Campagnolo has launched a new version of the Ekar gravel groupset today. The new groupset which is named Ekar GT will sit alongside the existing Ekar groupset. The GT stands for Gran Turismo, Italian for grand tour, and is most commonly used in automotive circles when describing long-distance driving. Campagnolo says here the suffix stands for cyclists who have adopted a ‘don’t hold back’ motto.
Ekar, Campagnolo’s dedicated gravel groupset launched back in 2020 as a mechanical, carbon fibre, 1×13 speed offering. Ekar GT is also a mechanical 1×13 groupset although this new version has received some changes which are outlined below and dropped the carbon chainset. The last Campagnolo groupset launch we covered was for the top-tier Super Record WRL wireless groupset.
Campagnolo has also launched a new wheelset alongside the groupset; the Zonda GT wheels. The Zonda model name has featured in Campagnolo product ranges for many years and the brand currently offers a Zonda road model. The Zonda GT appears to be a wheelset that aims to provide road and gravel riding capabilities.
So what’s changed? From the information we have so far, Ekar GT has received refinement in certain areas, a slightly wider choice of gear ratios, swapped the carbon fibre chainset for aluminium, and tweaked the shifter and rear derailleur design. Quoted RRP is said to be $1,599 or Є1,490, not a million miles away from the carbon Ekar groupset retail price.
The new groupset weighs a claimed 2.7 kilos though we don’t know with what drivetrain spec choices. We have also asked Campagnolo for individual component weights and pricing.
Gearing options and a new chainset
To kick off, Ekar GT has received some gearing changes, receiving a new, smaller 36T chainring option at the front, and a new 10-44T cassette option at the rear. This means the groupset as a whole offers lower gearing than the carbon offering.
Four cassette options are on offer. These are 9-36T, 9-42T, 10-44T and 10-48T. There will be five chainring options available, 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44. The 36-tooth ring is the newcomer here, the smallest chainring option for carbon Ekar currently is a 38T. So there is a new 36T ring in town, and the brand also says it is easy to change chainrings without needing to dismantle the crankset.
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