Campagnolo unveil Ekar 1x13 lightweight gravel drivetrain

[Eldron]

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?

 

The tour has just been won on Campag!!!

 

First time since IneosSky started winning it in 1935.

 

Edit: Only 1 Campy team and 2 SRAM teams if memory serves....

Edited September 29, 2020 by Eldron

[TNT1]

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

 

 

Still better looking than Icarus.

[TNT1]

My Mechanics words. "If you want thoroughbred Italian beauty to go with your Italian frame, then get Campagnolo. It's a little touchy to setup and pricey but works well. If you want reliability, get Di2!" 

Small disclaimer, he is Italian and rides only italian. 

You need to show your mechanic a Bianchi with Di2.

 

For the record I have Campag on all my road bikes, but if I had a Bianchi, it would get Dura Ace.

[J∆kk∆ls]

[Wayne pudding Mol]

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. 

An AXS battery lasts 25 hours just so you know - I generally get tired after 24 hours non stop.  I then test for 1 hour whilst my battery recharges and off I go everesting for another 24 hours

 

Judging by where you ride I should hope you can get up those passes on a 36 front cassette and and 11 speed.  Even I can and that's saying something

 

As a matter of interest you can get some really good 11 speed options from Garbaruk - not cheap but incredible quality so good value per KM

 

My AXS cost nowhere near your figure by the way and as a guy who has a few sets of Campy and love all things Campagnolo, AXS shifts smoother and better.  Will it last as long, I don't know

 

I wasn't saying the Campy stuff is rubbish, I was just saying they are pricing high and relying on brand loyalty from their customers (like me who in this case prefers AXS)

Edited September 29, 2020 by Waynemol

[TNT1]

You need to show your mechanic a Bianchi with Di2.

 

For the record I have Campag on all my road bikes, but if I had a Bianchi, it would get Dura Ace.

Sadly though I only have Record on one of my bikes.

[_C50_]

An AXS battery lasts 25 hours just so you know - I generally get tired after 24 hours non stop.  I then test for 1 hour whilst my battery recharges and off I go everesting for another 24 hours

 

Judging by where you ride I should hope you can get up those passes on a 36 front cassette and and 11 speed.  Even I can and that's saying something

 

As a matter of interest you can get some really good 11 speed options from Garbaruk - not cheap but incredible quality so good value per KM

 

My AXS cost nowhere near your figure by the way and as a guy who has a few sets of Campy and love all things Campagnolo, AXS shifts smoother and better.  Will it last as long, I don't know

 

I wasn't saying the Campy stuff is rubbish, I was just saying they are pricing high and relying on brand loyalty from their customers (like me who in this case prefers AXS)

 

Overreact much? I never implied you said Campy is rubbish. Neither did I say group set X is better than group set Y. 

 

I don't know what you paid for your AXS group set. I merely did a quick search and found the prices for SRAM Force 1 AXS of local retailers online. I don't understand why people are moaning about the  "possible" retail price of Ekar vs. that of Force 1 AXS based on those prices I found. 

 

Further more, my comments are based on what my needs/requirements are. I'm perfectly happy with a mechanical group set and don't see any benefit (for me) going electronic. One of them is not having to deal with charging more stuff than I need to when I'm out doing a bike packing trip or doing an ultra-endurance race. That is purely based on the battery life of AXS. 

 

My 1 X 12sp SRAM Eagle is perfect for my mountain bike, I wouldn't change it for anything. I don't like the jump in gears on my monster cross with 1 X 11sp cassette, based on the type of riding I use it for. 

 

Riding up those passes with a fully loaded bike with my 36 chain ring and standard SRAM 11sp cassette is not particularly noteworthy, I agree. There is however a slight difference when you hit Rooiberg after you have already done 200+km's. It was just a point of reference for me knowing what gearing I require/need in all situations.

 

I'm just a fun rider, so what would I know. 

[Wayne pudding Mol]

 

Overreact much?.....

 

 

 

 

The irony

[WIPEOUT 1000]

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.

 

I think J&J is probably the main reason we see so little campy on South African bicycles

[MORNE]

@Waynemol

 

My reaction exactly????

Edited September 30, 2020 by morneS555

[Jewbacca]

Buy it, don't buy it.

 

I really like it. But I won't buy it. If I had 33k spare I would put some oil in my Landy and put the other 4000zar in my kids school fee fund.

 

I am not angry that Campy have brought out something that I can't have. I am also not angry when Scott make bikes that look rubbish nor when Swift make bikes that look like a pooing dog.

 

I also don't judge you if you like pooing Swifts or ugly Scott bikes or ride a DMR saddle. 

 

Let it go guys. Seriously. Swinging dicks at each other over a new product that almost none of us will ever own just degrades everyone involved

[hubbernero]

Someone discussing the groupset, giving a reasonable explanation with real world examples of actually riding his bicycle. The other saying his one groupset shifts better than the other.

[MORNE]

Buy it, don't buy it.

 

I really like it. But I won't buy it. If I had 33k spare I would put some oil in my Landy and put the other 4000zar in my kids school fee fund.

 

Hahaha. Lets be honest though Guy, you’ll probably have to spend the R33k on oil and then an EXTRA R4k cleaning your driveway where most of said Oil made its way onto the pavement before you were done topping up

????

Edited September 30, 2020 by morneS555

[Jewbacca]

Hahaha. Lets be honest though Guy, you’ll probably have to spend the R33k on oil and then an EXTRA R4k cleaning your driveway where most of said Oil made its way onto the pavement before you were done topping up

 

I actually have a catchment tray and oil filter built into my driveway and I just recycle the same 460 pints every week......

[MORNE]

I actually have a catchment tray and oil filter built into my driveway and I just recycle the same 460 pints every week......

 

[Eldron]

Now that more info is available...

 

I like: traditional freehub that is backwards compatible (a win over sram and shimano), 9 tooth smallest, weight (I'm not a weight weenie but it is a metric people like), clutch AND switch for holding the RD open, new patented BB seals (if they work).

 

I don't like: it's a first edition (I don't like first editions), very little shaping and lifting on cassette and chain, the complex crank assembly, the thumbies (never liked them) but most of all - the price!

 

I'm sticking with Shimano's top of the line GRX815 Di2 and keeping the other R8k for now...