Campagnolo's 1x13 Ekar drivetrain carries the external bearing Ultra-Torque spindle concept used so successfully on three generations of Campagnolo cranks. With this system, the spindle uses a central Hirth coupling (dual spline interface) with a central joining bolt in side the spindle. The actual bottom bracket bearings are pre-installed on each side of the crankarm system. As such the mounted bearings are slightly exposed, but easy to access and service when the crankset is not installed.

For the grit, grime, and conditions of gravel use, Ekar required an updated bottom bracket cup system that offered greater internal and external protection for the bearings. Enter Pro-Tech, a patented external sealing ring set-up on the cups, and a strong, fiberglass-polymide tube that spans the two cups, sealing out potential infiltration from inside the frame, which usually takes the form of water that gets into the seattube. Once the crank arms are installed, with the bearings fully pulled into the cups, the bearings are fully protected.

There are several versions of the Ekar Pro-Tech, and these are determined by the bottom bracket shell of your frameset. Please verify which you require with your frame manufacturer, or potentially off the unit already installed.