable. You rarely see it on bikes.
I got this on my 3T Exploro. Badass groupset. I still sort of miss di2 (have it on my road bike), but it doesn't feel like that large of a compromise and the weight is amazing.
I’m looking at this group set on a racemax. How do you feel it compliments road rides?
@@ADyess086 I mean, it depends. It doesn't have the full range of a 2x11 groupset but its also super simple. It just depends on what you're looking for
Great summary and review. I just ordered a 3T with the EKAR as my "all in one" road and gravel bike. The EKAR really hit the sweet spot for me to get rid of the front derailleur. Even going back to a mech. groupset after years of DI2 and Campa EPS. Why now? Well I needed a new bike now... Otherwise I might have waited for a electronic 1by13... cheers
I’m considering this for a 3T racemax! How satisfied are you with the groupset for road rides?
You mentioned you lube the chain after each ride. May I ask what lube you used for the ekar chain?
Great review Dave! As always!
I'm a fan of Squirt lube, there was a test that showed it offer almost class-leading performance, and it's very easy to apply, keeps the chain clean and lasts long enough for most rides
Hi David, great review. I love campag but the price hike over GRX may just be too much. On another note, how about reviewing the Condor Bivio thru axle?
I’ll add the Condor to my list 👍
*Is the 13 speed sprockets thinner than their 12 speed sprockets?*
David - What are your thoughts on the wheels? I can't seem to find any English language reviews for those Shamals.
I love 1x but the weight i think is debatable, In some lower-end systems, the weight of the cassette alone is redik, 6-700grams in some cases. Putting all that weight out the back which is why i don't like the feel of e-bikes. Luckily I can get away with an 11-32 here Suffolk (pretty much flat). I saved 300 grames moving to this 11-32 and much closer ranges and further 150 using a wolf tooth direct mount chainring getting rid of the rival spider. But out the box weight isn't really a factor that should be considered with most 1x systems in most cases its heaver leading to an unbalanced feeling bike. Especially if that said bike is steel. There's a lot to be said for weight distatbution.
This might be a stupid question, but I'm more interested in climbing, and Chainset 38 might be too big for me? I'm hoping to install something like 22. Would that be possible? any suggestions? I'd even prefer a cheaper groupset, enabling for me to climb, while not going high speeds. Im not interested in mountain bikes at all.
I'm more interested in longevity and how frequently the drivetrain will need servicing, than range. Range is obviously good enough for most situations. I've seen reviews that said it needs frequent attention. What's your view on this? Their's was a long time spent with the groupset, review.
The Ekar system is a very nice one but a bit too expensive. I'm thinking about going with the SRAM Rival 1 because they have a lot of options for the front ring.
Hello David, How is this 1by when used on the ROAD? I’m in the 1 bike for both road and gravel(I just change a wheel set with lighter rims and road tires) so Having a 1by somewhat concerns me for top end speed. It is already a disadvantage not using an actual thorough bred road bike, much more so if using only a 1by. Thoughts? Maybe my concerns are unwarranted but I don’t have any exp with 1by for road bike use.
I’m thinking about buying it for my specialized sequoia ! Do you think it’s worth ?
I drive a Pinarello Grevil with Ekar 38X9/36 now for a few days and I love the way it shifts for a mechanical groupset. I always drove Shimano 105 and Ultegra Di2. And I have to say, i hove to get used on the shifter shape. There is some sort of bump on de shifter shape where it meets the bar. My hand gets nubby on it. Thas this looks formilure to you guys?
What about the wheels? The Campagnolo Shamal Carbon disc, opinion!
I'm quite interested, as they seem to have sorted the 1X range/ cadence 'issues'. They need it on more bikes though; there aren't that many that have Ekar. If the likes of Ribble, Planet X, Dolan, etc had it, you may get a decent bike for your cash.
great clip, def swung it for me :)
what do you think for a person who wants to live off his bike and bike around the world? Four panniers + smaller bags. I currently have a specialized diverge tiagra, 105 derailleur. I put a 40 cassette on the back but removed it cause there always was an issue and very unstable. I love the diverge!
Alot of campy users say the groupset lasts forever, and their quality in manufacturing/production is top.
Hello David. What do you think about using that rear derrailleur in a 2x11 setup? I know it has been designed for only one plate in front but... could it be working well with two?
I've no idea if that would work to be honest with you but not sure why you would want to really. I'm sure Campagnolo must be working on a 2x13 road bike groups so maybe wait for that?
One small caveat on AXS/Ekar: price of the transmission. Chains/cassettes are stupidly expensive.
Front mech and second chainring are pretty cheap though. Better chainline most of the time too. I know what you're saying, but it's definitely swings and roundabouts
Campag fans would tell you they are reassuringly expensive. I just use other brands e.g. Miche or kmc
@@markrushton1516 kmc chains ftw! with all my campy groupsets
Dave, I'd like to get this group but wonder if I can get it on my Lynskey. It has post mount brakes and wonder about my free wheel hub. Can you offer a place to a place check compatibility? Thank you!
I know it’s pricey but I will still buy this groupset it just tick all the boxes for me 👍😊
how about SRAM AXS mullet? Better range, wireless, slightly better hoods?
@@lechprotean Hi I currently have SRAM but I’m building up a new bike and I feel like something new for a change plus I do love Campy.
Love a good Squeezy brake! 👌Good review, really thinking of this in my next build which is a road+ as I have an mtb and Gravel bike Im building a road bike for the poor irish backroads
Also of note: Labor costs : Italy /Romania is predictably more than Taiwan.. or China for that matter.. ( ie Chinese made Ti bikes or Sensah groupsets)... as it should be..
I did now about 2000kms with my Ekar on my Trek Checkpoint SLR. You are right that it takes more time to get used to the upshifting. I also have more misshifts than on a Shimano. A disadvantage when shifting down is that you have to move your hand in order to push the C lever on the inside. Another point is that you can not shift up and brake at the same time as on a Shimano shifter.
The hoods are very small and a bit more uncomfortable than a Shimano hood, to my opinion.
In this test there is no word on the floating discs (iso fixed like the other brands) and on the magnetic calipers.
I have mine equipped with a 38 front blade and 10-44 cassette and that works fine.
I can’t find a N3W adapter for my dt swiss hubs. Every one is out or they are not available yet. The second i get one Im buying Ekar
1x is just not for me. I have a Grx 810 with 2x and that works flawless for me. Fast on flat roads and easy when it comess to steeper climbs. I wonder, how it is with the chain life with 13 gears and 1x? Does it matter?
Hi, I have used SRAM 1x11 for the most part of these year and I found it simple and just right. There's always a trade-off and with double tap system you may loose count on which sprocket you're in, hit the lever, and go down one sprocket when you wanted to go up only you were already in the uppermost one.
Answering to your question it seems logical to me that once you remove the front derailleur, the chain will suffer less rubbing in the outter plates. That's something to help keep it healthy, and as for elongation issues, well, chains in the top groupsets are all super strong and reliable. IMO this shouldn't be any different.
David. Off topic but whats your favourite winter gravel tyre?
The Teravail Rutland and WTB Sendero are two good options
Is there any way that I can use this Campy cassete in my Stans Grail MK3 wheels? Wich compatible freehub body should I buy?
Campagnolo 🔝🔝🔝👍👍👍
Ace vid, even better when it turned more into a piece on the groupsets on general across all 3. Still, nobody yet has done it right - ekar is prb the closest with the cassette gaps being clever, but its so expensive and it will have problems inevitably. The big prb is that sram have gone backwards, as their 1x offerings now at 12spd are all a) electronic and b) dont offer a modern equivalent of the old 11-42 rival cassette. It goes from a 10-36 to a 10-50... So its either not enough or too much.
Thanks! It was surprising to realise SRAM really haven't followed up Force/Rival 1 with a successor yet, hopefully that is in the pipeline tho
@@davidarthur yeah. Basically, theres an open goal for a new 12spd cable driven rival 1 groupset that mirrors what campag just did with their cassettes, but for about half the money.
I’d take the functionality/practicality over the gear range. If Shimano had the same gear range, then Ekar’s position drops immediately. I hope that made sense
It's not just "gear range." It's also ergonomics. With smallish, stiff, frozen hands depite wearing thick gloves, I have several times "lost" my brakes with Shimano road brifters, due to the gloves pushing the combo lever out of the way into a shift, before I manage to wrap my hands around them. And I'm not _that_ klutzy. I'm also, like you, generally predisposed to Shimano's focus on fundamentals over flash and features. DI2 levers doen't suffer from that failure mode; but two small, indistinct "buttons," close together, yet resulting in the exact opposite action when hit, ain't all that either as far as idiot prof ergos go.
while, OTOH, Campag's ergos are just really well thought out, from a "lack of important failure modes" perspective. One lever/one function my require a bit more dexterity but, even if so, only for upshifts. Where absolute, 100% freedom from ever having to reposition a little bit, really only matter for competitive sprints.
As for gear range; a gravel wheelset with the 10:44 casette, a lightweight climbing set with the 9:42, and an aero/tt set with the 9:36; all on an Exploro or similar "groad" bike, covers an awful lot of uses, even up to a pretty darned high and specific level. Ekar is overall just a very well thought out offering. At least for those coming to gravel mainly with a road, as opposed to MTB, mindset. Which is really what is to be expected from Campag, as they have little to no experience with the rather different challenges facing more MTB minded gravel riders.
Nice Review I really want to try new groupset. Dave, maybe next time try something on budget ex. Microshift or Sensah.
Great suggestion!
I love SRAM's prices 3000quid for what? They must be smoking some strong ish.
How did it ride on the road? Was the range there , and not such a large spike inbetween gears..
It worked very well on the road. I can see this being ideal for road riding and that's something I hope to explore more next year
@@davidarthur
I'am kind of thinking 1x road and this looks perfect.
44 ring and 9-36 cassette mite just do it!
I reckon you might be right there
Hi David, any options available to add a powermeter to this gropuset?
That is a good question, and I’m afraid I don’t know. Let me check into it
@@davidarthur They've applied for patent on for them (presumably Ekar and road). This is the most recent application I found some time ago...pdfaiw.uspto.gov/.aiw?PageNum=0&docid=20190346323&IDKey=01A9306888C6&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fappft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPG01%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum.html%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D%25252220190346323%252522.PGNR.%2526OS%3DDN%2F20190346323%2526RS%3DDN%2F20190346323
@@DickKnorr I would like to know too of any power meter is coompatible with the groupset
At this stage, its pedal-based power or nothing.
Very good 👍
Ribbed, not for your pleasure.
Jokes aside, genuine question about the possibility of using this groupset with one of the larger chainrings as a road groupset. I think 3T has a build for their Strada with it.
I really want to try it on a road bike and you're right about the 3T Strada. I'll see what I can do, would be a nice followup review in 2021 I reckon
@@davidarthur would happily watch that video, as I do with all your vids. Hopefully you can find a way to work that out! Keep up the good work!
I'm eyeing this groupset for a road build. I live in an area with punchy hills and I can't climb worth anything, but I already use Force 1x11 with a 42 up front and 11-42 in the rear and it doesn't often leave me wishing for any other gears. I used to ride quite a bit in Florida and my flat road cadence was slightly different that the cassette would offer, but 1x13 looks like it'll do the trick
If the price is too low, everyone will buy it and there goes the exclusivity 😉.
No, it costs a lot of money to research and to make.
5:42: everyone's mind went to the same place, at the same time, Dave.
Not ribbed for your pleasure then, David! LOL
functionality paired with Italian aesthetics,.. is as always.. Campag + far above its seemingly Taiwanese made rivals..
That's not really true about buying whole bike instead of building your own, unless you like to pay full price retail , wich I rarely do. You could also add that campagnolo produces in europe still. It's more high end than others options . And you don't get campy if you push for a lower cheaper version. It's well priced . Buy sram instead
Any plans to review ribble CGR SL or AL?
I would like to yes but no immediate plans
Don't you only get 13 diffrent ratios on a 2x group set ...????
14
Belter of a groupset... But price... ay... Must be very expensive to live in Italy
Still waiting on the Ekar Di2 version which Campy said it will produce. I give them to the end of this cycling season and I’m moving on. But they came out with another Ekar version for cheap people. Stupid!!!! Campy RIP
Offering a tiny 9 tooth cog then building the crankset so the smallest chainring it can fit is a 38 tooth is such a dumb move
😂😂😂 the leaver throw is longer than shimano. How’s than then ? The inner lever shifts on a tighter radius, I may add to shimano’s main lever shifting.
Then this is the bike that’s had the most miss shifts this year and then a minute later your saying everything worked faultless. No need to adjust the gears etc.
Maybe cycling weekly could find a spot for you because sure feels like your going that way.
Sorry if it’s harsh but we aren’t stupid
Because they are two different points. I mentioned I felt the lever throw was a little long for my liking, that’s not a fault just how the Campag setup is. And yes the groupset performed without any mechanical hiccups separate from the way the lever shift works. No adjustment would change the lever throw, and I mentioned it is subjective. Does that make sense and clear up my findings?
@@davidarthur My point on the level isn’t campagnolo virus shimano. It’s clearly got a smaller reach as it’s the inside lever for a start and if you look into the Campagnolo levers more you’ll find that the up shift level has a radius within the shift throw as to not increase in distance the more it shifts across.
I was talking about the paddle behind the brake lever for shifting to easier gears... the thumb shift lever is like a machine gun!
@@davidarthur Yes I know you are. On the Campagnolo shifter it has a tighter radius for just such potential issues. Look on the website.
But more to the point how can a shifter which is further away with out any additional built in radius’s have a shorter shift reach ?
As for the machine gun down shifter as you put it.
Well I’ve not heard that one before, perhaps your just not used to handling a weapon....
@@jamessheard5498 You seem to be a bit of a weapon. And he handled you fine.
It's just too expensive for a mechanical groupset.
SRAM aren't getting anything out of that economy of scale if they're charging two and three grand for a groupset. That's ridiculous. SRAM aren't all that great IMHO even if they were half the price. Campag looks nice but that thumb shifter would be a deal breaker for me. Stick with Shimano thanks.
I think the groupset looks ugly in comparison to Shimano GRX series. So I thought it might be a cheaper lower level groupset. Boy was I wrong when I looked it up: groupset currently costs 1700 euro!
Absolutely stupid price for a 1x mechanical groupset if you ask me.
What's the price of mechanical Dura-Ace? What was the price of the "old" 10spd top-end groupset? I love how people always are like "its too expensive....back in the days it was cheaper", well thats not true at all. And comparing EKAR with something like GRX 600 is not a good comparaison, you need to compared it to GRX 800 atleast. EKAR is on the same level as Chorus, which is the equal of Shimano Ultegra, if not higher.
Well then, clearly and fortunately it isn’t for people like you. Stick to your average Joes choice and don’t make stupid comments of things you obviously don’t understand ;)
1x is the single (get it) stupidest idea for bike gearing ever. Holy fuck are people suckers for slick marketing. 1x guarantees you give up high/low end (or both), AND you give up appropriate steps between gears. Which means you'll always be either mashing too hard a gear, or spinning to easy a gear. 2x for road bike forever! (3x for mtb forever!)... (Why I KNOW 1x sucks, they keep adding gears in the back don't they! 1x10 not enough. 1x11 not enough. 1x12 not enough. 1x13 still won't be enough....)