NEW Campagnolo Ekar GT Groupset: Cheaper With Wider Gear Range

[@bikeradar]

Would you use the new Ekar Groupset? Or are you sticking with SRAM or Shimano? Let us know in the comments! 👇👇👇

[@saddleweary2777]

I would love to try that thumb shift. The price is to rich for my blood though

[@DaveCM]

I came very close to buying an Ekar groupset. I ended up going with SRAM instead. I could get better range and parts are regularly available. I would have to order parts for Ekar if ever needed.

[@markwinn9729]

or will it help retain those of us whom have been on Campy for 15+ years but are tired of their antics? Time will tell.

[@cycletrade2276]

I have the Ekar setup. 42 up front and 2 sets of wheels for road and gravel with different ranges It's fine

[@stefanwagener]

I liked the progressive gearing of Campa much more than the more linear gearing of SRAM and Shimano and that would have been a key factor for me. But getting 3rd party compatible products like smaller chain rings (for exactly the problem of not having enough low gears), having much less choices for e.g. a new wheel set, and fearing trouble of getting replacement parts in a few years time, and also ergonomics turned me away. And for easier maintenance and less replacement parts at home I intentionally try to stick with one brand now (Shimano) across all bikes in our family as I keep chains, brake pads, ... stored at home and are prepared for quick repairs as the bikes are used on daily or very frequent basis.

[@123marijn321]

As a standard Ekar user I am very happy to see Campagnolo is still investing and developing the system! Hoping the price of chains and quicklinks will drop, or other manufacturers will create some compatible stuff.

[@One_mole_worth]

Ratio and my company brackish cycles are the only aftermarket companies I know of currently. Anyone making cassettes that you know of?

[@123marijn321]

@@One_mole_worth Thanks! I didn't know of any, will check them out!

[@123marijn321]

@@One_mole_worth Apparently theres a company called Classified who makes compatible 13 speed cassettes

[@Motorep146]

I've got 2 gravel bikes with Ekar in my bike room. They have worked perfectly and I've had no issues whatsoever. The brakes offer incredible modulation and feel even when running slick treads on loose gravel. I'm still holding out for a wireless Ekar for a climbing bike build. A flatbar option would be great too so I can have Campy on my mtn bike too.

[@KurtisPape]

Not a bad stock gearing range! I personally have a 36t chainring and 52t cassette on my gravel bike. I knew low gearing would catch on, when I first started riding most mountain bikes had 42t cassettes and road bikes had 28t. I put a 40t cassette on my road bike back in 2017, I knew easy gears were necessary for an enjoyable riding experience for hilly areas.

[@ipcef]

I have EKAR for 2 years on my endurance/bikepacking bike. Did 20k km on it and I really wanted to like it. Brakes are superb, gearing 9-10-11-12-13-14 is just amazing, no other 1x cassettes use such steps. With Tungsten All weather lube the chain lasted for 9k. Main issue for me are noises and fiddling with the cassette, if not setuped 100% correctly this becomes a nightmare. Needs precise torquing, Lock ring geting loose, had to replace n3w hub which had 2mm holes from cassete in it. Bikeshops doing worse job then me servicing this. Really expensive brake pads force you to look on aftermarket pads. I was almost at the point I wanted to get rid of it. I need a groupset for my new gravel bike I'm building and now this 36x48T option made me think twice.. Btw you can get original EKAR now for 900euros.

[@cloud_mosa]

Bike Discount are offering ekar groupsets at $700, I'm not sure if I should get the GRX or spend extra hundreds of dollars for the 13 speed. 😂

[@jezza359]

So if they’ve gone for an alloy chainset, it’s a small step to nice shiny silver groupset. That’d be nice.

[@GymMatze]

Is it possible to use 10-48 cassette with old ekar?

[@cyclist2906]

excellent news. Hope they will add a cheaper road group as well, that can use this ekar rear derailleur.

[@larryt.atcycleitalia5786]

Just bought a bike with the original EKAR. REALLY wish more of was actually Made-in-Italy and must admit I'd rather have the GT's alloy crankset vs carbon, but so far I like it more than the GRX stuff on my first gravel bike, especially when it comes to the brakes.

[@sonny6893]

Campagnolo Ekar 13v 🔝🔝🔝👏👏🏻👏

[@jean-francoisbourdon4789]

It seems they didn't fix the bumps on the hoods that create blisters on the palms...

[@thedownunderverse]

The articles say they did but this vid says otherwise

[@teunluijbregts2533]

So how much does the GT cassette cost again? And is the new chain less expensive? Those would be the two part of this groupset that are interesting. Btw I paid 1600 for the full Ekar - why should a budget groupset cost the same?

[@gartblaum]

The alloy crankset seems to be on the same level as Centaur road groupset.

[@carnicer78]

very interesting option, a gear ratio of .75 for climbs is wise

[@h1n1worm]

and not a single word about cogs gaps what is main advantage of this groupset.

[@alanhill7965]

Had the original Ekar and it was awful it always needed adjusting and baffled my local bike shops , I’ve now got Sram and love it !

[@larryt.atcycleitalia5786]

That can be an issue - still remember as a customer (and longtime Campagnolo fan/user) being asked by my LBS to help them sort-out an issue with the parts from Vicenza. They were pretty much clueless as they just didn't get many Campagnolo-equipped bikes to work on and didn't seem to care about learning.

[@Kambeishimada98]

1:03 gear range 10-44 not quite as impressive!!?? How is that not already a massive range?

[@JulianKent]

GRX has 10-51

[@Kambeishimada98]

@@JulianKent 10-44 is more than adequate right?

[@RemSupernova]

1600$? Are you kidding me ?:D AHAHAH

[@bicikircho]

Crāpagnolo

[@jameshoward9700]

I like Ekar - best brakes in the business, simple and quiet group, but slightly flexy shift lever and the cassette needs to be fitted METICULOUSLY and properly torqued... and locktighted... So this simpler cassette could be a bonus. 13sp is good, the cassette range is mega and now suitable for expedition use. Good luck to Campag, but excellent new GRX takes some beating, if only for wheel/cassette compatibility - but Shimano brakes still poor. I don't mind SRAM on the road (except the slow front shifts), but remote gravel..? Gotta be joking.

[@thedownunderverse]

I’m a campy guy from way back but Shimano 12 sp brakes are amazing!

[@raphindahouse]

Buying the ekar for my girlfriends bike is one of my biggest regrets in my bike related purchases. Parts are hard to get by, the setup is a pain in the ass and bike repair shops have no experience with the group.

[@darrin2382]

That's a lot of money for some basic componentry. We should be talking £500 for top of the range mechanicals these days.

[@paddyotoole2058]

I suspect once it’s released and in stock etc. the street price will be closer to £800.

[@TheThedynamitekid]

You can already buy the original Ekar for £899 online. Maybe even cheaper.

[@nickyburnell]

And it's not made by communists

[@thedownunderverse]

@@nickyburnell👍🏻

[@Nick-lm9hg]

Keep it expensive to keep it exclusive

[@ebenlaubscher4153]

Shimano GRX 2 x11 user .Cannot be happier !!! No more 1 x for me

[@MyDemon32]

Nobody cares

[@ArteUltra1195]

That new Ekar is something I would really want to like, but this groupset is not competitive, not a chance. Same price as Force xplr is a death sentence

[@MicroageHD]

I love me a 0:47

[@bengt_axle]

I'd go for a 2X11 aluminium crank 165mm with a 48/32. Many gravel frames can now accommodate 2X and if Campy could come to the market with mechanical disk Chorus for $1.2K, with this hood style it would be a winner. Campy hydro brakes are apparently quite good and 11 speed is more forgiving (in terms of derailleur alignment) because there's more space between the cogs and the chain can be better aligned with 2X. Campag has to regain its market share by leveraging its excellent ergonomics and mechanical shifting. It will never be a big electronic manufacturer.

[@piast99]

Hm... Nice try but still... Were old options with too little range? For gravel? Really? It's not a mountain bike! For my use case I'd love to have 11-12-13-14-15 straight section for fast rolling and then 17-19-21-24-28-32-38 or 40 for terrain and climbing and I am happy. Why nobody is making such 12 speed cassette?

[@thedownunderverse]

I couldn’t agree more. Perfect cassette. Been saying the same for ages

[@neilk22]

SRAM AXS is way ahead of EKAR / GRX - lets agree to check back when anyone in the top 20 of the lifetime series will actually use this product - i sense we wont ...

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

L-Twoo 1x12s and SENSAH 1x12s both hydro for 1/3rd of that price…

[@paulvanreesch2493]

Many complaints that 13 speed ekar is setup sensative, with poor shifting, requiring frequent derailleur fiddling. This alone makes Shimano's lower spec grx mechanical 1x12 with greater range & less expense a much better option. This looks nice, but I'm afraid it's a hassle.

[@pawelodz8050]

Crazy price like always for Campagnolo 😂

[@bicikircho]

Crāpagnolo

[@fubbaquestor]

And you're not even factoring Apex AXS and Rival XPLR which would both be cheaper than Ekar GT

[@jamesdoolan8040]

As a Campagnolo Ekar user.....I bloody wish I'd gone with Shimano

[@lomicwind]

1490€ ??? 🤣 my GRX gravel bike is cheaper, even with the swapped wheels, and changing its 46/30 to a mono 40 and the rear cassette from a 11-32 to a 11-46. Not as much range, but I barely use the 11 cog, and I could have put a 36T in the front if I decided to.

[@johnnyboy4711]

its not cheaper,its inexpensive.but no in reality its expensive! Sensah hrd 1x12 pro gruppo carbon with hyrdaulic brakes unbeatable for 350€.Get your hands on that and test it!

[@savagepro9060]

Campagnolo got kicked out of the pro peloton. Campy has found a stable niche in the off-road industry, that is, until SRAM and Shimano decide to kick Campy out . . . AGAIN!

[@fabriziomonopoli5074]

Campagnolo have been around for 91 years now, and if your bike has gears you have to thank them... so don't underestimate them.

[@colnago6501]

Campagnolo didn't get kicked out the WT. They chose not to sponsor any WT teams going forward. It was their decision, not any of the teams.

[@Andy_ATB]

And they still ignore the huge MTB market........

[@Ghostina1]

Come on Bike Radar... do your homework and put all competitors in the box. There is a ROTOR cassette. With its different options gives the best ration to give with AXS. Or get the E13 cassettes with its range of cassettes! Campa ist just always to late to the party makes them go bankrupt until LVMH buy s it

[@Andy_ATB]

It may be cheaper than the original Ekar, but it's still pricey. Will we see it on more OEM bikes? I wouldn't count on it.....

[@pmcmpc]

Far too expensive and the terrible clutch design remains.

[@caperider1160]

Campagnolo still beeathing??? The last time i saw someone with Campy groupset was over 10 yrs ago

[@sandywatson1082]

give me the old snifters

[@georgzwiebel9585]

1500 Eurodollar LOL you can get a complete gravel bike with a shimano or sram hydro groupset for that price.

[@edmundhodgson2572]

just not pretty enough!

[@RemSupernova]

1600$? Are you kidding me ?:D AHAHAH