1x Campagnolo Ekar drivetrain

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Yoln
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by Yoln

So what's the future? Assuming that sprinter can efficiently sprint on a 9cogs, and assuming that we will get 14 speed cassette, you'd have a 44 at the front (44:9 = 53:11) and up to 35 on the largest cog to match a 36:29 ratio. That would mean something like 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,17,19,22,25,28,31,35 still much bigger jump (15% between 19 and 22) than I would like to have, and were not even talking about the range offered by let's say riding a 52-36 and 11-34, that many amateur ride.

So even assuming that this problem is solved :
usr wrote:
Wed Nov 10, 2021 9:43 am
Isn't part of that "room for 13" that the cassette reaches into the slope of the DS spokes so that they couldn't even make one smaller than 36?
And also assuming that we can build 14cogs 1x systems, I can't imagine a 1x14 setup that would be a real improvement vs my current 2x12...
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usr
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by usr

Yoln wrote:
Wed Nov 10, 2021 4:24 pm
So what's the future?
In my opinion: not a road 1x any time soon, and no 2x13 with the Ekar cassette geometry.

Except maybe if the "12t Ekar would hit chainstay" isn't as bad as I suspect, or if it's solved by some wider rear axle standard introduced for disc (which I'd personally hate because my heels are already busy polishing the chainstays at their current width). A >12s 2x might be advertised for the benefit of bigger overlap between front rings, instead of the usual "even tighter steps" or "even more range". "You don't have to switch rings as often as you used to, and if you do the small difference between rings will make it much smoother than it used to be", basically weakening the case for 1x.

RyanH
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by RyanH

I don't think the 9t is bad, so for me, 1x13 is pretty good for the road. Plus, I'm getting a much wider gearing range with 44x9-36 than I was with 50/34x11-28. I think the jumps would only be annoying on very steep climbs where you're in a group.

Yoln
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by Yoln

Yeah, you basically have the range of a 53-36 with 11-29 cassette, that's a pretty huge range, 14 would help jump wise though.

I would probably settle personally for a 42 chairing giving me the equivalent of a 52:11, and getting a proper spinning 42:36 ratio.
Litespeed Gravel Ultimate : https://tinyurl.com/zvxxy8zk
Wilier “Cento Ramato“ : https://tinyurl.com/29vs8vre
#RETIRED# Lynskey “the Do-it-all Helix” 🧬:https://tinyurl.com/bdmb5y24

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andreszucs
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by andreszucs

I have a 39 ring with a 9-32 3T 11sp cassette on my road bike here in Boulder / Colorado, recreational performance riding. I feel like I can climb the steepest hills around here, yet, go as fast as my fitness allows me without spinning.


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Lina
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by Lina

Yeah I don't see the jumps in the 9-36 Ekar cassette as something that wouldn't work for road. Campy has built it correctly so that the smaller end of the cassette is 1t jumps, which is where the tight spacing really matters. In a perfect system I'd want slightly smaller jumps on the bigger end of the cassette but those jumps don't seem unrideable by any means. And it matters mostly when riding in a group with other people since alone you can adjust your effort slightly if you don't have the perfect gear.

I'm expecting both Campy and SRAM to commit heavily into 1x road on the next generation. Having 14 cogs would help slightly in making the jumps on the bigger end slightly smaller. But 13 speeds is enough to be fully viable as 1x for the road.

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pdlpsher1
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by pdlpsher1

This popped up on my feed today. 1x14 hack!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2s1sqxffwg

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andreszucs
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by andreszucs

pdlpsher1 wrote:This popped up on my feed today. 1x14 hack!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2s1sqxffwg
I have tried contributing to this thread with this idea already buddy, some people here are too close minded to validate it.


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andreszucs
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by andreszucs

pdlpsher1 wrote:This popped up on my feed today. 1x14 hack!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2s1sqxffwg
Ha! SRAM flat top chain mentioned in the video 5min in…listen up. I told you so.


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pemo
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by pemo

Dear all,

I am very sorry if some of the question has already be treated before, in some sense I need to get some confirmation.

I am fan of 1x groupset for road (I currently use a 1x Sram, 42x11/36 or 11/32 when it is not so hilly). For my pratice this is perfect.
So my question is more related to the Ekar design and usability than the gearing (1x vs 2x), since I am convinced by 1x for my practice :-)

For my next bike (a Fairlight Strael) I am planning to get an Ekar (40x9/36 I think).
As far as I understand the Ekar groupset has been designed for Gravel (shifting a bit chunky, and spring tension on the higher side to avoid chain drop).
Since I have not seen the groupset and I do not know anyone who has tried the groupset I would like to get your feedback.
In particular I am interested to know:
- if the shifting is good and flawless ? (I have read that it is a bit 'agricultural', but someone else wrote that ist is similar to Campy Record). I do not care if it is a bit noisy (I mean during shifting, not after), but I do not want to have to push too strong to upshift or downshift.
According to your experience, is this groupset on par with others (Campy Chorus/Record, Sram 1x or Shimano GRX/Ultegra) ? or would you definitively recommend something else for a road usage only
- is the spring tension is really a problem (too much chain noise or too much energy wasted) or if it is just not well optimized for road practice?

Thanks a lot for sharing the experience you have with this groupset for road practice.

RyanH
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by RyanH

I just got a bike in with Campy Chorus 2015+ that I'll be able to better compare but won't have time to ride that until later this weekend. As far as my thoughts of it on the road, I covered that in detail a few posts back but the short version is that I think the RD tension isn't a big deal and the jumps in gearing has been great for group rides since you're often working in the cogs that are 1-2T jumps.

I was hoping to do the Nosco memorial ride with this setup but my PM had to be sent in and I didn't get the replacement Quarq in time. That would've been a good test of steep climbing in a group.

One last thing, I don't think the shifting is flawless but some of my niggles have been due to cable tension settling in and ultimately setup error on my part. It's significantly better than SRAM Apex but I haven't used any other mechanical group in like 3 years so I don't have a great reference point. Flawless to me is electric shifting, then Shimano Ultegra/Dura Ace 9100 then Campy then SRAM.

robertbb
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by robertbb

Yoln wrote:
Wed Nov 10, 2021 4:24 pm
So what's the future? Assuming that sprinter can efficiently sprint on a 9cogs, and assuming that we will get 14 speed cassette, you'd have a 44 at the front (44:9 = 53:11) and up to 35 on the largest cog to match a 36:29 ratio. That would mean something like 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,17,19,22,25,28,31,35 still much bigger jump (15% between 19 and 22) than I would like to have, and were not even talking about the range offered by let's say riding a 52-36 and 11-34, that many amateur ride.

So even assuming that this problem is solved :
usr wrote:
Wed Nov 10, 2021 9:43 am
Isn't part of that "room for 13" that the cassette reaches into the slope of the DS spokes so that they couldn't even make one smaller than 36?
And also assuming that we can build 14cogs 1x systems, I can't imagine a 1x14 setup that would be a real improvement vs my current 2x12...
I agree with you RE: the 19-22 jump. It sucks. Which is why Campy road cassettes (other than that ending in 29 which has a 19-21 jump) are a no-go for me.

My ideal 14 cog cassette:

10-11-12-13-14-16-18-20-22-25-28-32-36-40

Pair with anything from a 44t (if you're a sprinter/masher) down to a 38t for climbing/spinning)

I'd use a 40t personally for a 1-1 climbing gear and plenty of top end for your average weekend warrior with ~30mm tyres.

Lina
Posts: 1060
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by Lina

robertbb wrote:
Sat Nov 13, 2021 9:50 pm
Yoln wrote:
Wed Nov 10, 2021 4:24 pm
So what's the future? Assuming that sprinter can efficiently sprint on a 9cogs, and assuming that we will get 14 speed cassette, you'd have a 44 at the front (44:9 = 53:11) and up to 35 on the largest cog to match a 36:29 ratio. That would mean something like 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,17,19,22,25,28,31,35 still much bigger jump (15% between 19 and 22) than I would like to have, and were not even talking about the range offered by let's say riding a 52-36 and 11-34, that many amateur ride.

So even assuming that this problem is solved :
usr wrote:
Wed Nov 10, 2021 9:43 am
Isn't part of that "room for 13" that the cassette reaches into the slope of the DS spokes so that they couldn't even make one smaller than 36?
And also assuming that we can build 14cogs 1x systems, I can't imagine a 1x14 setup that would be a real improvement vs my current 2x12...
I agree with you RE: the 19-22 jump. It sucks. Which is why Campy road cassettes (other than that ending in 29 which has a 19-21 jump) are a no-go for me.

My ideal 14 cog cassette:

10-11-12-13-14-16-18-20-22-25-28-32-36-40

Pair with anything from a 44t (if you're a sprinter/masher) down to a 38t for climbing/spinning)

I'd use a 40t personally for a 1-1 climbing gear and plenty of top end for your average weekend warrior with ~30mm tyres.
A 19-22 jump is a no go but 14-16 jump is fine?

robertbb
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by robertbb

Lina wrote:
Sat Nov 13, 2021 11:10 pm
robertbb wrote:
Sat Nov 13, 2021 9:50 pm
Yoln wrote:
Wed Nov 10, 2021 4:24 pm
So what's the future? Assuming that sprinter can efficiently sprint on a 9cogs, and assuming that we will get 14 speed cassette, you'd have a 44 at the front (44:9 = 53:11) and up to 35 on the largest cog to match a 36:29 ratio. That would mean something like 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,17,19,22,25,28,31,35 still much bigger jump (15% between 19 and 22) than I would like to have, and were not even talking about the range offered by let's say riding a 52-36 and 11-34, that many amateur ride.

So even assuming that this problem is solved :
usr wrote:
Wed Nov 10, 2021 9:43 am
Isn't part of that "room for 13" that the cassette reaches into the slope of the DS spokes so that they couldn't even make one smaller than 36?
And also assuming that we can build 14cogs 1x systems, I can't imagine a 1x14 setup that would be a real improvement vs my current 2x12...
I agree with you RE: the 19-22 jump. It sucks. Which is why Campy road cassettes (other than that ending in 29 which has a 19-21 jump) are a no-go for me.

My ideal 14 cog cassette:

10-11-12-13-14-16-18-20-22-25-28-32-36-40

Pair with anything from a 44t (if you're a sprinter/masher) down to a 38t for climbing/spinning)

I'd use a 40t personally for a 1-1 climbing gear and plenty of top end for your average weekend warrior with ~30mm tyres.
A 19-22 jump is a no go but 14-16 jump is fine?
Yes. Far less disruptive. On paper it seems it shouldn't be, but it is.

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bobrayner
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by bobrayner

hectorz wrote: see? it can't be that difficult..
I have two shattered garbageruk chainrings, I might give it a try.
Hectorz, did you have any luck filing down the teeth of third-party chainrings to make them Ekar-compatible?
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