Campagnolo unveil Ekar 1x13 lightweight gravel drivetrain

[MORNE]

Guess i’m the only one who thinks this looks cheap and nasty? Like mid level sram,shimano stuff?

Sortof like a Porsche boxter, or 80s 928. Sure its still technically a Porsche, but you better not ever join the Porsche club or pitch up at a traffic light and stop next to a 911 GT2....

The feelings of inadequacy will be tangible Lol

[Underachiever]

We have some details on local availability and pricing. Cycling J&J (SA distributor) confirmed that Ekar should be available mid October 2020 with an expected retail price of R 33,000.

As much as I love Campag, this is way off the mark - for me anyway.

 

Kind of on par with Chorus - seriously???

[Matt]

As much as I love Campag, this is way off the mark - for me anyway.

 

Kind of on par with Chorus - seriously???

From what I've read it's positioned somewhere between Centaur and Chorus. Price wise leaning closer to Chorus.

 

It's a lot of money, but I thought it felt about right for a mid to upper tier Campagnolo groupset, a 13 speed groupset at that. That said, having seen the EUR pricing I was expecting it to be a bit more.

 

As a Campag lover what makes you say it's off the mark? 

[Wayne pudding Mol]

From what I've read it's positioned somewhere between Centaur and Chorus. Price wise leaning closer to Chorus.

 

It's a lot of money, but I thought it felt about right for a mid to upper tier Campagnolo groupset, a 13 speed groupset at that. That said, having seen the EUR pricing I was expecting it to be a bit more.

 

As a Campag lover what makes you say it's off the mark? 

significantly more expensive than chorus 12 although I'm using rim brakes as a reference but then there is an extra derailleur

 

For this money you are competing with AXS and even as a die hard Campy fan, it's a no contest

[Pure Savage]

I would have hoped it was a bit better looking to be honest.

[_C50_]

 

For this money you are competing with AXS and even as a die hard Campy fan, it's a no contest

 

I beg to differ, but that is purely based on what I want from a group set. Not everybody wants/needs an electronic group set. 

 

I don't want to be changing batteries every day when i'm out on a bike packing trip for multiple days, and then still have to worry about charging them as well. Thanks, but no thanks.

 

Currently riding a 1 X 11 on my monster cross. SRAM does not offer a 12sp mechanical group set.  Not that it differs that much from the 11sp, other than added a 50/51 to the casette, which I have no need for. I can comfortably get up Rooiberg, Montagu Pass, 7 Passes Road with my bike fully loaded and a backpack running a 36 up front with my 1X11 setup. 

 

My biggest gripe with the 1X is the big jump in gears, it annoys the living crap out of me. I am actually considering going 2X because of this. Never mind the absolutely ridiculous cost of the wide range cassettes. 

 

I fully get what Campy tried to achieve with this 13sp setup with small jumps in gears. It's not all about "range". I actually hope they bring a smaller than 38 front ring option - for me that is just to big. With a 36 up front and the 10-44 cassette I will be very happy. I'm sure it won't take the likes of  Wolftooth/Absolute Black/etc long to bring out compatible chain rings to fit other cranks. 

 

I had no idea what a SRAM AXS group set sets you back, so had a quick google. R31K for a 1X Force "upgrade" kit that excludes a crank set and cassette. Add those two and you are in for over R40K! For R33K you get a complete 13sp groupset. I'm not ever going to drop that kind of money on a group set, but why the issue with the price compared to AXS? When 13sp compatible chain rings become available you can keep whatever crank set you have and only buy the rest, as the group set parts can be bought separately. Also looking at the individual pricing it looks like the cassette is way cheaper than the upper end SRAM cassettes. 

 

On the "range" topic. Campy filed 2 patents for the cassettes. The one patent mentions a cassette with a small 9 teeth cog and a large 51 or 52 teeth cog (can't remember which one of the two). So my guess is that a wide range cassette is coming soon. 

[CAAD4]

Do people really think that AXS has to be charged every day???

[Andymann]

Ah. Hahahaha. HHAHAHAHAHA. HAAAAAHAHAHAHA.

 

Oh.

 

You're serious.

 

That's pretty brave pricing. I know Campy lovers are devoted but that is going to stretch that devotion to the limit!

 

Quick Poll:  What do you think will stretch more - their devotion or that 13sp chain 

[madmarc]

Lets not forget this is a gravel gruppo, not a bling gruppo for your road bike - How does one satisfy roadies wannabe MTBers or MTBers wannabe roadies. But it is the only 1X13 on offer amongst the mainstream makes. Another 1st for Campy.

 

For the purists its a thing of beauty - mmmm maybe the crank could have had a bit more thought - But hey once its been through lots of gravel mud and rain it will at least still work like a swiss watch.

 

In my opinion if you wanna ride offroad then ride a proper MTB or stay on the road. then you wont have to buy this fugly gruppo as some have called it  

[Underachiever]

From what I've read it's positioned somewhere between Centaur and Chorus. Price wise leaning closer to Chorus.

 

It's a lot of money, but I thought it felt about right for a mid to upper tier Campagnolo groupset, a 13 speed groupset at that. That said, having seen the EUR pricing I was expecting it to be a bit more.

 

As a Campag lover what makes you say it's off the mark? 

Matt, Campag road gruppo's are solid, well proven.  I have 2x11 on both my road bikes

 

I have a 2x11 Shimano on my gravel bike - works perfectly!!

 

Now a 1x13 for gravel - at that price point!! just seems too much of an experiment.  As someone said - let's wait for version 5.0

 

I would have launched a gravel "Centaur" 1 x 11 or 2 x 11 to directly compete with 105 or GRX 

[ChristiaanSt]

No one going to say anything about the 14m extra gear cable sticking out of the chainstay??? you can almost double loop that thing

 

 

Or the fact that you will need a special tool once again to remove the crankset?

Edited September 29, 2020 by ChristiaanSt

[_C50_]

Do people really think that AXS has to be charged every day???

 

If you ride your gravel bike to the coffee shop and back, once or twice over a weekend, probably not. 

 

So BikeRadar tells me about 25H.

https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/components/groupsets/groupset-mountain/sram-x01-eagle-axs-wireless-drivetrain-review/

 

For my last trip I did that would equal 2 days of riding. That makes it every second day in my case. Still a thanks, but no thanks for me. 

Edited September 29, 2020 by _C50_

[MORNE]

and here I am still laughing at all you weaklings on 1x11 and 1x12 

my 1x10 is now a 1x7 haha

 

when i bought that vintage Italian bike last week and saw the 53/42 and 6 speed cluster on the back...i knew i was looking at something that was meant to be ridden in a time when sex was safe and racing dangerous.  

Edited September 29, 2020 by morneS555

[Eldron]

Quick Poll:  What do you think will stretch more - their devotion or that 13sp chain 

 

Coffee. All. Over. Screen. You're not a nice man Andymann! 

[Eldron]

Do people really think that AXS has to be charged every day???

 

Only the naysayers that have never tried electronic.

[Skylark]

 

 

Anyway it’s not like the exotics are dominating the Tour, o wait ...

That's interesting and something I never thought about, how many of the top TDF riders are riding Campy?

 

And is Campy popular in general with professional roadies?