The 'Un-Official' Campagnolo Ekar thread
 

Everything you would like to know will be in this thread. Let me know if you have any questions.

Retail price: $1825. Retail price of Chorus 12: $1942. So it's slightly cheaper than Chorus 12.
Includes: crank, BSA bb, chain, front brake caliper/lever, rear brake caliper/lever, cassette, rear derailleur, brake bolt kit, brake caliper adaptor.

That is what retail is. Of course online will be different.

Availability: so, it's limited right now. The original US Importer for Campy, they requested 50 kits and got 10. Campy USA has a small stock also. More is on a container on the way.

Let me know if you have questions.

The brake calipers, the front, it's now like Shimano flat mount. You can use an adaptor to go from 140 to 160mm rotors. OR, they still offer the original version, with the tabs built into it.

The graphics, it's designed to be a stand-alone group. Minimal Campagnolo branding. EKAR is supposed to not be the stodgy old Campy for the new generation riders.

As of now, the crank arm covers, only with EKAR. But I am trying to get some.

The BCD, it's the same as the Chorus.

Holy moly..Good on them. :)

EPS in the works? AXS killer? I know etap but twice the price as this?? Yikes.

For EKAR? Nothing I've heard. But this is a pretty awesome entry shot into a TRUE gravel kit. It looks awesome. Has all the right features. Minimal branding. Even a crankarm guard. Very well thought out.

And for us mechanics out there, the C13 chain will work on the 11 speed chain tool just as the 12 speed does!

Looks great:banana:
What is the "Ass Saver"

Very nice, thanks for sharing the details Velocipede.

Some observations:

-I'm excited and happy to see some development around the bottom bracket, especially since some of us already use UT cranksets in less than ideal road conditions and more bearing protection is a good thing there.

-I see the big ring is slated for "eGravel" - is that a hint of what's to come? yuck.

-great that they kept the Chrous bcd so there will be some cross ring compatibility in the future. i bet the likes of worf-tooth, absolute black, etc will come out with eliptical rings for this bcd and be cross compatible to chorus.

-I LOVE that some campy accessories are coming back to market! I want some ekar bottle cages! Let's hope they expand this line and the stuff is great.

-boom. the most important part - they priced it correctly. at this price we will be seeing more campy on gravel bikes, i'm sure.

Wow, thanks for posting!

The website doesn't even have this.

How do you pronounce that - ee-car, eh-kar?

Any specs on that top tube bag?
dimensions, waterproof?
cable ports?

Those thumb levers are blowing my mind!

Glad they are offering a chain with quick link. I can't wait to try the group that I ordered with an incoming bike along with the new Shamal's.:banana:

Gizmo that clips onto rear/under of the saddle to keep 'some' spray of yer bumm.

Wonder if the 'new' BB cups are compatible with all the other UT cranks..probably, I'm guessing.

They are even doing some softgoods for EKAR. And it will be stocked on some bikes for 2021. Grandis and Bixxis will both have it as stock offerings.

LOVE the wooden display case for it. Nice packaging too. 100% recycled cardboard.

excellent - this is all very smart on campy's part. it seems like they have put a lot of thought into this release both from a hardware and marketability standpoint.

very good!

GCN's posted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isFw8dN3m9I

I'm not sure on the whole e-gravel thing. I think they are more saying you could use it on an e-bike. That it's beefy enough for it.

Agreed. It's excellent news they are keeping the BCD the same. I am not 100% sure it's not the same Chorus crank. I haven't seen solid works drawings or anything. But I would be surprised if it weren't the same.

Pronounced EHK-ARE or EH-CAR.

No info on the bags yet. Haven't seen them in person. But I love that they have them! Sizes on the bike look good for most riders wants.

I think this looks great. Good for campy. Sure they are 2 years late but they imo arrived in great fashion. Group looks great (which considering I think 12 speed is one of the worst looking campy groups of probably all time), this looks great. Its modern but there is some class to it, I think the modern angular look and the crank is perfect for 1X.

Gear choices are great. Not only they did 9-36 which I think for some is more than enough but they also gave the market something bigger than 42 which I don't think is enough. I think 44 is great even though you loose the 9 but you keep tighter gaps probably so its worth it.

Not having to buy a new FH is fantastic. The BB is smart because a lot of destroyed BBs ridding in mud, some of these BBs were not designed to be dragged through that stuff.

I am impressed. Good for campy and hope they do well with this group.

Oh, the thumb button, it might be a bit too much but I would like to try it. I think I would prefer the old button but who knows. I have said it before though, the campy hydro system is my favorite of the 3, it brakes amazing and with the ergo hoods which are the most comfy (and no I have not tried GRX) it is just so nice.

Now. Give me a gravel 2x groupset because I don't want anything to do with 1x probably ever again (that said this group might make me re-consider at some point).

I have videos from Campy but no way to post them.

By the way, people looking online for it, there is a 30 Day moratorium imposed by Campy for online retailers. So you'll have to wait for a bit. Us shops/bike companies, different story. I've already sold a couple groups and have them for review bikes in the works.

I am very interested in the crank covers and the saddle bag if/when you get some :)

Is a 12 speed quick link coming?

VeloNews has yet to report on it.

Very nice. Looks like Campy hit it out of the park.

I'm interested in the bottle cages.

Campagnolo sent a press release this a.m.
:
"INTRODUCING EKAR
THE CAMPAGNOLO GRAVEL GROUPSET

Ekar delivers 1x13 transmission the way it should be: wide range, close ratio and no compromise.

Thanks to a 9T sprocket, Ekar’s unique and innovative gravel-specific 1x13 drivetrain delivers a full range of gear ratios with smooth, natural gear progressions for the perfect cadence, whatever your speed, and whatever your style of gravel riding.

With four chainring options – 38, 40, 42 and 44T – and a choice of three cassettes – 9-36T, 9-42T and 10-44T – Ekar is ready for however you ride and wherever your adventures take you!

Ekar is not just the world’s lightest gravel groupset, it’s also reliable, durable and fast – and it was born tough. Born on the mountain that gave the new groupset its name and with which it shares unmistakable and authentic characteristics."

There was a link to a zip file brochure.

Photo

I have a bunch of photos and videos in my press kit. Wish I could post them all.

I agree on the first comment. The second, my price list doesn't have anything related to softgoods or any EKAR branded product. I have a call today with them so I'll ask. I think the bags looks great. And there's no shortage of incredible talented clothing/bag companies in Italy. So I'm betting they are pretty solid and well designed.

Ac
 

Above Category did a build and here is their review:

https://abovecategorycycling.com/blo...ogIkNQR0xFVSJ9

Very tempting. Only negative I see is only shifts one gear at a time down the cassette. And of course I don't know if I'm ready for 1X yet.

https://gravelcyclist.com/bicycle-te...avel-groupset/

Some pictures and a write up.


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And they’ll mistakenly report it as a 2x system.

I have not tried Campagnolo hydraulic braking yet but I'm intrigued and have read only positive reviews. That said, I can vouch for the excellence of Shimano's GRX hydraulic brakes and the ergonomics of the Di2 GRX levers, which are also superb. The 2x GRX is great stuff but I actually like the idea of the 1x13 here. The gravel roads I did in Michigan have constant up and down on short, sharp rises and there's a lot of shifting going on between the two chainrings. For the first time in my riding life I sort of wish for a 1x system. I've not used one in the past and this 1x13 has my attention.

My Zanconato has been crafted for electronic shifting only so I can't try this groupset on that bike.

This is a groupset that looks really well considered and I hope Campagnolo can gain some market share back.

The bags and kit look nice too.

I really don't recall Campy ever, in my 40 years of riding Campy, being this organized and coordinated for a new product rollout. I'm really stunned and happy for them. I suspect it will sell well.

The partners page is impressive too. Getting in with the big American brands will bump their brand up significantly. The win in the Tour didn't hurt either.

Nailed it.

Probably OT a bit, but I find myself going less and less to that website. Stopped subscribing to the print mag two years ago (had been a subscriber since 86')

Back OT, am a gravel fan and a Campy fan-and this looks exciting-but will wait for the 2x. Pricing is very non Campy-ish.

I agree! I think they did an excellent job with it. It helps having extra time of course... thanks COVID! But even the clothing looks great. The team who worked on this should be proud. Brilliant job.

No 2x coming. Only 1x for this or future EKAR improvements.

Non Campy-ish? Good or bad? I think the pricing is decent. On par with the top level of Force 1x and GRX 1x. And it's 1 or 2 gears up. Plus you can swap out the rings without pulling the arm. Like that feature.

Want. Want. Want.

If only I had need for a gravel bike. Or roads nearby to ride a gravel bike.....

So who is going to volunteer to dump their Force or GRX setup? Interested to see some long term reviews on this.

Some very interesting points of view in the AC article.

I want one too! And I don't have a gravel bike but this makes me want one for sure. Even with all the bags and stuff. It looks incredible. I don't have any gravel roads near me either! But I'd still love to have one with this on it. And the new Shamal Carbons! As Clarkson would say.... That's strong pornography.

I find it interesting they didn't mention the front brake change. Something people/shops complained about incessantly with the original and Campy fixed. No mention of it.

What frustrates me the most about this new group is I currently have things 'dialed' and that's about to go out the window as I obsess about how to make this happen for myself ….. :)

I'll be real interested to see measurements on the sprocket thickness and spacing, along with the chain dimensions. A quick link is finally available.

I can't imagine this system not eventually being adapted to 2X road. The thumb button looks to be made to operate better from the hooks.

I don't understand their contention of greater range than other's 2X systems. SRAM'S new 43/30 with the 10-36 has a 516% range. The 9-42 Ekar has a 467% range.

With the 10-36 cassette, my chorus bike had a range of 540%. Now I have the same range with my chorus crank and force axs drivetrain.

Some minor comments.

I don't like the look of the thumb paddle. But I bet it's really functional! And frankly, if it's functional, the look will probably grow on people.

James Huang's vid for CT showed a quick link!

I'm pretty small. I don't expect everyone to need road Q-factors, but I like that they maintained the crank's Q-factor at 145.5mm. I haven't tried GRX (151mm), but I suspect it might feel slightly off to me (but maybe I'd adapt to it, and maybe I'd get the XTR pedals with the -3mm spindles).

The RD comes stock with 12t top and 14t bottom pulleys. I think SRAM has 12t for both pulleys on its AXS groups, and Shimano has 11t for both pulleys right now.

Just aesthetically, I like the RD, the crank, and the logos.

Also, Huang said that Specialized is going to offer some bikes with Ekar. So, it's not just the European brands (Pinarello, Wilier, Ridley, and maybe 3T if you consider them Euro). It's a major US brand.

I've already said that I have a theoretical objection to 9t cogs. For the sort of gravel riding I do, if I were getting one of these groups, I think I'd do a 42t ring with the 10-44 cassette.

And for Mark McM: the initial reviews said that Ekar will offer a 165mm crank as well as the 3 170, 172.5, and 175mm. As we discussed, this doesn't mean it's going to be easy to find power meters for them, but at least they have short cranks!