Campy peaked with the 11sp mechanical version of Super Record, which remains one of the best looking mechanical groups ever, is incredibly durable, shifts brilliantly, is light as hell and has the single best lever shape ever.
I just swapped from my GRX 2x11 to the Ekar and I couldn't be happier. Shifts better, brakes better. Hoods are so much more comfortable. My shifts have never felt laggy at all on Ekar. I also prefer the thumb shifter. I've only ever used shimano road and gravel groupsets before this as well.
Been riding the original Campy Ekar for over a year. It's my favorite drivetrain. Also ride a Force 1X AXS drive on another bike and lots of miles on Shimano. I like the Ekar so much that I'm thinking about putting it on a pure road bike and ditching front derailleurs all together and sticking with mechanical shifting. Shifts are solid and dialed. The shift lever throw is really short and I find people over shift it a bit until they get used to the throw. Both the thumb shifter and the down shift lever are perfectly reached in the drops, although the thumb takes some getting used to in the hoods. After a few rides, the ergos and short throws make Shimano mech feel very archaic. The upshifts with the thumb ratchet are the most solid upshifts I've ridden. The hood ergo could use some improvement. Brakes are best brakes I've ridden once bled properly. Every bike we've gotten from a factory with this kit pre-installed has had a terrible bleed, but solved with a fresh bleed. I will say the calipers don't handle wet dirt great, but outside of wet dirt; they are fantastic. I've ridden this drive in some horrible conditions. Every negative review I've read or seen on Ekar, just seemed like the reviewer/rider was riding a bike that wasn't set up correctly. Oddly, you must have 3 times the amount of housing needed on your setup to make the loop from the frame to the rear derailleur stop. We just had 3 bikes with these drives show up in the shop from the factory and all 3 had excessive housing to the rear derailleur of which we took care of. Little things that impact the shifting on any drive. Anyway, I own a shop and get to ride lots of stuff... I dig the Ekar drivetrain.
It's all about the setup and frame design! I've worked on so many bikes with awful routing that the gears barely work no matter what you do. The lever lightness on my all city space horse is amazing regardless of which groupset I fit. Customers roll in with Cannondales and ribbles with internal routing and the lever feels so much heavier and the shifting feels awful and slow no matter what I do to tweak the gears/replace parts. This never gets talked about online.
i think the poor shifting is because of the internal cable routing. being mechanical and specially 13 speed the cable pull have to be super precise, and with that extra bends in those internal routing it creates extra friction.
I keep reading bad reviews about how badly Ekar shifts and yet I got an Ekar groupset on my custom steel gravel bike which was incredibly easy to install and index and it is incredibly easy to live with. It shifts absolutely flawless, barely ever needs readjusting and just works. Also, Campy Ekar parts are constantly available on a discount in Germany so it's not actually that expensive. And these days, Campy N3W freehubs are available for most hubs. I bought cheapo Taiwanese Novatex hubs and built a custom wheelset. And even for those, I got a Campy freehub. It's definitely more of a roadie/allroad groupset than your hardcore mullet Sram setup. But I think it has its place and performs on par with the others.
I'm not sure if MSRP is still valid in 2024. You can get full ekar for like 800 bucks online. Also, one thing people forget is not everyone is a tall dude, so Campy shifters are really good for us small people with small hands.
I worked for competitor in Taiwan recently, and realized many companies work together. For example Bengal makes Hayes brakes for some clients who use Hayes on their bikes. Only difference is the design and logo. The industry is a kinda practicing incest so to speak ~ haha :)
Maybe the 12 feet of extra cable lassoing in the back there doesn't help with the shifting? Just a thought. Not sure.... :P Great vid as always man. Love the channel.
I have the original Ekar and it’s been great, crisp shifting, great brakes. Funny you mention the Delta brakes, most people thought they were great looking but not that great for their intended purpose…stopping. Ekar isn’t $1900 even for the new GT version. You can get a bike with Ekar for under 3k.
I had the same thought. Even if it doesn't shift as good as shimano/sram, it is probably as good as this campy groupset. of course, 10 speed (or 9 for black)
I just put Sword 1x10 on my bike. I like the feel of the levers, I'm happy with the cable-pull hydraulic brakes (TRP HY/RD), and the included housing is solid. I would recommend using the Advent X derailleur instead of the Sword RD because the clutch is better. I now have Microshift on every bike I like and the value is insane.
I think the biggest hindrance to Ekar's shift performance is that it is a mechanical group in an age where frames are increasingly designed around electronic shifting. Few people in their right mind would choose to run a mechanical groupset with cables fully hidden down the stem/steerer. There's no way the super tight bends at the stem aren't causing extra friction. Even full-length cable housing is sub-optimal.
Campagnolo has squandered one of the sport’s most iconic brands. I suspect that the family is locked down in disagreements and that’s why they can’t seem to find a way forward.
Ekar must be set up by a Campy fan. It is VERY sensitive to getting set up correctly. I have assembled two Ekar bikes and they shifted perfectly fine once I got the chain length correct and the B adjustment right. Campagnolo is not assembled by semi slave workers in the South Pacific who are practically chained to their work bench. They pay their Eastern Europe workers a living wage and that's worth a lot to me. Campy as a company is kind of stuck up. But they're still cool
Campy, Campy, Campy! Always Used it. Always will. Never had a problem worth mentioning, and A little bit of exclusivity is always a good thing. Ferrari owners may encounter a problem occasionally, but still, they have a Ferrari.
Hey Dustin - interesting reaction to this video, especially from Campagnolo - I've had the original Ekar for more than 2 years. You have a point about the shifting. The 13 speed can be very fussy to get dialled in. If you are not confident with indexing, this can be frustrating. Also, when you remove the rear wheel using the rear mech clutch can put the indexing out of whack. When it is dialled in, I have found that it is as good as any other shifting system I've used. The thumb shifter is old school campy. If you are not used to it, it takes a while to adjust to, but not THAT long for goodness sake! One positive missed is that when original Ekar came out, it was the lightest gravel groupset on the market. Not sure how the slightly heavier GT version compares. The other plus with Ekar is the close ratio gears at the top end of the cassette make group riding less jumpy for cadence. I find the cost of brake pads annoying, but that's a once a year expense and it is offset by how strong the braking power is and the good modulation. I bought it to avoid the addition complexity of electronic shifting and having one more (unnecessary) thing that can go wrong. You have to call I as you see it though.
I started with 3 speed Sturmey Archer and then 6 speed freewheel (I'm that old). I worked up to 10 speed and started snapping chains. I settled back on 8 speed but do most of my riding on single speed. Modern bikes don't interest me. They're too expensive, so much less durable and harder to work on at home. Shimano Cues and MicroSHIFT offer some hope that the industry remembers normal cyclists.
Seems like your experience and my experience is completely opposite with Ekar. I have crisp, responsive shifting and never experienced any issues with its operation. I did learn a few things about the groupset from you, which I appreciated. Loved the video. Thanks for your hard work putting this together.
Thanks! Most of my current bikes are electronic shifting. However, I put Ekar on my first gravel bike and enjoy it. That said, I put SRAM Red on my latest gravel bike and love it. Having never used a SRAM groupo before, I was a little concerned. Once I learned what it offered and got accustomed to the shifting, I loved it.
I was also used to SRAM/Shimano shifting and ended up putting Ekar 13 (not GT - paid $1000 for the full group), but once you're used to it, you love it. I was looking for the lightest group I could get for an Open M.IND road bike I was building. It's been an excellent bike and even works well in the fast groups. I run a 40 up front and a 9-42 rear cassette.
I just built a new gravel bike earlier this year with the Ekar, not the GT and I have no complaints, it shifts well and the one thing I miss on my Super Record Wireless is the thumb shifter that you're scratching your head over. Having it "back" on the gravel set is nice. I have to say though I have been riding Campy for 20+ years, so I am probably a bit of an outlier when it comes to my gear choices.
in my youth, CAMPY was everything. Having anything on my bike that was Campagnolo was bling. I am older now, and was able to build my dream bike. I went with full Campagnolo Chorus. I love it and yes, it has that flash factor, but you are correct that you pay a premium. A proprietary shift cable was more money and installing it just as costly. I have my dream bike and i love it, but I cant say I will go with Campagnolo again.. I hear Shimano wireless is nice. 😊
Ekar is definitely polarizing. I currently run the original group and LOVE it, but I also wondered if I'd made a huge mistake for the first two weeks I had it because it took me a bit to dial it in and get used to coming from 11 speed Shimano. I definitely found that setup was a bit odd. Shifting was a bit crappy on my first gravel ride, but after washing the bike down it was massively better. I don't know why that helped, but it did. I also suspect that fully re-tensioning the cable after a week or so instead is needed to really dial it in. While the shifting was initially terrible, I now have it very locked in and I can shift into bigger cogs while in the middle of a climb and mostly not worry about it. I also think that different chainring / cassette combinations are going to really work (or not work) for different people. I really disliked the original 9-42, cassette, but I love the original 10-44. I've not tried the Gt 10-44, but I have made the Gt 10-48 work with the original Ekar derailleur, which isn't supposed to work at all. 🤷🏻♀️ And that brings me to why I think Ekar is such a polarizing groupset; I think how well it works is very dependent on your frame. I have a Rodeo Labs Flaanimal, and Ekar is one of Rodeo's standard builds. Probably because its a combination that generally works well and isn't just specific to my bike. Consider this: the new SRAM Red XPLR AXS requires UDH in order to work, along with having a set of other frame requirements. Ekar also requires that the frame meet certain specs, but you can also just mount it to any ole bike. And that might be part of the problem. It's all too easy to put Ekar on a frame where it won't shine. I don't think there's anyone to fault here, it's just that tolerances get really tight for 13 speed 1x, and unless you go SRAM's route and define your own standard, you get something like what we have with Ekar, where you either love it or hate it, but with very little in between.
SRAM...I was a former Shimano guy, but SRAM just innovates faster and their interoperability is unmatched. Their AXS components made for a quick DIY on the Gravel Bike. Super simple! Can't wait to see the new 13spd SRAM trickle into the big dinner plate cassettes for us mullet riders...But to be fair, I run Shimano Ultegra/GRX 800 (Cables)on my Road bike, works great and reliable..and on the MTB I run SRAM with Shimano XT 4piston brakes...the Shimano MTB brake levers are the best in the business...smooth and compact plus XT brakes are easy to service and bleed. But in reality, all these brands are within %pts of each other and it's about personal preference & what gets you motivated to ride! The industry is better with competition so long live Campagnolo..
I think the industry has just lost their marbles when it comes to the amount of speeds they keep pushing on us. I barely use 8 of the 12 on my hardtail and rarely go into the highest two on my 10 speed gear set on my road bike.
I would pick Campagnolo every time. I have a Super Record mechanical 12 speed groupset that has been a pleasure to ride, adjust, and equally important to me, to look at. The Ekar groupset is the same. I think it’s gorgeous, and my track record of reliability with every Campagnolo part I’ve owned would give me peace of mind.
I got an original Ekar group with fulcrum rr 3 wheels for 800 bucks. eBay. new take offs, pulled off a cervelo I think. Works flawlessly. Been riding Campagnolo for 40+ years.
Campagnolo lost its way years ago. I had such problems trying to get a NOS Athena 11 speed groupset to shift satisfactorily that I have reverted to a 10 speed groupset with downtube shifters.
I’ve two gravel bikes, my race bike with shimano grx di2 2x11 and my trainer/backup bike with mechanical Campagnolo record 11sp, fsa 48/32 crankset, and a rare Chorus medium rear derailleur. Di2 is great over long rides but it still doesn’t have the ergonomics that Campagnolo offers. Durable? Absolutely, say what you will but Campagnolo has always been designed to take serious abuse and it’s been flawless. Campagnolo really missed an opportunity in the Gravel market by not taking advantage of what they already had in place and really the only thing missing is a super compact crankset that supports a 48/32 configuration.
I built up my gravel bike two years ago with Chorus 12sp 50-34. The ergonomics of the hoods and the disk brakes are excellent. You can get the Ekar groupset online from Germany for 756euro and my Chorus is still 1,041euro. I would of considered an Ekar groupset but I wanted 2X and a HG cassette body as I could use any competitors cassette.
my preference is GRX600 shifters and crankset I think it's the sweet spot. the 2X variety for close spacing and cadence on road combined with good low end off road, with grx810 derailleurs.
Love my Ekar! Light, fast shifting, great brakes. But make sure you Loctite and torque the cassette! I've owned all the Shimano gravel gruppos and mechanical SRAM and prefer Ekar. But it does feel different (as Campag always has) and I've not ridden the GT version.
Owned the SRAM XPLR AXS since it came out and it’s been a reliable workhorse. The only issue I have with it is remembering to charge the batteries before the ride 🙃
I have the same stem, it's so beautiful, and Enve x K-Edge makes a great computer mount for that stem that is just as good. I also share the same feeling about Campy as you, Dustin. Growing up as a young cyclist in Italy in the 90s, my bikes were equipped with the most perfect mechanical Chorus. It's sad to see the brand lacking innovation and being so confused these days. Still a thumb shifter on the Ekar GT, but no thumb shifter on the new Super Record?! Positioning themselves as a luxury brand with the Super Record Wireless, but then releasing mid-tier aluminium groupsets? Also so much attention on their wheels these days and not much on groupsets. The brand is certainly losing identity and I am sad about it. I didn't know Campagnolo brakes were made by Magura, interesting. Thanks for the video.
7 hours to ride 288kms is very quick indeed! Your point about the range of the cassette makes sense. 10-50 with an extra gear above 40 would be useful. I fear it is do or die for Campy. They have lost status in the pro ranks and struggled with gravel and mountain bike tech. It will take some time and effort to catch up again. Or skip ahead and work on the cvt set up with programable shift points and two speed rear hub.
I run the original Ekar and at the time I installed it about 3 years ago it was the lightest one by mechanical groupset. Same observation here though, the shifting and adjustment is a bit difficult but possible. I found the appearance of the groupset overall was the most appealing to me compared to Shimano or Sram back then. And so far things got worse on the other side. But one thing annoys me the most is that little bump at the hoods where they meet the handlebar. You need to wrap extra tape there to get it smoother. Not sure if it’s only on my bar and would work better on other bars with different bends. I run a MCFK dropper bar. Other then that it’s a great looking groupset and works ok.
I have Campy super Record on my 2013 Venge. It was the best thing out there back then. I love the thumb shifter because I could shift from the tops of the bars with my pinky. But now their high end electric is just too expensive and other brands do a much better job.
I just replaced a SRAM CX1 group (brakes and shifters) on my gravel/road bike with a GRX 800 group. I have to say, the GRX has been flawless and the levers feel great. Plus, since I have the 1X set up, the left-hand shifter can also control a dropper post if I decide to fit one. The CX1 was pretty good, but the front and back brakes failed on me due to leaking fluid, I can't say whether the corrosive nature of the DOT hydraulic fluid SRAM was using had anything to do with it. But, I'm happy to be back on mineral oil with Shimano
I have always been a fan of the Campagnolo shifters. I liked the ergonomics, the look and the extreme durability on the second generation of Ergo levers (used them in 9-speed for a long time). So I would consider this groupset, because I will do everything to stay away from electronically shifting. That said, I will stick to bar end shifters on my cross/gravel/travel/winter bike, so I won't be needing these.
@@tcctcc3785 it’s far too high geared to be that useful for a gravel bike or for bike packing unless it’s pretty flat gravel. Works beautifully otherwise. To try and change any part of set up means buying a whole load of new components though, Ekar GT has a lot of interchangeability which makes it very practical and inexpensive to actually live with
lol I just threw together a Frankenstein cx/gravel bike with microshift sword derailleur/ 11-48 cassette, friction shift bar end shifter, OG dura ace 9sp levers as just brake levers, and a CUES crank 1x with mini Vs. Mostly mixed cause QBP has been out of stock with most of the sword parts.
Only advantage of it is the 9t-42t sprocket which means you can run a 38t or even 36t chainring and still go really fast. No reason you have to run "campy" brakes if they're mineral oil, just get some grx calipers, they're great.
campy is like fine wine it get better with time. It breaks in. Also about parts availability, it's mostly bercause shop don't keep them in stock since the market is controlled by sram and shimano. Tbh, when I rebuilt my look kg241 with daytona 10s, it took only 3 days for parts to arrive at the shop. So if you touring for weeks, it might not be the best idea, but for most people who use their bike every 2 days for under 200 km rides, parts availabilty is not a big deal. Btw campy shifters are the best and I use sram and shimano on my bikes.
The Campy thumb shifter is one of the best things about it. I haven't owned a set since Campy Chorus on my road bike a few years ago, but it was fantastic in a sprint. You could dump the whole cassette in one swipe. Chorus was by far the best, smoothest, best performing groupset I ever had. But I mainly ride CX, so I switched to SRAM because I can't afford to replace a Chorus derailleur every season, and the shifting performance when packed with mud wasn't as good as SRAM.
Also, on the road, my Campy stuff lasted way, way longer than anything else. You can take apart and rebuild a Campy shifter yourself (or you could; I don't know about it anymore). The wisdom at the bike shop was at 5000km Shimano was breaking, and Campagnolo was broken in.
@@JanGoh-jb5ge Ekar can only shift one gear down the cassette, supposedly to avoid accidental shifts with the thumb on rough terrain. There is a work around by removing the pin that stops the thumb lever from making multiple shifts in one swipe.
@@JanGoh-jb5ge I see why they did it though…I have record 12 on my road bike and I love being able to drop down the cassette when going over the top of a climb.
As a kid I dreamt about being able to ride Campy. It's a shame that they just stopped doing anything and fell behind. However, it was nice to watch the newcomer (SRAM) come out of nowhere and just dominate.
Normal Ekar was billed as the lightest gravel groupset, maybe the brand new Red XPLR is lighter? I like regular Ekar so much I bought it on two bikes. I like the little C shift button because it's different. I find it to be quick and flawless (and I have SRAM Force AXS on a road bike and GX Transmission on my mtb). I know this thing is way flawed though, but I can't see a world where it's all 2 groupset manufacturers (luckily, China is crushing it and that is no longer a worry). I've had my Ekar bikes for years now. I still love them.
The poor shifting might be due to the cassette design. It's basically a road cluster with some MTB sprokets slapped on the end. The mech parallelogram travels in a diagonal line; the road-ish sprockets in the middle are quite far from the upper jockey wheel. It my limited experience, this middle area of the cassette is where Ekar seems to struggle most
OK, the summary of this video is: "He doesn't like Campy." That's it. I've been riding Campy for over 30 years now and always have at least one bike with Shimano, currently 2 road bikes with a Chorus 12sp / Ultgra Di2 12sp and a gravel bike with a 105. When I bought the Di2, my expectations were huge and I was not disappointed. After 2 years I have to say Chorus vs Di2 is different but neither is better, just different.
As a Campy road bike person, that is certainly hard to hear. I will say though that I have not rode anything beyond Campy 11 speed mechanical. Now as a mechanic and small shop owner, I will say that the rear derailleur housing on that bike looks way too long, so wonder if that might be the problem.? Either way, it certainly is hard to hear and disappointing. I have lots of thoughts on that,sadly.
Came for the roast, stayed to hear about the MOG. Need more MOG info. Also, more info a prescription sunglasses please! Those looked great! Also, great edit and filming as always. Also, ...
Problem is 13 speed with mechanical shifting, even 12-speed mechanical is finicky, but putting another cog is just asking for problems, it's hard to set it up perfectly and with even a little bit of cable stretch it goes out of adjustment. 12 speed and up should be electronic.
Looks like that shift cable coming out of the rear mech should be either a fair bit shorter or maybe some of the length meant to be internal has pulled out and needs to be pushed back in. Either way, may explain the slow shifting.
I’ve ridden Ekar for a full year, found it shifts about as fast as di2. You need to be aware that is needs to be setup properly: internal cable routing is nice but the sharp angles on the ENVE combo are pushing it. …But easy maintenance and visible cables are a thing pf the past, right?? Agreeing on the cost of cassette and drive train parts though ☹️
Shifters are incredibly reminiscent of the L-Twoo* hydro set I ran for about a year. I got used to the button shift, but like you, found it restricted hand placement when I wanted to shift. *Still going strong on a friends bike, only now grafted to Shimano MTB calipers on his post-mount gravel bike.
I guess your statement on the brakes is not correct. Generally Campagnolo brakes were and still often noted as industry leading. In the past they teamed up with Magura. However, since the introduction of the first Ekar Groupset a few years ago the current edition of their brake sistem is a full inhouse development.
Since Shimano pulled their compatibility (for "wireless" groupsets) from Hammerhead, it seems now that one's cyclocomputer may dictate what groupset to prefer, or what cyclocomputer you must suffer to use with your chosen groupset.
Yeah, Campagnolo lost me back in the 90’s. (There’s your old dude alert.) $1,900 for another boringly black, cable actuated 1-by-xx groupset that works less well than two better performing, less expensive, boringly black, cable actuated 1-by-xx groupsets. By the time you factor in the cost of Campy-compatible freehub body upgrade (or new wheel set… it’s only$$$), you could trade your old ride for a new, boringly black, Di2 or e-tap equipped bike. Buy it if you think it’s that cool, but recognize that 99% of your fellow riders can’t tell the difference from 10 feet away. How cool is that? No matter what you ride, have fun with it, and make some Happy Trails!😁❤️
I'm always Team Shimano, since I got the mineral oil and funnel already. I'm running GRX 822 derailleur with the xtr 10-45 and a RF next r crank with 44t garbaruk chainring
I think Campy has always relied upon their snob appeal too much. People didn't want it because it performed better, but because it was the most expensive and used by all the best sponsored riders. They made their stuff to such a high level of quality that it didn't matter that it may perform worse than competitors' products. A Frank Berto quote lifted from Disraeli Gears says this: "The Campagnolo Nuovo Record rear derailleur shifted poorly, but was so well constructed that it would keep on shifting exactly as poorly - forever." Unfortunately, it seems Campy's quality has slipped, and quality alone can no longer justify the purchase of some of their products.
I like the thumb shifter - each level has a separate control. Now they even effed that up now. Sad. The only good news is that the Chinese brands and SRAM are doing the same to Shimano.
I don't think there would be many people paying full retail for this groupset though. Here in New Zealand I've seen a new, full Campy Ekar groupset, for sale for around $1700 ( just over $1000US).
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I think you are missing the ending of your bitly link
Little mistake 188km, not 288km 😉
Great video 😀
What are those diopter glasses you're using with normal bike ones (combo?)
Campy peaked with the 11sp mechanical version of Super Record, which remains one of the best looking mechanical groups ever, is incredibly durable, shifts brilliantly, is light as hell and has the single best lever shape ever.
12s speed is great too
Disagree on all counts but the durability.
I’m a fan of shimergo setups with those brifters. I run 11 speed shifters with a 10 speed Shimano RD and a 9 speed cassette. So good
people still use the 9, 10 and 11 speed ones for the ultralight hill climb bikes.
All true!
I just swapped from my GRX 2x11 to the Ekar and I couldn't be happier. Shifts better, brakes better. Hoods are so much more comfortable. My shifts have never felt laggy at all on Ekar. I also prefer the thumb shifter. I've only ever used shimano road and gravel groupsets before this as well.
The work that’s gone into this video is impressive!
Adam, you just made made it all worth it!
For real! His editing is crazy good!
Been riding the original Campy Ekar for over a year. It's my favorite drivetrain. Also ride a Force 1X AXS drive on another bike and lots of miles on Shimano. I like the Ekar so much that I'm thinking about putting it on a pure road bike and ditching front derailleurs all together and sticking with mechanical shifting. Shifts are solid and dialed. The shift lever throw is really short and I find people over shift it a bit until they get used to the throw. Both the thumb shifter and the down shift lever are perfectly reached in the drops, although the thumb takes some getting used to in the hoods. After a few rides, the ergos and short throws make Shimano mech feel very archaic. The upshifts with the thumb ratchet are the most solid upshifts I've ridden. The hood ergo could use some improvement. Brakes are best brakes I've ridden once bled properly. Every bike we've gotten from a factory with this kit pre-installed has had a terrible bleed, but solved with a fresh bleed. I will say the calipers don't handle wet dirt great, but outside of wet dirt; they are fantastic. I've ridden this drive in some horrible conditions. Every negative review I've read or seen on Ekar, just seemed like the reviewer/rider was riding a bike that wasn't set up correctly. Oddly, you must have 3 times the amount of housing needed on your setup to make the loop from the frame to the rear derailleur stop. We just had 3 bikes with these drives show up in the shop from the factory and all 3 had excessive housing to the rear derailleur of which we took care of. Little things that impact the shifting on any drive. Anyway, I own a shop and get to ride lots of stuff... I dig the Ekar drivetrain.
It's all about the setup and frame design! I've worked on so many bikes with awful routing that the gears barely work no matter what you do. The lever lightness on my all city space horse is amazing regardless of which groupset I fit. Customers roll in with Cannondales and ribbles with internal routing and the lever feels so much heavier and the shifting feels awful and slow no matter what I do to tweak the gears/replace parts. This never gets talked about online.
i think the poor shifting is because of the internal cable routing. being mechanical and specially 13 speed the cable pull have to be super precise, and with that extra bends in those internal routing it creates extra friction.
I wrote my comment before reading this one...
Whatever the reason is, it is annoying to spend your rides with endless crap shifting.
@stefancremer4615 yes totally, fully internal cable routing should be electronic only imho
I´m running the Ekar with semi-internal routing and it´s the best shifting perfomance I´ve ever felt. Way better than my Ultegra DI2 (8100) roadbike.
I think the poor shifting might be due to the rear derailleur housing loop being 700 miles long.
I keep reading bad reviews about how badly Ekar shifts and yet I got an Ekar groupset on my custom steel gravel bike which was incredibly easy to install and index and it is incredibly easy to live with. It shifts absolutely flawless, barely ever needs readjusting and just works. Also, Campy Ekar parts are constantly available on a discount in Germany so it's not actually that expensive. And these days, Campy N3W freehubs are available for most hubs. I bought cheapo Taiwanese Novatex hubs and built a custom wheelset. And even for those, I got a Campy freehub. It's definitely more of a roadie/allroad groupset than your hardcore mullet Sram setup. But I think it has its place and performs on par with the others.
Sounds like your bike probably has external cable routing? Maybe there's too many bends in the internal routing for 13 spd mechanical to work well
I agree this guy seems like a Campy hater
I'm not sure if MSRP is still valid in 2024. You can get full ekar for like 800 bucks online.
Also, one thing people forget is not everyone is a tall dude, so Campy shifters are really good for us small people with small hands.
I met someone using a pair of Campy shifters with a non Campy group precisely because of the hand size thing.
Magura makes some really good brakes!
I worked for competitor in Taiwan recently, and realized many companies work together. For example Bengal makes Hayes brakes for some clients who use Hayes on their bikes. Only difference is the design and logo. The industry is a kinda practicing incest so to speak ~ haha :)
Yep top MTB brakes.
Maybe the 12 feet of extra cable lassoing in the back there doesn't help with the shifting? Just a thought. Not sure.... :P
Great vid as always man. Love the channel.
Yeah I was thinking the same thing.
Exactly what I was thinking😂
Once you see it you can’t unsee it.
I noticed this as well while watching the vid. You want those to be as short as reasonably possible
Man, your editing is honestly a pleasure to watch
Great content!
I have the original Ekar and it’s been great, crisp shifting, great brakes. Funny you mention the Delta brakes, most people thought they were great looking but not that great for their intended purpose…stopping. Ekar isn’t $1900 even for the new GT version. You can get a bike with Ekar for under 3k.
Have you tried the opposite end of the spectrum, Microshift Sword gravel group? Would be interested in your take on that.
I wish they had hydro brake compatibility. Only if they partnered up with TRP and used Hywire just like Pinion did...
I had the same thought. Even if it doesn't shift as good as shimano/sram, it is probably as good as this campy groupset. of course, 10 speed (or 9 for black)
I just put Sword 1x10 on my bike. I like the feel of the levers, I'm happy with the cable-pull hydraulic brakes (TRP HY/RD), and the included housing is solid. I would recommend using the Advent X derailleur instead of the Sword RD because the clutch is better. I now have Microshift on every bike I like and the value is insane.
@@drill_fiend1097mechanical brakes on Sword are a feature not a bug.
it's actually reminiscent of campy, having ridden both
I think the biggest hindrance to Ekar's shift performance is that it is a mechanical group in an age where frames are increasingly designed around electronic shifting. Few people in their right mind would choose to run a mechanical groupset with cables fully hidden down the stem/steerer. There's no way the super tight bends at the stem aren't causing extra friction. Even full-length cable housing is sub-optimal.
Campagnolo has squandered one of the sport’s most iconic brands. I suspect that the family is locked down in disagreements and that’s why they can’t seem to find a way forward.
According to some news outlets, not one team used Campy for th 2024 Tour de France
@@micharsenault379 I read that. I also read that the company is focused on being a high end luxury brand. What’s higher end than the TDF?
@@micharsenault379 It's a fact. But my understanding is that they couldn't afford it and/or were outbid by the Shimano and Sram.
@@Dobiecx That´s how it works. Do really people believe that riders can pick their choice?? Rgr
@@micharsenault379 Two years ago four teams ran Campagnolo and only two were on Sram.
Ekar must be set up by a Campy fan. It is VERY sensitive to getting set up correctly. I have assembled two Ekar bikes and they shifted perfectly fine once I got the chain length correct and the B adjustment right.
Campagnolo is not assembled by semi slave workers in the South Pacific who are practically chained to their work bench. They pay their Eastern Europe workers a living wage and that's worth a lot to me.
Campy as a company is kind of stuck up. But they're still cool
Campy, Campy, Campy! Always Used it. Always will. Never had a problem worth mentioning, and A little bit of exclusivity is always a good thing.
Ferrari owners may encounter a problem occasionally, but still, they have a Ferrari.
Hey Dustin - interesting reaction to this video, especially from Campagnolo - I've had the original Ekar for more than 2 years. You have a point about the shifting. The 13 speed can be very fussy to get dialled in. If you are not confident with indexing, this can be frustrating. Also, when you remove the rear wheel using the rear mech clutch can put the indexing out of whack. When it is dialled in, I have found that it is as good as any other shifting system I've used. The thumb shifter is old school campy. If you are not used to it, it takes a while to adjust to, but not THAT long for goodness sake! One positive missed is that when original Ekar came out, it was the lightest gravel groupset on the market. Not sure how the slightly heavier GT version compares. The other plus with Ekar is the close ratio gears at the top end of the cassette make group riding less jumpy for cadence. I find the cost of brake pads annoying, but that's a once a year expense and it is offset by how strong the braking power is and the good modulation. I bought it to avoid the addition complexity of electronic shifting and having one more (unnecessary) thing that can go wrong. You have to call I as you see it though.
I started with 3 speed Sturmey Archer and then 6 speed freewheel (I'm that old). I worked up to 10 speed and started snapping chains. I settled back on 8 speed but do most of my riding on single speed. Modern bikes don't interest me. They're too expensive, so much less durable and harder to work on at home. Shimano Cues and MicroSHIFT offer some hope that the industry remembers normal cyclists.
Seems like your experience and my experience is completely opposite with Ekar. I have crisp, responsive shifting and never experienced any issues with its operation. I did learn a few things about the groupset from you, which I appreciated. Loved the video. Thanks for your hard work putting this together.
Honestly Glad to you hear your Group has had some solid results!
Thanks! Most of my current bikes are electronic shifting. However, I put Ekar on my first gravel bike and enjoy it. That said, I put SRAM Red on my latest gravel bike and love it. Having never used a SRAM groupo before, I was a little concerned. Once I learned what it offered and got accustomed to the shifting, I loved it.
@@bremnet1812 I've ridden it on an Argonaut and it was a joy. On the MOG it's not.
Just curious, are you referring to the original Ekar, or the lower-end Ekar GT groupset reviewed in this video?
@@ktakashismith original. I expect that this is the same since it's an issue with the cable run.
00:46 in Germany we say : "das kam anders zornig" which is a strong Kompliment for this camara scene
I was also used to SRAM/Shimano shifting and ended up putting Ekar 13 (not GT - paid $1000 for the full group), but once you're used to it, you love it. I was looking for the lightest group I could get for an Open M.IND road bike I was building. It's been an excellent bike and even works well in the fast groups. I run a 40 up front and a 9-42 rear cassette.
Gotta give credit, your production skills rock. I say this not even caring a hoot about the campy mech.
THIS makes my day!!
I just built a new gravel bike earlier this year with the Ekar, not the GT and I have no complaints, it shifts well and the one thing I miss on my Super Record Wireless is the thumb shifter that you're scratching your head over. Having it "back" on the gravel set is nice.
I have to say though I have been riding Campy for 20+ years, so I am probably a bit of an outlier when it comes to my gear choices.
in my youth, CAMPY was everything. Having anything on my bike that was Campagnolo was bling. I am older now, and was able to build my dream bike. I went with full Campagnolo Chorus. I love it and yes, it has that flash factor, but you are correct that you pay a premium. A proprietary shift cable was more money and installing it just as costly. I have my dream bike and i love it, but I cant say I will go with Campagnolo again.. I hear Shimano wireless is nice. 😊
Ekar is definitely polarizing. I currently run the original group and LOVE it, but I also wondered if I'd made a huge mistake for the first two weeks I had it because it took me a bit to dial it in and get used to coming from 11 speed Shimano.
I definitely found that setup was a bit odd. Shifting was a bit crappy on my first gravel ride, but after washing the bike down it was massively better. I don't know why that helped, but it did. I also suspect that fully re-tensioning the cable after a week or so instead is needed to really dial it in. While the shifting was initially terrible, I now have it very locked in and I can shift into bigger cogs while in the middle of a climb and mostly not worry about it.
I also think that different chainring / cassette combinations are going to really work (or not work) for different people. I really disliked the original 9-42, cassette, but I love the original 10-44. I've not tried the Gt 10-44, but I have made the Gt 10-48 work with the original Ekar derailleur, which isn't supposed to work at all. 🤷🏻♀️
And that brings me to why I think Ekar is such a polarizing groupset; I think how well it works is very dependent on your frame. I have a Rodeo Labs Flaanimal, and Ekar is one of Rodeo's standard builds. Probably because its a combination that generally works well and isn't just specific to my bike.
Consider this: the new SRAM Red XPLR AXS requires UDH in order to work, along with having a set of other frame requirements. Ekar also requires that the frame meet certain specs, but you can also just mount it to any ole bike. And that might be part of the problem. It's all too easy to put Ekar on a frame where it won't shine.
I don't think there's anyone to fault here, it's just that tolerances get really tight for 13 speed 1x, and unless you go SRAM's route and define your own standard, you get something like what we have with Ekar, where you either love it or hate it, but with very little in between.
Any details worth nothing about making 10-48 cassette work on OG ekar?
Got an EKAR on my Canyon Grizl. And i have no laggy shiftig at all. Shifting is basically equal to the sram XO1 on my MTB. ;)
I love hearing this!
SRAM...I was a former Shimano guy, but SRAM just innovates faster and their interoperability is unmatched. Their AXS components made for a quick DIY on the Gravel Bike. Super simple! Can't wait to see the new 13spd SRAM trickle into the big dinner plate cassettes for us mullet riders...But to be fair, I run Shimano Ultegra/GRX 800 (Cables)on my Road bike, works great and reliable..and on the MTB I run SRAM with Shimano XT 4piston brakes...the Shimano MTB brake levers are the best in the business...smooth and compact plus XT brakes are easy to service and bleed. But in reality, all these brands are within %pts of each other and it's about personal preference & what gets you motivated to ride! The industry is better with competition so long live Campagnolo..
That new XPLR 🤤
I think the industry has just lost their marbles when it comes to the amount of speeds they keep pushing on us. I barely use 8 of the 12 on my hardtail and rarely go into the highest two on my 10 speed gear set on my road bike.
I have the first edition Ekar groupset on my gravel bike and it has served me well for three years now.
I would pick Campagnolo every time. I have a Super Record mechanical 12 speed groupset that has been a pleasure to ride, adjust, and equally important to me, to look at. The Ekar groupset is the same. I think it’s gorgeous, and my track record of reliability with every Campagnolo part I’ve owned would give me peace of mind.
I got an original Ekar group with fulcrum rr 3 wheels for 800 bucks. eBay. new take offs, pulled off a cervelo I think. Works flawlessly. Been riding Campagnolo for 40+ years.
I have Campy 12 speed Record and Super Record. Absolutely love it. It shift so perfectly…. Just makes me smile every time I shift.
Those groups are legendary
I miss Ron, Drew, Doug, the Adventure Squad -- tell me about your bike -- and your interaction with other human beings... :)
I agree, now its nothing but product review.
the downshift paddle is goated
That downshift lever reminds me of the one used by LTWOO I saw on Walmart Ozark Trail gravel bike. I am sure there's some ergonomic advantages for it.
@@drill_fiend1097 In older campagnolo brifters you could go through entire range of the cassette just by pressing and holding the paddle down.
I am still on my 9 speed groupset.
Campagnolo lost its way years ago. I had such problems trying to get a NOS Athena 11 speed groupset to shift satisfactorily that I have reverted to a 10 speed groupset with downtube shifters.
I've been riding microshift sword 1x10. The shape of the shifters does it for me. Big fan
I’ve two gravel bikes, my race bike with shimano grx di2 2x11 and my trainer/backup bike with mechanical Campagnolo record 11sp, fsa 48/32 crankset, and a rare Chorus medium rear derailleur. Di2 is great over long rides but it still doesn’t have the ergonomics that Campagnolo offers. Durable? Absolutely, say what you will but Campagnolo has always been designed to take serious abuse and it’s been flawless. Campagnolo really missed an opportunity in the Gravel market by not taking advantage of what they already had in place and really the only thing missing is a super compact crankset that supports a 48/32 configuration.
I built up my gravel bike two years ago with Chorus 12sp 50-34. The ergonomics of the hoods and the disk brakes are excellent. You can get the Ekar groupset online from Germany for 756euro and my Chorus is still 1,041euro. I would of considered an Ekar groupset but I wanted 2X and a HG cassette body as I could use any competitors cassette.
Torturous through the frame cable routing can sometime torpedo your shifting at least until the cable housing is well worn in.
If you´re honest, always declare HOW FAR you´ve ridden a certain groupset/set up. Rgr
I regret buying Wheeltop EDS TX. App will not load making it an expensive paper weight
This is super interesting. They just hit me up maybe I should do a video to show that that others should be ware of the good price tag?
Nothing like a quality ride down the Banks-Vernonia
this channel changed alot over the years still as fun to watch
my preference is GRX600 shifters and crankset I think it's the sweet spot. the 2X variety for close spacing and cadence on road combined with good low end off road, with grx810 derailleurs.
Love my Ekar! Light, fast shifting, great brakes. But make sure you Loctite and torque the cassette! I've owned all the Shimano gravel gruppos and mechanical SRAM and prefer Ekar. But it does feel different (as Campag always has) and I've not ridden the GT version.
Yay, guests appearance by Winston ❤
Owned the SRAM XPLR AXS since it came out and it’s been a reliable workhorse. The only issue I have with it is remembering to charge the batteries before the ride 🙃
I have the same stem, it's so beautiful, and Enve x K-Edge makes a great computer mount for that stem that is just as good.
I also share the same feeling about Campy as you, Dustin. Growing up as a young cyclist in Italy in the 90s, my bikes were equipped with the most perfect mechanical Chorus. It's sad to see the brand lacking innovation and being so confused these days. Still a thumb shifter on the Ekar GT, but no thumb shifter on the new Super Record?! Positioning themselves as a luxury brand with the Super Record Wireless, but then releasing mid-tier aluminium groupsets? Also so much attention on their wheels these days and not much on groupsets. The brand is certainly losing identity and I am sad about it.
I didn't know Campagnolo brakes were made by Magura, interesting. Thanks for the video.
7 hours to ride 288kms is very quick indeed!
Your point about the range of the cassette makes sense. 10-50 with an extra gear above 40 would be useful. I fear it is do or die for Campy. They have lost status in the pro ranks and struggled with gravel and mountain bike tech. It will take some time and effort to catch up again. Or skip ahead and work on the cvt set up with programable shift points and two speed rear hub.
I learned with my Ekar bike it is very dependent on tuning. After it is dialed in it shifts like normal Campy
I run the original Ekar and at the time I installed it about 3 years ago it was the lightest one by mechanical groupset.
Same observation here though, the shifting and adjustment is a bit difficult but possible.
I found the appearance of the groupset overall was the most appealing to me compared to Shimano or Sram back then. And so far things got worse on the other side.
But one thing annoys me the most is that little bump at the hoods where they meet the handlebar. You need to wrap extra tape there to get it smoother. Not sure if it’s only on my bar and would work better on other bars with different bends. I run a MCFK dropper bar.
Other then that it’s a great looking groupset and works ok.
I have Campy super Record on my 2013 Venge. It was the best thing out there back then. I love the thumb shifter because I could shift from the tops of the bars with my pinky. But now their high end electric is just too expensive and other brands do a much better job.
I just replaced a SRAM CX1 group (brakes and shifters) on my gravel/road bike with a GRX 800 group.
I have to say, the GRX has been flawless and the levers feel great. Plus, since I have the 1X set up, the left-hand shifter can also control a dropper post if I decide to fit one.
The CX1 was pretty good, but the front and back brakes failed on me due to leaking fluid, I can't say whether the corrosive nature of the DOT hydraulic fluid SRAM was using had anything to do with it. But, I'm happy to be back on mineral oil with Shimano
i hate that huge loop of cable on the seatstay 😂 probably makes it shift "better" though
I have always been a fan of the Campagnolo shifters. I liked the ergonomics, the look and the extreme durability on the second generation of Ergo levers (used them in 9-speed for a long time). So I would consider this groupset, because I will do everything to stay away from electronically shifting. That said, I will stick to bar end shifters on my cross/gravel/travel/winter bike, so I won't be needing these.
Never tried the Ekar myself but my 12 sp chorus is lovely. Full mechanical
thumbs up for Winston and for that monster ride data...wow!
He’s the best!
Mine works fantastic, I swapped the flawed Shimano GRX 11 1x groupset and haven’t looked back. Ekar GT works well
I'm thinking of getting the grx 1x/2x 11. Can you tell me more bout what you didn't like with it?
@@tcctcc3785 it’s far too high geared to be that useful for a gravel bike or for bike packing unless it’s pretty flat gravel. Works beautifully otherwise. To try and change any part of set up means buying a whole load of new components though, Ekar GT has a lot of interchangeability which makes it very practical and inexpensive to actually live with
lol I just threw together a Frankenstein cx/gravel bike with microshift sword derailleur/ 11-48 cassette, friction shift bar end shifter, OG dura ace 9sp levers as just brake levers, and a CUES crank 1x with mini Vs. Mostly mixed cause QBP has been out of stock with most of the sword parts.
My old Freeman road bike was built up with Campy Record and I thought it was so cool at the time.
That set up is STILL cool!!!
Only advantage of it is the 9t-42t sprocket which means you can run a 38t or even 36t chainring and still go really fast. No reason you have to run "campy" brakes if they're mineral oil, just get some grx calipers, they're great.
campy is like fine wine it get better with time. It breaks in. Also about parts availability, it's mostly bercause shop don't keep them in stock since the market is controlled by sram and shimano. Tbh, when I rebuilt my look kg241 with daytona 10s, it took only 3 days for parts to arrive at the shop. So if you touring for weeks, it might not be the best idea, but for most people who use their bike every 2 days for under 200 km rides, parts availabilty is not a big deal.
Btw campy shifters are the best and I use sram and shimano on my bikes.
Maybe it doesnt work great because full internal cable routing? Maybe cables are broken or bent because of weird angles inside the frame?
The Campy thumb shifter is one of the best things about it. I haven't owned a set since Campy Chorus on my road bike a few years ago, but it was fantastic in a sprint. You could dump the whole cassette in one swipe. Chorus was by far the best, smoothest, best performing groupset I ever had. But I mainly ride CX, so I switched to SRAM because I can't afford to replace a Chorus derailleur every season, and the shifting performance when packed with mud wasn't as good as SRAM.
Also, on the road, my Campy stuff lasted way, way longer than anything else. You can take apart and rebuild a Campy shifter yourself (or you could; I don't know about it anymore). The wisdom at the bike shop was at 5000km Shimano was breaking, and Campagnolo was broken in.
@@JanGoh-jb5ge Ekar can only shift one gear down the cassette, supposedly to avoid accidental shifts with the thumb on rough terrain. There is a work around by removing the pin that stops the thumb lever from making multiple shifts in one swipe.
@@olivermurphy1825 That sucks; that definitely hampers the functionality. It's an amazing system when you can shift large ranges at once.
@@JanGoh-jb5ge I see why they did it though…I have record 12 on my road bike and I love being able to drop down the cassette when going over the top of a climb.
As a kid I dreamt about being able to ride Campy. It's a shame that they just stopped doing anything and fell behind. However, it was nice to watch the newcomer (SRAM) come out of nowhere and just dominate.
Yep, dumped Ekar for GRX 1x 12sp. Happy.
Normal Ekar was billed as the lightest gravel groupset, maybe the brand new Red XPLR is lighter? I like regular Ekar so much I bought it on two bikes. I like the little C shift button because it's different. I find it to be quick and flawless (and I have SRAM Force AXS on a road bike and GX Transmission on my mtb). I know this thing is way flawed though, but I can't see a world where it's all 2 groupset manufacturers (luckily, China is crushing it and that is no longer a worry).
I've had my Ekar bikes for years now. I still love them.
Great review!! Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
The poor shifting might be due to the cassette design. It's basically a road cluster with some MTB sprokets slapped on the end. The mech parallelogram travels in a diagonal line; the road-ish sprockets in the middle are quite far from the upper jockey wheel. It my limited experience, this middle area of the cassette is where Ekar seems to struggle most
OK, the summary of this video is: "He doesn't like Campy." That's it.
I've been riding Campy for over 30 years now and always have at least one bike with Shimano, currently 2 road bikes with a Chorus 12sp / Ultgra Di2 12sp and a gravel bike with a 105. When I bought the Di2, my expectations were huge and I was not disappointed. After 2 years I have to say Chorus vs Di2 is different but neither is better, just different.
As a designer, calling the thumb shifter "weird"..... "Just different" nails it, Sir! Rgr
Some fun shots in this one Dustin. I like that early one where you snatch up the camera before delivering your dialogue.
I have the regular Ekar that I have been riding for years now and it has been great, still love it.
What brand are your cycling glasses? your prescription lens inside looks much bigger and nicer than the usual inserts you find! I want to see too 🤓
I'd like to know this too
They look like Rudy project cutlines
As a Campy road bike person, that is certainly hard to hear. I will say though that I have not rode anything beyond Campy 11 speed mechanical. Now as a mechanic and small shop owner, I will say that the rear derailleur housing on that bike looks way too long, so wonder if that might be the problem.? Either way, it certainly is hard to hear and disappointing. I have lots of thoughts on that,sadly.
Came for the roast, stayed to hear about the MOG. Need more MOG info. Also, more info a prescription sunglasses please! Those looked great! Also, great edit and filming as always. Also, ...
I used to have campy and liked the side padel easier to reach from the drops than Shimano mechanical
Neighbor across the river in Vancouver, love your content!
Problem is 13 speed with mechanical shifting, even 12-speed mechanical is finicky, but putting another cog is just asking for problems, it's hard to set it up perfectly and with even a little bit of cable stretch it goes out of adjustment. 12 speed and up should be electronic.
Looks like that shift cable coming out of the rear mech should be either a fair bit shorter or maybe some of the length meant to be internal has pulled out and needs to be pushed back in. Either way, may explain the slow shifting.
🤷🏻♂️ Campy set this bike up
I’ve ridden Ekar for a full year, found it shifts about as fast as di2. You need to be aware that is needs to be setup properly: internal cable routing is nice but the sharp angles on the ENVE combo are pushing it.
…But easy maintenance and visible cables are a thing pf the past, right??
Agreeing on the cost of cassette and drive train parts though ☹️
This bike came from campy
Really love your goggles, could you let me know the brand or where to got them?
Link in description
Shifters are incredibly reminiscent of the L-Twoo* hydro set I ran for about a year. I got used to the button shift, but like you, found it restricted hand placement when I wanted to shift.
*Still going strong on a friends bike, only now grafted to Shimano MTB calipers on his post-mount gravel bike.
Dude, your videos are the bomb. ('90s slang)
What kind of sunglasses are you wearing? Prescription?
There a link for ya in the description.
I guess your statement on the brakes is not correct. Generally Campagnolo brakes were and still often noted as industry leading. In the past they teamed up with Magura. However, since the introduction of the first Ekar Groupset a few years ago the current edition of their brake sistem is a full inhouse development.
Since Shimano pulled their compatibility (for "wireless" groupsets) from Hammerhead, it seems now that one's cyclocomputer may dictate what groupset to prefer, or what cyclocomputer you must suffer to use with your chosen groupset.
Yeah, Campagnolo lost me back in the 90’s. (There’s your old dude alert.) $1,900 for another boringly black, cable actuated 1-by-xx groupset that works less well than two better performing, less expensive, boringly black, cable actuated 1-by-xx groupsets. By the time you factor in the cost of Campy-compatible freehub body upgrade (or new wheel set… it’s only$$$), you could trade your old ride for a new, boringly black, Di2 or e-tap equipped bike. Buy it if you think it’s that cool, but recognize that 99% of your fellow riders can’t tell the difference from 10 feet away. How cool is that? No matter what you ride, have fun with it, and make some Happy Trails!😁❤️
I'm always Team Shimano, since I got the mineral oil and funnel already. I'm running GRX 822 derailleur with the xtr 10-45 and a RF next r crank with 44t garbaruk chainring
I think Campy has always relied upon their snob appeal too much. People didn't want it because it performed better, but because it was the most expensive and used by all the best sponsored riders. They made their stuff to such a high level of quality that it didn't matter that it may perform worse than competitors' products. A Frank Berto quote lifted from Disraeli Gears says this: "The Campagnolo Nuovo Record rear derailleur shifted poorly, but was so well constructed that it would keep on shifting exactly as poorly - forever." Unfortunately, it seems Campy's quality has slipped, and quality alone can no longer justify the purchase of some of their products.
I like the thumb shifter - each level has a separate control. Now they even effed that up now. Sad. The only good news is that the Chinese brands and SRAM are doing the same to Shimano.
Which prescription glasses do you use?
I don't think there would be many people paying full retail for this groupset though. Here in New Zealand I've seen a new, full Campy Ekar groupset, for sale for around $1700 ( just over $1000US).
Great information, the last time I bough Campy was full Chorus on my 1996 Steelman, still a great ride
Thats a keeper build!
I demand more appearances from your executive producer!
Totally nailed this assessment.
This means a lot from Josh. Here's why: velo.outsideonline.com/byline/josh-ross/
Would enjoy hearing more of your thoughts on those lovely Ultradynamico tires!
Might have missed this but are we getting a enve mog review from you?
Howdy 🤠 where can I get that camo helmet? Pls please share 🙏 thanks in advance.
Banks-Vernonia State Trail making a beautiful backdrop to the video.
Campagnolo haven't been the 'pinnacle of innovation' since the early 90s. They've just been the prettiest.