The 'Un-Official' Campagnolo Ekar thread

[phishrabbi]

Originally Posted by mistermo

Ratio has said they’re coming out with a 13s hack for SRAM levers to work with Ekar. No idea if that means it’d work with SRAM rim brake levers but the chance is reasonable given their 12s hack works with some of their rim brake levers.

Amazing!! Do you have a link?

[mistermo]

I saw a reference to it on their Instagram account and emailed. No link, but I have their email. This was about 6 months ago. Unless there’s been a delay, it should be pretty close.

Follow them on IG and you’ll learn more.

Here’s a screenshot of the email.



The date on the email was early February so not quite 6 months yet.

[callmeishmael]

Originally Posted by Dave

If this is a road bike, Ekar isn't a good choice. There are plenty of 12 speed options that can operate rim brakes. Most require a double crank and a FD, like any
Campy 12 mechanical group. Sram makes the XPLR group that's 1X with a 10-44 cassette, that can be operated with wireless brake/shift levers and operate rim brakes with Force levers.

If you’re set on 1x on a rim brake frame, then some sort of AXS configuration makes the most sense.

I’d be quite keen on an AXS set up with a 44t up front and a 10-40 at the back (nb- I’m not aware that any such cassette exists, sadly).

[grateful]

This

Originally Posted by phishrabbi

I'm still hoping that someone like Ratio technologies will create a 13 speed update hack for Chorus 12 speed right brifters, so you could use it with Ekar RD, cassette, and chain with a mechanical rim brakes.

[Plum Hill]

Originally Posted by phishrabbi

I'm still hoping that someone like Ratio technologies will create a 13 speed update hack for Chorus 12 speed right brifters, so you could use it with Ekar RD, cassette, and chain with a mechanical rim brakes.

I’d like this so I could run cable actuated Klampers.
For me, hydraulic brakes on a bicycle just add complexity.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by phishrabbi

I'm still hoping that someone like Ratio technologies will create a 13 speed update hack for Chorus 12 speed right brifters, so you could use it with Ekar RD, cassette, and chain with a mechanical rim brakes.

I've said it before, I'll 'bet' that the shift guts for EKAR is similar enough to 11 and 12s, that the EKAR shift guts will go into a rim brake lever body. But don't know. I'm thinking the only thing different is the toothed bushing up front that the shift lever blade rotates and the 'notches' in the shift disc itself in the rear part of the shifter.

Somebody send me a set of 3 RH shifters, 11s, 12s and Ekar 13s and I'll take 'em all apart and let y'all know.

[phishrabbi]

Ratio confirmed to me via e-mail that they're working on a 13 speed "upgrade" for SRAM shifters and (rear) derailleur, to be used in conjunction with Campy Ekar cassettes and chains.

I guess the only question remaining for me, is: is it possible to convert a DT swiss 240 130mm rim brake hub to N3W to take the cassette, everything online seems to suggest a 12 x 142mm.

Would this work?

If so, I think I'm going to do it....

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by phishrabbi

Ratio confirmed to me via e-mail that they're working on a 13 speed "upgrade" for SRAM shifters and (rear) derailleur, to be used in conjunction with Campy Ekar cassettes and chains.

I guess the only question remaining for me, is: is it possible to convert a DT swiss 240 130mm rim brake hub to N3W to take the cassette, everything online seems to suggest a 12 x 142mm.

Would this work?

If so, I think I'm going to do it....

Email this gent..knows all things DT but I'm guessing the 'long pole in the tent'(thing that holds it all up) is rim brake, 130mm and N3W...Since all things '13s(EKAR) are disc brake.

But
dagapito@dtswiss.com

[phishrabbi]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Email this gent..knows all things DT but I'm guessing the 'long pole in the tent'(thing that holds it all up) is rim brake, 130mm and N3W...Since all things '13s(EKAR) are disc brake.

But
dagapito@dtswiss.com

Thanks I've reached out. This article from Bike Rumor reads, in part:

"Beyond Campagnolo’s own family wheels 3T, Boyd, Carbon-Ti, Deda, DT Swiss, ERE, Hunt, Industry Nine, Scope, Vision, and Zipp have all so far also announced that N3W freehubs will be available for their latest wheels (including several rim brake wheel options!), for use either with traditional Campagnolo road or new Ekar gravel bikes. With the backwards-compatibility feature, we expect that list to continue to grow."

This makes me think that because of Campy's choice to make the new n3w standard backwards compatible, there must be some way to get one onto a 130mm hub. I'd be happy to buy a campy branded road rim brake hub with a n3w driver.

You're a wheel builder! Is there anyone sourcing a 130mm 28h rim brake hub with a n3w driver?

[phishrabbi]

Response from David at DT SWISS:

"First, the Campy Ekar will not fit last generation straight-pull hubs.

You can put together a 130mm Ekar kit using the Ekar free hub and a 135mm QR kit. You just would not use the left QR end cap from this kit. Unfortunately the Ekar QR end caps are not available separately.

Campy Ekar 13 free hub# HWRABL00S2532S

Campy Ekar 135mm QR kit# HWGXXX00S3191S"

That answers that. Now, how do I determine what "last generation" is?

[foo_fighter]

Bitex makes a N3W freehub...

[Philster]

While 13 speeds seems like it would be an asset with 1x, the reality is that the Ekar cassette is designed with big jumps in the gears you actually use. Campy put the tight spacing down in the bottom of the cassette where gravel bike speeds don't really live. I have a bike with Ekar and the gears on my GRX 1x bike feel more evenly spaced.

I would go with a GRX 1x rear mech and then you can use any Shimano 11 speed road shifters.

If you really like to have fun hacking things, check out Path Less Pedaled on YouTube for a bunch of mullet solutions.

[phishrabbi]

This is for a rim brake road bike.

[JWB475]

Originally Posted by Philster

While 13 speeds seems like it would be an asset with 1x, the reality is that the Ekar cassette is designed with big jumps in the gears you actually use. Campy put the tight spacing down in the bottom of the cassette where gravel bike speeds don't really live. I have a bike with Ekar and the gears on my GRX 1x bike feel more evenly spaced.
.

What chainring/cassette combo are you using? With a 38T chainring and the 10-44 cassette I find myself using those gears all the time on my solo gravel rides. I do spin out, but mainly on downhills at 30+ mph when I would rather coast anyways.

If I were planning to hammer a group road ride, I would just put the 9-42 cassette on or put on a bigger chainring.

[Xrslug]

A creative alternative (Ekar rear der, Ekar crank, Shimano 11-42 cassette, bar end shifter, cantilever brakes):
https://forums.thepaceline.net/showt...ke+ekar&page=3