Campagnolo has a new drivetrain and wheelset range targeting adventure gravel riders who are mindful of budget – it’s called the 1×13 Ekar GT and Zonda GT wheelset. The GT acronym is important because it translates to ‘Grand Turismo’, a legacy Italian term for grand touring, which implies big riding beyond conventional tarmac routes.
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Increasing the value offered with these new components is the substitution of carbon fibre for alloy construction, with the Ekar GT drivetrain featuring an aluminium crankset and the Zonda GT wheels, rolling alloy rims.
Campagnolo’s Ekar GT is a dedicated single-ring drivetrain, which combines a selection of five chainring sizes (44, 42, 40, 38, and 36) with four cassette configurations (9/36, 9/42, 10/44 and 10/48). Designed to deliver the shifting feedback and accuracy that Campagnolo is renowned for in all conditions, the Ekar GT features a clutch mechanism to retain chain tension on those rough dirt road descents.
Feedback from the existing Ekar carbon-crank gravel component range was incorporated to develop this new Campagnolo GT drivetrain with its larger derailleur pulley wheel for enhanced mud dispersion and easier cleaning. DIY mechanics will be thrilled that the Ekar GT drivetrain’s aluminium crankset doesn’t require disassembly for a chainring change.
There’s the Zonda GT wheelset for those adventurous drop bar riders who are committed to all things Campagnolo, but see the value in aluminium rims for gravel riding – distinguished by its G3 pattern spokes, spread into eight groups, the rear wheel is built around an N3W freewheel body hub.
Campagnolo’s Zonda GT wheels feature a 23mm internal diameter and 29mm rim profile. Those dimensions balance the need for seating wider gravel-specific tyres, while also providing a combination of aerodynamic benefits in calm conditions without anxiety-trigger severe wheel drift deflections in crosswinds.
Claimed weights for these new Campagnolo components are 2,700g for the Ekar GT drivetrain, and 1,690g, for the Zonda GT wheels.
In terms of pricing, the £1,211.94/ $1,599/ €1,490 Ekar GT groupset occupies the middle ground when looking at its rivals. For context, the Shimano GRX 820 mechanical 1×12 groupset retails for £1,349 while SRAM Apex XPLR mechanical will set you back £1,060.
The Campagnolo Zonda GT wheels are priced at £614.99/ $749/ €690.
