Ekar Users Thread

[Baron Blubba]

Here's a more detailed synopsis of my Ekar experiences.

My gravel bike (Giant Revolt, running G23's with I9 hubs) uses a 38 x 9-42 set up. I originally tried a 40T chainring, but the Revolt did not have clearance for it so went with 38 instead. In hindsight, I'm very glad I did. I use this bike on the road and on some very steep (upwards of 20%) and loose gravel. The 38-42 combo has me covered even on the most difficult dirty climbs, but I am using that low-low gear for all it's worth on those climbs, to the point where even the slight bump up to a 40T chain ring would make them whew boy, not impossible, but a lot more painful.
On most descents, the 38x9 gear leaves plenty to push. The cassette's built really nicely, with basically the high gears being 'road gears' and then a little jump where the lowest 5 or so gears are gravel/mtb gears. You'll rarely feel like you're missing a sweet spot.

On my steel all-road bike I run a 40T x 9-36 drivetrain. This is just sublime. 13 gears on a relatively tight 9-36 cassette means that you will always have the perfect gear in a beautifully linear progression. I have a 4.5 mile descent in my neighborhood that I ride almost daily. The gradient is 5-8% throughout, no need to use the brakes because of the nice wide sweeping turns. I typically average 34-36mph on this, and I have oodles of gear to push the whole time. The low gear of 40x36 can be spun while sitting at up to 12-14%. Doing 15-20% climbs on pavement of course requires a little extra oomph, but the gearing is more than enough. I'll use this gearing on pretty much any gravel ride that doesn't feature the aforementioned super-loose-and-washboardy 20% stuff.

Functionally! :

- Okay, first of all, be warned: The Ekar cassette and rotors do not play well with I9 freehubs. We had to install a washer behind the cassette to make it work.

- Grease the cassette liberally before installation and torque that sucker down to 50-60 nm or it'll loosen up and make very loud noises in at least half the gears.

Shifting action requires finesse, especially down shifts. Once you get the hang of it, though, it works as well as any mechanical drivetrain. I wouldn't say it shifts better or worse than mechanical Ultegra/Dura Ace or a perfectly adjusted Force/Red, but it works just as well.

The ergonomics are wonderful. I love upshifting with my thumb on the inner lever when in the drops.

The brakes are sublime --along with the new Dura Ace brakes, these are the best in the biz. However, I think they are more sensitive to the bike being turned on its side and upside down than Sram and Shimano hydraulics, which means that they will need to be bled more often.

Campy USA customer service is excellent.

Overall, this is not a perfect drivetrain, and it has required a little more finesse in maintenance and shifting function than others which I am used to. BUT --the benefits of the Campy ergonomics and the beauty of a well considered 1x13 gear range more than make up for those technical niggles, making it my favorite drivetrain at the moment. Also the nicest looking crank out there, I think.

If you're considering it, do it --I can't see anyone regretting it for gravel or road use.

[vespasianus]

I have had my Tommasini X-Fire for close to a year, and run EKAR with a 40T chainring and a 9-42 cassette.

On everything from the gravel roads to blue and green trails at Pisgah, I have no problem with this gearing. I have purchased a 38T chainring but have not installed it and don't know if I need to.

Personally, I love EKAR. The shifting is precise and solid in the typical Campag way and the gear range is just incredible. I would have no concern using this system for general road riding.

The thumb shifter is perfect and I wish Campag would use something similar for all their systems.

The one issue that I did have was a loud creak from the cassette. Some grease at the 1500 mile mark fixed that and I have had another 2000 miles without a peep.

The disc brakes work great and have fantastic modulation, both in the hoods and in the drops. With the official bleed kit, I found them easy to work on and set up. I recently purchased more brake pads but look to have another year in pad life, so won't be changing those out any time soon.

[Baron Blubba]

Originally Posted by vespasianus

I have had my Tommasini X-Fire for close to a year, and run EKAR with a 40T chainring and a 9-42 cassette.

On everything from the gravel roads to blue and green trails at Pisgah, I have no problem with this gearing. I have purchased a 38T chainring but have not installed it and don't know if I need to.

Yeah, I imagine that for most people the 40T x 9-42 would be absolutely perfect. If I didn't already have a 38x9-42 on my gravel bike, I would have gone that way for my allroad bike.

[AngryScientist]

Now for a Q&A session, for those that like to tinker :

Q: Can you friction shift an ekar RD?
A: Yes

Q: Will a Sram AXS Flattop chain play nicely with the stick ekar chainrings?
A: Yes

Q: Can you refit Kogel ceramic jockey wheels in the ekar RD for some colorful bling?
A: Yes, but with some modification to one of the RD plates.

[Steve in SLO]

Sounds like I need to pull off my cassette body and grease it before re-mounting it on the freehub.
Let’s see if that quiets the gremlins.

[Steve in SLO]

Some nice reviews above.
Here’s a look at my Allied Alfa Allroad built up.
For those with sharp eyes, yes I have trimmed my RD cable.

[martl]

I love my Ekar bike but on hindsight I would have picked a smaller chainring. At 42 teeth, the nice narrow steps are just. A tad bit above my comfort range riding on paved roads alone.

Having built up the bike myself, I learned that the shifting smoothness is very sensitive to correct chain length (Campy has a video on it) and also the distance correctly adjusted between upper pulley and sprockets.

[lavi]

Originally Posted by Steve in SLO

Some nice reviews above.
Here’s a look at my Allied Alfa Allroad built up.
For those with sharp eyes, yes I have trimmed my RD cable.

Snazzy!

And, I ride those saddle too. I'm looking for a few extra if you wanna ditch yours.

[Baron Blubba]

[vespasianus]

Man, you guys take amazing photos.

[Steve in SLO]

Originally Posted by lavi

Snazzy!

And, I ride those saddle too. I'm looking for a few extra if you wanna ditch yours.

Haha. I'm busy hoarding Fabric Scoop Shallows and Spec Phenom 143s.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by Baron Blubba

Nice. Where is this photo taken?

[Baron Blubba]

Boyer Road, in Fort Valley, VA. It’s one of many dirt roads that run parallel to Fort Valley Road on either side. FV Road itself is a sublime 30 mile stretch of paved rollers that cuts betwixt the Shenandoah and Massanutten ranges.

[nighthawk]

I love this thread and am anxiously awaiting some milder late winter weather so I can get out on my ekar equipped bike. Currently about 4 feet of snow on the ground, and roads are all slush.

[makoti]

Originally Posted by Baron Blubba

Boyer Road, in Fort Valley, VA. It’s one of many dirt roads that run parallel to Fort Valley Road on either side. FV Road itself is a sublime 30 mile stretch of paved rollers that cuts betwixt the Shenandoah and Massanutten ranges.

Would you have a link to the route?