Campagnolo Ekar 1x13-Speed Long-Term Review: Campagnolo's Gravel Specific Groupset

"Founded by Tullio Campagnolo, the company began in 1933 in a Vicenza workshop. The founder was a racing cyclist in Italy in the 1920s who conceived several ideas while racing, such as the quick-release mechanism for bicycle wheels, derailleurs, and the rod gear for gear changing. Campagnolo has been awarded more than 135 patents for innovations in cycling technology." - Wikipedia.org

"At the end of the 1950s, Campagnolo started to manufacture magnesium parts such as wheels for sports cars like Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati, and built chassis for NASA satellites in 1969. In 1963, Campagnolo produced a disc brake for the Innocenti Lambretta TV motorscooter - the first two-wheel production vehicle with such a brake. In the 1970s they also supplied wheels for Ferrari's Formula One cars."

Stating the obvious, Campagnolo has a long and storied history in road cycling, competitive or otherwise. Their components are organized as groupsets and are a near-complete collection of a bicycle's mechanical parts. Circa 2020 / 2021, Campagnolo's flagship components are the Super Record, Record, and Chorus groupsets with all three representing their recent shift to 12-speed drivetrains. Super Record and Record are the top groupsets, followed by Chorus, Potenza, Centaur, and Veloce.

Late in 2020, Campagnolo entered the world of cycling components designed specifically for gravel cycling, with the world's first single chainring (1x) x 13-speed mechanical drivetrain. Meet Campagnolo Ekar.

"Born on Mt Ekar, the 13-speed Campagnolo Ekar is not a conventional groupset. Ekar is the world’s lightest gravel groupset: reliable, durable, and fast. With a wide range, close-ratio, and no compromise, Ekar is designed from the ground up to give you the very best performance, riding experience, and reliability for gravel, all-road, and endurance riding on the toughest terrain where you want to face and challenge yourself. From the outset our engineers and design team tested and pursued the route of a 1x system being the best for gravel, and engaged with the challenge of creating the best possible implementation – and the light, efficient, precise 13-speed Ekar is what delivers." - Campagnolo.com

JOM of the Gravel Cyclist crew took delivery of Campagnolo Ekar on December 24, 2020, Christmas Eve, installed onto the ultra-slick / ultra-fast Ridley Kanzo Fast gravel bike. Since this time, JOM has put this bike and groupset through the proverbial wringer. Ridden in all manner of good and bad conditions, in the USA States of Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, New Mexico, Kansas, and Mississippi, this isn't your average run-of-the-mill review.

Campagnolo - https://campagnolo.com

Many thanks to Campagnolo of Vicenza, Italy, for reaching out to us for this review opportunity!

Links of Interest:
Ridley Kanzo Fast Gravel Bike - https://www.ridley-bikes.com/product/...
Campagnolo Chorus 2x12-Speed Mechanical Drivetrain / Hydraulic Disc Brakes Review - https://wp.me/p4V4se-bIz
2021 Tour of the Quilt Country (8th Edition) Experience Video - https://wp.me/p4V4se-bEA
NorFLA Gravel Series (hosts of the Tour of the Quilt Country & More) -   / norflafreeridegravelseries  
Bicycle X-Change of Wichita, Kansas - https://bicyclex-change.com
Abbey Bike Tools Crombie Dual-Sided Tool & Whip-It Chain Whip Review (older review) - https://wp.me/p4V4se-or
How to Descend on a Gravel Bike - https://wp.me/p4V4se-89k

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No cost to you, but every purchase made helps keep Gravel Cyclist up and running! - https://www.amazon.com/?&_encoding=UT...

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