Test Corratec Allroad C Ekar: The matt white bike with black components is adapted to different areas of use and is characterized by high-quality equipment and extremely high frame rigidity. And nothing can be said about the weight and price, which makes the bike from the Alpine manufacturer an interesting option.
The sporty manufacturer from Raubling on the edge of the Alps has had good contacts with Italy for decades, and there is a gravel bike with Campagnolo like that corratec Allroad C Ekar is actually a matter of honor. Especially since everything fits together here: With its flat shapes and slightly curved top tube, the matt white carbon frame looks very classic, with elements such as the tightly fitted fork and the integrated seat clamp standing for aerodynamic functionality. The flat carbon crank from the Campagnolo group works just as well as the rounded, organic-looking Ergopower levers.
13-speed cassette with close graduations
What distinguishes the Italian parts? When it was introduced in late summer 2020, the 13-speed sprocket was the biggest sensation. Corratec uses the 9-42 version, combined with a 42 chainring, which means a rather long gear ratio. The overdrive is almost close to 52:11 on a racing bike, especially since the large rolling circumference of the 45 tires affects the development. The climb, on the other hand, is a bit tight for a gravel bike at 1:1. And so the southern German sports bike clearly represents the “Gravel Race” category, but without being too one-sided.
Corratec Allroad C Ekar – race bike with bikepacking suitability
Corratec allows mudguards and luggage racks to be mounted at the front and rear and therefore recommends the Allroad to sporty everyday drivers who don't have to stretch too much: The seat geometry appears very balanced with the frame growing evenly in length and height across all six sizes . If you want to sit more sportily, you can retrofit a longer stem - no problem, because Corratec does not specify a handlebar-stem unit on the gravel bike and runs the gear cable and brake line conventionally into the down tube.
Wide tires on high quality wheels
For use beyond gravel racing, 45 mm wide tires are also available, which still do not fully utilize the space available for the rear triangle and fork. The large tire volume makes you want to go on more “trail” gravel routes, where a thoroughbred racer with narrow tires might be overwhelmed. Corratec specifies WTB Riddlers, which combine easy running on firm surfaces with plenty of cornering grip thanks to pronounced shoulder lugs. If you want, you can convert it to tubeless, which is what the Allroad C wheelset is perfect for: it is the Mavic Allroad S with undrilled hookless rims. Conversion to tubeless couldn't be easier than with this wheelset; The aluminum rims with an internal width of 22 mm and a hookless cross-section also ensure optimal tire fit.
Powerful and extremely torsion-resistant
Equipment, gear ratio, frame geometry – the Corratec makes a good impression in every respect, the only thing missing is the driving characteristics. The first impression is that the frame is extremely stiff: If you get out of the saddle and pedal hard, you won't feel a bit of elasticity in the area of the handlebars and head tube. The handlebars and stem - the former flattened at the top like a wing - appear completely torsion-resistant; The front frame triangle doesn't give in at all. This is a very good feature for propulsion, and the Corratec appears extremely lively and agile. Due to the large tire volume, no excessive hardness is felt. At the same time, the Allroad delights with its very direct, precise steering behavior.
Crisp gearing with fine gradations and a large range
And the Campagnolo Ekar? Compared to the competition, it shifts a little more roughly, and especially with the large sprockets it takes a little force to get the chain to change. The transmission impresses in the fast range with very narrow gradations: six sprockets in one-steps ensure that you can always maintain the optimal pedaling frequency at high speeds. And if you find the overall gradation too long, you can swap the 42 chainring for a 38 and then still have a sufficiently long overdrive on board.
The brakes from the Italian manufacturer are very pleasant: they grip a little more gently and are therefore particularly easy to control. The slim levers fit comfortably in the hand, and the Campa-typical thumb button is now even easier to reach thanks to the hook that projects downwards.
At just over nine kilos, the Corratec Allroad C Ekar is also relatively light, and so the matt white bike is pleasing to the eye - with only two points of criticism relating to the quick-release axles. On the one hand, there are the axles themselves, which are screwed in by hand and then secured with a clamping lever - a complicated procedure that has no advantages over the usual hexagon socket fastening. On the other hand, the threaded pieces for the axles on the test bike are not fixed in the frame. If you pull out the quick-release axles, they fall down, which is something you don't want to happen on the side of the track in deep grass. This problem should be solved with UHU 300 Endfest or something similar...
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