Campagnolo Ekar

£1,449, chickencyclekit.co.uk

Ekar is a bold step for Campagnolo, being the first non-road specific groupset from the Italians for over two decades, as well as the first mainstream 13-speed drivetrain. Even though Campagnolo markets Ekar towards gravel, that extra sprocket makes it one of the most viable road 1x options too. It helps that Campagnolo has produced some really smart cassette ratios: a nine-tooth smallest sprocket creates plenty of range while still allowing for one-tooth jumps between the smallest six gears for fine cadence control at high speeds. Brands such as 3T and Vielo say Ekar has done a huge amount to legitimise road 1x.