amazing video, so clear! let me add some of my toughs from a total campy fanboy with more than 5k kms on ekar... the tiny tolerance are a fact and of coruse a weak point especially in the dirt where a gravel groupset must live, but... I've noted that if your frame has external cables the accurancy of the shifter is slightly long lasting than if you have internal routing! about gearing of course you're right but finally campy has answered you (us) with the amazing new GT range!

I've done about 1000Km on my new Ekar groupset and so far I am really impressed. I love the ergonomics, the ability to control all your gears with the right thumb and middle finger is great. Brakes are the best brakes I ever tried. I didin't have to do any adjustments so far. My GRX was frustrating: sticky pistons since day one, which was super annoying, then I snapped the first cable after a few weeks, and the second time after less than 3000Km

Great to see another video! Hope there's plenty of riding in store for you over summer

Thank you for this unbiased review. I have GRX812 and really like it, but was thinking to some day try out Ekar. This is really good food for thought. Cheers!

Thank you so much for this honest review. I experienced similar issues on running this groupset on my gravel bike.

I had Ekar on a gravel bike for 2 months and eventually couldn't wait to get rid of it (to be fair though, i'm not sure it was correctly set up by the bike manufacturer). Some issues I had with it: on a snack break, the wind knocked over the bike onto the drive side and I suspect then bent the hanger. It shifted fine for a couple weeks after that, but all of a sudden on a long winding ascent, i lost access to the bottom 4 gears. Ekar is something that sounds great in theory but not in execution. The shifting was never precise for me. Shifting up into harder gears was great, and always accurate, but shifting down, i almost always missed shifts. Maybe 40% of the time it was accurate. I also had a lot of issues (and something few too many reviewers point out) with the down-shift lever getting "stuck" on the brake lever. This requires easy (but annoying) adjustment. If the lever sticks by the brake lever, you cannot shift up or down. Range for me was mostly ok. I did spin out quite a few times (very hilly by where i live). I had the 40T and 10/44. Another thing no one mentions is god forbid you drop the bike on the drive side. Ekar's derailleur sticks out quite a bit from the chain stay. That means anything will knock it out of alignment (as it did for me). GRX in contrast is flush with the frame. Lastly - the brakes on Ekar are amazing...far and away the best I've used on a bike. For me, this groupset was too finicky. I want to enjoy the ride, not deal with constant shifting issues. It's not a groupset I'll consider again (until or if they maybe go to electronic shifting).

I’ll say that I went with an interesting approach with Ekar. I built up a roadie 1x with 44t chainring and 9-42 cassette giving me incredible top end speed and climbing gears for days. There was a bit of struggle early on nailing the shifting but it’s seemed to behave pretty well for close to 5,000km. Plus, it looks so tasty on a steel frame 🤤

I've had ekar now for 18/19 months & riden just over 20k miles & I have to agree with your review. At the time of my bike build in the UK ekar was the easiest group set to purchase with supply chain issues & covid. The gears are pain in terms of reliability shifting Campag should have gone electronic from the start. When they work well they are super but this is not every day, sadly. Reminds me of the car brand alfa, you know your going th have issues... the one day a year it works is an awesome feeling. I have suffered finger/thumb numbness in the first few days after a number of ultra events from the manual gears. Looking at SRAM as a replacement/upgrade & going back to 2x.

Welcome back dude! 🤟🏻

2 years owning my gravel bike with Ekar groupset and I have to admit that shifting performance and reliability have been my most complain and frustration... Invested in it when I could not get any SRAM product but just for that I want to change it... Braking performance and modulation are definitely a big high though but cannot compensate for the shifting frustration....

So, this man rides with its gravel bikes over 60 km/h… What a man.

Maxing out that 38t 😂 I've developed my own chainrings for 34t and 36t cinch...my local gravel has some 30% grades on chunky fs roads I found my shifting issues resolved when swapped over to jagwire pro slick polished cable (and new housing). The issue is the Teflon coated cable that comes with ekar. It flakes apart in the housing causing more friction, which makes it harder for the spring to overcome the friction.

I'm proud to now own that Daccordi 🥰

Another insightful review, keep up the great work. Have you had a chance to try Pirelli's new RC gravel tire, hope you do!

Feels like 10 months since I saw a video from you. I still haven't progressed beyond Deore LX 3x9 speed.

I’ve been running Ekar for 6 months and totally agree about it needing plenty of regular adjustment to keep the changes good. It’s not easy to do either. Have Red mechanical on my other bike and it seems so much easier to get right than the Campagnolo. Would have liked AXS wide, but…. £££👍

Good honest review hopefully Campagnolo listen to this and make some improvements and that you’re chain broke for somebody who loves to ride Campey there chains are normally bullet-proof. 😢

absolutely matching, the comment of christopher hood: one day a year you`ll love the Campa shifting - but the rest of the year .... it' s just a bad romance

Huh, mountain bike flat bar rapid shifters only allows one down shift at time

Thanks for your honest review. I wouldn't want to have a groupset that's hard to live with.

Campa

Honest opinion

I assume the finicky shifting that comes along with 13 gears is the reason brands are switching over to electronic shifting

I have a bike with since october. I'm happy expect that I broken my chain at less than 1000 km. Does somelse had the same issue ? I find it's really a good groupe because you have only a single chain ring and even, you have a good range between lowest and highest speed. I just hope some accessories manufacturer will come on the market to have chain rings at 36 (or lower), oval chain rings, powermeter, ...

You can't compare Ekar mechanical shifting with Dura aced 11sp, which is up with the best in shifting among all groupsets ever made. Campagnolo shifting was flawless and very reliable up until 9sp, but imho the reinforced plastic shifter behind the braking lever was the worst thing they have done: that thing is flexy and takes all of the crispy-ness out of the shifting.

I wonder if a Campagnolo Chorus 2x groupset would work well? They offer 48/32 chainrings and an 11-34 cassette these days.

Sounds like Campy would benefit from friction shifting instead... I had a Bianchi with Campy back in 2000 and never really favored it. In 2002 I got a Serrota with Dura Ace and never even considered Campy again. Now I'm a SRAM fan. Thanks!

Does anybody know, if you can run the ekar with a different chain, like a 12speed SRAM?

Are those tires the Pirelli Gravel S? If so can’t wait for a review…

Im still using downtube shifters, no plans to change

I'd love to hear the backstory on the Daktari at 00:09.

I’m not questioning your mechanic ability’s but you have to be Abel to adjust you’re cables correctly it’s ok to have to adjust it occasionally the cable is supposed to stretch over time and you’re hanger is strait of course stay up

Top notch... as usual. The channel, not Campo 😀👍

Kangaroo at 3:28 is definitely a SRAM fan

This isn't the first time Campag have "tried" to make a decent off road groupset.

Shifting under load it’s not good on Ekar

I found mine very disappointing shifting everything was just awful eventually selling the bike with it on , now have Sram red 1x and couldn’t be happier

I guess if you actively decide to biy a mechanical set in 2024 as well a Campa set you have to live with its flaws. It is like driving a Ferrari. It is mechanical and far from perfect but is emotion for me

Potenza and Record should shift identically, according to Campagnolo.

I was considering Ekar for my new bike. But, your review matches what I've heard from others. It has turned me off to the idea. I have decided to go with SRAM AXS. It gives me the range and I have it on my road bike and it has been very good and very reliable.

It doesn't seem like a bike packing friendly group set, shift tweaking, single gear jumps, and can you imagine the pain of needing some parts in a small country town, village etc... you'd need to carry spare shifting cables (always a good idea) and even a chain or you'd be stuck.... I'll stick with Shimano and SRAM

3:27 That's one ugly rabbit right there. 🙂

Dont matter the 'strengths' I stopped the video at 5:00 and was done with this review. .. if a groupset's no1 job is to 'shift' and 'durability' and what you say is true, then no need to buy/continue with the video. Next time talk about strengths before problems, so the viewers will stay for the whole video haha