Pedaling Innovations Catalyst Pedals

I participated in the Pedaling Innovations http://pedalinginnovations.com/ Kickstarter campaign for the new Catalyst pedal.  I was intrigued by the concept of a longer flat pedal that better supported my feet for two reasons; first, I often suffer from sore and tired feet after hard efforts or long Enduro and XC races. And second, it seemed the better support for mid foot pedaling and recruiting the larger muscle groups of the upper leg and hip would improve high effort climbing on my single speed. 

In my previous blog posts I talked about my search for the ultimate flat pedal and I spoke highly of the Canfield Brothers Crampon Ultimate pedals.  They have been my gold standard of flat pedals to date and I will make comparisons to them in this review of the Catalyst pedal.

These pedals have a beautiful red anodize finish.  The build quality is excellent which no surprise is since VP manufactures these for Pedaling Innovations.

But, let’s get the obvious out of the way first.  They are heavy, moderately thick, look overbuilt, have odd pin placement, and are absolutely huge.  I am not kidding, I have had them for a couple months now and my mind still can’t wrap itself around the sheer size of these things.  They are nearly 6” long and I joke with my riding buddies that they remind me of the deck of an aircraft carrier.

Weight:

Heavy depends on your base for comparison.  At 505g they are heavy compared to the Canfield Brothers 342g Aluminum Crampon Ultimate and of course even more exaggerated compared to the 280g Magnesium Crampon Ultimate.   But compared to some old school Kona, Giant, and no name flat pedals I have accumulated over the years they weigh significantly less.   There are probably some studies out on the internet that compare pedal weight and energy consumption while riding.  Real world pedaling by me did not indicate any adverse issues and most of us can lose more body weight and that makes a bigger impact than saving some grams on components.

The pedal bodies start out as a very stout piece of extrusion and are machined into its final state.  It looks like either a thinner walled extrusion could be used if a die already exists or more detailed machining could be done to reduce pedal mass (and possibly add some serrations to surface the shoe contacts).  Additional machining would add manufacturing costs and would eat into profit margin or drive price up slightly for consumers.

Thickness:

Again, It is dependent on your basis of comparison.  The Canfield Ultimate pedals get comments everywhere I ride about how thin they are;  10mm at spindle tapering to 6mm at forward and back edges.  In my experience the thickness combined with the smooth rounded edges and purposefully beveled leading edges have yet to catch any trail side objects and pitch me over the bars.  The Catalyst at 16mm is on par with a lot of pedals in thickness and when compared with old school flats they are thin.  I have not had any increase in pedal strikes with roots and rocks on the trail tread while pedaling with the Catalyst.  While they do have nicely beveled forward and back leading edges most of the corners and edges are a sharp 90 degree angle and not radiused or beveled in any fashion.  This has caused me to crash several times when the corners of pedals or the outside edges have dug into stumps and logs on technical single track and stopped the bike leaving me to continue over the handlebars. 

Pin placement and pin count:

I also find the pin count and placement to be a bit of an issue.  5 pins are too many on the front and back edge of pedal.  Or, more correctly the short and large diameter pins are too closely spaced to allow good pin penetration into my Five Ten sticky rubber.

I recently removed 2 pins leaving 3 widely spaced pins on front and back edges and it improved grip dramatically.  I think you could do 4 wider spaced pins vs. the 5 closely spaced pins.  Also longer and smaller diameter pins would be an improvement for aggressive riders/terrain.

In the middle of the pedal there are only 2 pins forward of spindle and I believe if you added 2 more in the same place behind the spindle it would be an improvement.  This may be a Pacific Northwest issue but given the large surface area of the pedal, and the absolutely smooth surfaces, mud stays between shoe and pedal and you skate around on them.  

How about that size:

They work exactly as promised.  Place the ball of foot on top of the forward inside pin for proper mid foot mounting and the pedal completely disappears underneath my size 10.5 shoes.  The only time the pedal length has become and issue is spinning the cranks while lubing my chain.  If pedal is vertical they will hit the ground as you spin the crank.

Be prepared to answer lots of questions and some possible ridicule from your riding buddies on group rides.  Then prepare for them to ask you in private to try them out.

Performance:

 I do not see them replacing my Canfield Crampon Ultimate pedals on my geared DH, Enduro, or XC race bikes.  The reasons are simple, the Crampons provide vastly better grip with shoes, better control on extreme terrain, superior pedal clearance,  they don’t get hung up on trail obstacles, improved race pedaling*, and weigh significantly less.

*The thinner profile, better shoe grip, and more ankle mobility allow me to pedal more on really rough terrain and I can hit higher pedal cadence with the Crampons vs. the Catalyst. 

I tested max cadence on my road bike mounted to my trainer and in the same gear I can reach 170 rpm with a mid foot position on the Crampon Ultimates yet only 150 rpm with the Catalyst.  Pedaling is noticeably jerky with the Catalyst above 120 rpm and your foot feels like it is kicking forward when pedal is at the midpoint of the downward pedal stroke (level with the ground).  I noticed out trail riding that my cadence "felt" slower and this test proved it.  If you are a pedal mashing low cadence rider you probably won't notice.

I have smashed all my PR’s on power climbing trails where you basically are off the saddle running uphill.  I even took some Strava KOM’s  (pretty sure they won’t last long knowing who I stole them from) on my local trails.  The mid foot pedal placement and the large stable platform allowed me to significantly increase my standing pedaling power output.  Plus, my foot fatigue while single speeding has gone away as well.

This leaves me with a dilemma as the XC race season quickly approaches; do I run a higher gear and take advantage of the increased power for climbing in single speed races and limit my ability to reach higher top speeds on the flats through high cadence pedaling?

Summary:

The Catalyst pedal is a fully capable flat pedal that accomplishes what is advertised as far as improved body mechanics, power, and stability.  Retail price seems a tad high for such a basic pedal but comparable to other flat pedals on the market in that price range. 

It is not for weight weenies or those with “thin skin” or a fear of talking to people.  You will attract positive and negative comments and lots of questions on the trail.  In my opinion the design is not the best choice for aggressive Enduro and Downhill racers due to it not being optimized to mitigate pedal strike risk and the reduced pedal to shoe traction vs. more aggressive platform pedals.

For my fellow “flat pedals for medals” riders, if you choose to purchase a pair, don’t even waste your breath trying to discuss or explain these with the Clipless pedal XC and Roadie sheep out there.  Ride on!

Marc Garoutte

Canfield Brothers Crampon Ultimate Pedal Update

After a full season of riding and racing with the Canfield Brothers Crampon Ultimate’s exclusively on my XC, Enduro, and DH bikes I can now report out on how they are performing.

Racing and Riding

Cross Country

The ultra thin pedals seem to smooth out the small dead spot at the bottom and top of the pedal stroke.  I was able to achieve a higher pedaling cadence using the Crampon Ultimate’s verses thicker pedals.  I never experienced pedal flip on really rough courses (even on my fully rigid Single Speed) and that is a huge control improvement.   In fact when using the Canfield Crampons I cannot tell the pedals are there and combined with 5-10 shoes you are absolutely connected to your bike. 

Enduro

All I can say is they grip my 5-10 shoes like eagle talons and I have been enjoying the highest level of bike control in my 40+ years of riding.  Being able to steer with my feet and hoping obstacles on the trail have been greatly improved.  I rarely have pedal strikes now and when I do the thin beveled edges just slide right over the rocks without getting hung up.  There are a few scars on them now.  At first, scraping away that beautiful anodized finish was comparable to the first time I dropped my Troy Lee D3 helmet and chipped the paint.  But the scrapes and scars in the finish just show that I do ride my bike hard.

Downhill

All the above hold true on my DH bike along with the added benefit of increased pedal clearance on hard full travel landings.  And, when racing comes down to fractions of a second I can safely crank out some precious pedal strokes on rugged terrain with the confidence provided by the ultra thin pedal body. 

Maintenance

I cleaned and re-greased my pedals once they started to spin by hand with a little vibration and sounded dry after a couple months of constant use and many race weekends.  Maintenance takes about 10 minutes per pair.  Just unthread the lock nut and place it, along with the spring washer and cup assembly, on a secure surface.  Pull pedal body off spindle and wipe spindle clean with a rag.  I then thread a paper towel through the pedal body and pull it out to remove the old grease inside the pedal body.  Reapply some fresh grease to spindle and DU bushings in pedal body and reassemble.  Once assembled, wipe off the excess grease the squeezes out and you are ready to ride again.  Canfield has some maintenance videos on their web page showing how to do this as well as easy DU Bushing replacement if that ever becomes necessary.

Issues

Out of the 15 or so pairs of pedals our teammates have purchased, only a couple pairs had 100% of the pins installed with sufficient torque right out of the box and a few pins came loose after a few miles until we figured this out.  I provided Canfield Brothers with this information and they were going to work the issue with their manufacturer.  I would suggest checking the pins with the supplied Allen Key included with the spare pin pack inside the box before your first ride.  Once installed with proper torque, the pins have not loosened during my use.  

Mid season I began using the magnesium Crampon Ultimate’s for my XC race bike and they are significantly lighter than the ultra light Aluminum model however the one pair I have had noticeably lower pin protrusion from pedal body compared to the Aluminum versions.  The pin protrusion was ½ to ¾ as much of the Aluminum Pedals.   While they still function great and I never had any pedal slip issues they definitely feel less secure than the aluminum pedals.  It would be an easy improvement to install some longer pins and enjoy the talon like grip of the Aluminum version.  I have recently contacted Canfield Brothers and they will be shipping me some longer pins to try.

Summary

So does the ultra thin pedal claims hold up and is the high price of admission worth it?

I have no scientific data to show any increases in pedaling efficiency or increased watts and such.  However, my bike control and speed has increased through use of these pedals.  Pedal strokes are smoother and a higher cadence is possible.  Ride these pedals for a short while then put your old thick flat pedals back on and you will feel the dramatic differences.   I used to tell people that flat pedal shoes like the awesome 5-10’s were more important than the pedal but now I see how much of an improvement the pedal itself can make.

Grip is outstanding and if you are new to flat pedals you probably should wear some shin guards till you can learn to stay away from them while walking or dismounting.

I did smash a few pins on rocks and the double sided Allen head design of pins makes removal and replacement a breeze even if the exposed pin is heavily damage.  You just unscrew from the protected bottom side of the pedal.   Canfield Brothers even include a generous supply of extra pedal pins and Allen key in the box.

The retail price seems high, but it is competitive, and given the low weight and bling factor I would say they are actually one of the industry's value leaders in high end flat pedals.

Maintenance requirements may be higher than pedals with sealed bearings if you ride in adverse conditions but sealed bearing pedals are not available with such thin pedal bodies.   Maintenance is very quick and simple and if the time ever comes where the DU bushings need to be replaced the rebuild kit is inexpensive and the bushing replacement is easy to perform.

I wholeheartedly recommend the Canfield Crampon Ultimate pedals to everyone I ride with now.  If the pedal pin installation torque improves from the factory they would be perfection.  But for now, I would recommend checking the pins before your first ride.

Bottom line is I like them so much there is a 6 pairs installed on the race bikes in my families stable!

Marc Garoutte 

Flat Pedal Upgrade?

I am so old school that I run flat pedals on all my bikes including my road bike.  Been pedaling bikes for 45 years and spent a significant number of years riding and racing motorcycles and never have my feet been mechanically attached to my pedals of foot pegs.  I also own a closet full of 5-10 shoes to keep my feet firmly attached to my pedals. 

This blog post is not about “Flats vs. Clip in” pedals and I feel pedal choice is a personal one and my choice is flats.  This blog post is just about my personal search for a better flat pedal and nothing more.

For the past 5 years my go to pedal set up was some light, durable, fairly thin, and inexpensive Welgo B103 and B118 flat pedals.  I would replace the original soft aluminum pins with some steel ones made by Xpedo and the pedals would wind up costing about $60 a pair. 

Wellgo B103 364 grams   

       


Wellgo B118 340 Grams

I liked the platform size and shape and the high pin count which led to great grip and control.  Life expectancy ran about 2 years per pair until I smashed enough rocks to damage the pedal body or wore out the non-serviceable inboard bushings.  

Life has been pretty good with those pedals but I started following the movement towards ultra thin flat pedals and wanted to give them a try.  There are claimed benefits to improvement in eliminating the dead spot at the bottom of the pedal stroke by moving your foot closer to the pedal spindle centerline.  The claims the thinner pedal body will improve ground clearance to minimize pedal strikes on rocks and roots seems very logical but the noticeable impact would seem to be proportional to the thickness of your current pedals.

But there were barriers; some pedals have rider weight limits that prohibit my 220lb carcass from safely riding them.  And, the costs of these ultra thin pedals seem to start around $150 with some approaching $300.  My mind had trouble justifying such a price tag when my go to pedal setup worked great and could be had for a mere $60.

So, for the 2015 racing season I decided to bite the bullet and jump head first into the ultra thin lifestyle.  After doing research and reading all the on-line dribble, reviews, rants, and keyboard jockey wisdom I decided on the Canfield Brothers Crampon Ultimate Pedal.

Still being cautions and somewhat tight with my money I chose try the 342 gram aluminum version over the even lighter 280 gram (but $50 more expensive) Magnesium version.  But honestly, the decision also came down to the fact I could match the accent colors on my bike better with the Anodized colors on the aluminum vs. the painted colors on the magnesium pedals.   And who doesn't enjoy throwing back a cold brew while admiring their bike after a ride and saying to them self, “damn that is one nice looking bike”.  Now, style is in the eye of the beholder but I just had to have orange pedals on my Tallboy LTc and red ones on my Nomad for personal style points.  You go faster when you look good right?  So I contacted Canfield Brothers and ordered some up.

342 gram Canfield Crampon Ultimate aluminum in all their orange anodized brilliance

 

Side view of the Crampon Ultimate

Note:  the pedal body thickness that is less than the pedal spindle diameter.

One of the problems I have had since I began racing 4 years ago is high speed crashes caused by pedal strikes.  Pedal strikes frequently occur while trying to get those precious few additional pedal strokes in to shave a few seconds off my race times.  These pedal strikes unfortunately have led to some serious crashes/injuries and this is the primary reason I want the ultra thin pedals.

The ultra low bottom bracket on my new Santa Cruz Nomad 3.0 also prompted me to recently switch out the 175mm crank arms for some 165mm ones.  This made a noticeable reduction in pedal strikes so I doubt I will notice too much additional improvement directly from the pedals but I will welcome a little additional clearance none the less.  I still run 175mm crank arms on my Santa Cruz Tallboy LTc so I should be able to readily assess the reduction in pedal strikes due to pedals alone on this bike.

Stay Tuned for the next installment of this blog after I have spent some pedal time on these beautiful Crampons and competed in a few races.

Flat Pedals for Medals!

Marc Garoutte

Epic Racing Cycling Team

Wolf Tooth Chainrings and Cassette Conversions

In 2014 I had a 4 bike quiver:

26” wheel Santa Cruz Blur LTc for general riding using a 30t Wolf Tooth GPX Direct Mount Drop Stop Chain Ring, a Shimano XT 11-36t 10sp rear cassette, and 2013 Shimano XT 10sp Shadow Plus Med Cage derailleur.

29” wheel Specialized Crave SL for cross country and cyclocross racing using a 32t or a 34t Wolf Tooth GXP Direct Mount Drop Stop Chain Ring with Shimano XT 11-36t 10sp rear cassette converted with a Wolf Tooth 42t Giant Cog, Wolf Tooth 16t cog, and Sram X9 10sp Med Cage Type 2 derailleur.

29” wheel Santa Cruz Tallboy LTc for enduro racing using a 28t or a 30t Wolf Tooth GXP Direct Mount Drop Stop Chain Ring in combination with a Sram X01 11sp derailleur, and 10-42t 11sp cassette.

27.5” wheel Santa Cruz Nomad for riding bike parks, enduro racing, and downhill racing using a 34t Wolf Tooth GXP Direct Mount Drop Stop Chain Ring in combination with a Sram XX1 derailleur, and 10-42t 11sp cassette.

You will replace front chain rings more frequently on a 1x drive train vs. a 2x or 3x front chainring set up and there is no way around that.  Also front chain rings with smaller teeth count will wear faster than ones with larger teeth count due to concentrating the wear on a smaller number of teeth while pedaling.  I have found that Wolf tooth Drop Stop Chain Ring wear has been excellent even though wear is concentrated on one chaining all the time and I tend to run smaller front chainrings to make climbing easier on my arthritic 49 year old knees.  I am getting the same amount of life out of the Wolf Tooth Drop Stop chain rings as the much more expensive Sram 11sp chain rings I replaced on the Tallboy LTc and Nomad. 

The GXP direct mount chain rings offer a cleaner look and they are significantly lighter than the “Spider” style Sram chainring setup that came stock.  Sram has recently announced a direct mount chainring option but they are not American made and still more expensive than those offered by Wolf Tooth.

There are several other companies making similar wide/narrow tooth chainrings and wide range rear cassette conversions but only Wolf Tooth products are made 100% in America and to me that is very important.  I buy direct and my order ships from Minnesota by the next business day and arrives at my door no later than 3 business days from order placement and free shipping on orders over $50.

Check them out at http://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/ 

   

34t GXP Direct Mount in Red on the "Black Widow" Nomad

I personally think the Wolf Tooth Drop Stop Chain Rings look awesome, they save me money and weight, and I never suffered a dropped chain or drive train failure in 2014 during any rides or the 42 races I competed in (including several really good crashes). Note: I am using the correct 10/11 speed chains and clutch type derailleurs as recommended by Wolf Tooth.

My 1st Drop Stop Chainring was installed on 1 1x9 drivetrain with pretty good results

When I got my first Drop Stop Chain Ring and added it to an older 9 speed bike with no clutch type derailleur against the recommendation from Wolf Tooth I would occasionally drop a chain on DH terrain when using smallest 3 cogs on rear cassette.  However, an MRP Top Guide was all it took to solve that problem.

Who needs 1x11 when you have this awesome 11-42 1x10 drivetrain!

From my experience the 42t Giant Cog and 16t cog rear cassette conversion works flawless with a Sram X9 10sp Med Cage Type 2 derailleur and a Drop Stop GXP Direct Mount front chainring. I used this set up on my Crave SL 29r for Cyclocross and XC racing and suffered zero dropped chains in 18 months of hard racing without the use of a chain retention device. I enjoy a completely quiet drive train free of chain slap, and a full range of race gearing using 34t front chaining for Cyclocross and a 32t for XC Racing.   It is hard to tell I am not riding one of my XX1 or X01 1x11 equipped bikes.  I was able to buy the X9 shifter and derailleur, a 10sp XT cassette, the Wolf Tooth 42t Giant Cog, and Wolf Tooth 16t cog for less than the cost of a Sram XX1 or X01 cassette.  Yes, it weighs a few grams more than the Sram 11sp drive train, but it performs nearly as well.  On a price to performance ratio I think the full Sram 11 speed drivetrain is the loser in this comparison. The only real world performance advantage of the Sram 11sp drive train is the 10t rear cog.  That 1 tooth smaller cog transmits into several MPH greater top speed but that only really matters in highly competitive racing.

I however had a different experience trying to do the conversion on my Blur LTc a bike equipped with a 2013 Shimano XT 10sp Shadow Plus Med Cage derailleur.  The derailleur was not compatible with the 42t Giant Cog even using the extra long B Screw purchased from Wolf Tooth.  The arm that secures the cable would rub against the 42t cog in almost every gear and that conversion attempt never made it past the repair stand.

Wolf Tooth does have a solution for Shimano derailleur issues like I experienced in the form of the Goat Link.

http://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/collections/accessories/products/goatlink

Marc Garoutte
Epic Racing Cycling Team

My Year With ChainBrew

My Year with Chain Brew:

In the summer of 2013 I was introduced to the company Chain Brew at the Oregon Enduro Series race in Hood River, Oregon.  I obtained a few of their sample size bottles of chain lube as they were tossed into the crowd during the awards and raffle after the race.

https://www.facebook.com/ChainBrew

http://terraincontrol.com/chain-brew.html

Two things interested me right away; this chain lube was locally made by some of my fellow racers and it smelled good.  Yes, chain lube that you actually enjoy smelling.  I am not sure exactly how they do it but the lube smells like root beer and does not have any chemical odor to it at all. 

At the Bend Oregon Enduro stop the Chain Brew folks were set up and selling larger bottles of the lube and several of my EPIC Racing Cycling Team members and I bought a few bottles.

I began using Chain Brew throughout the remainder of the dry summer months.  I was impressed on how clean the lube was and after the first ride only a minimal amount of dirt collected on my drive train. With a rag you could just wipe the chain, cogs, chain rings, and derailleur pulleys clean and the drivetrain would remain clean ride after ride. 

Old habits are hard to break and growing up on the “wet” side of the Cascade mountains had taught me to re-lube my chain after every wet and muddy ride otherwise even the highest quality chain would turn “orange” by the next day even using thick and sticky “wet” lubes from various companies.   What I discovered with Chain Brew was the mud and water would bead up and drip off my chain resulting in a cleaner drive train during these mucky rides.  I also noted less of the dreaded “orange” chain whenever a bike was put away without cleaning and drying immediately after a wet and muddy ride.

2014 Spring XC Racing in the PNW - Mud was not sticking to my single speed chain today!

I do not use any electronic devices when I ride or race so I cannot give you exact figures on how long my chains, chainrings, and cogs last in miles, hours, or feet of elevation gained before I replace them.  But, from January 2013 to January 2014 I entered and finished 42 races that were a balanced mix of cross country, enduro, downhill, and cyclocross.  I also ride an average of 4 days a week year round and in Western Washington the majority of those rides are in wet and muddy conditions.

I have a 4 bike quiver: A Santa Cruz Blur LTc for general riding, a Specialized Crave SL for cross country and cyclocross racing, a Santa Cruz Tallboy LTc for enduro racing, and a Santa Cruz Nomad for riding bike parks, enduro and downhill racing.  I run Wolf Tooth Drop Stop single chain rings on all 4 bikes and either a Sram 11sp or Wolf Tooth Giant Cog converted wide range 10sp rear cassettes.  I am meticulous in my maintenance regiment and I measure my chains with a Park Tools chain gauge regularly and replace them once they reach 5% stretch.  I also replace the front chain ring after the 2^nd chain is replaced.  Doing this has eliminated the need to replace the expensive rear cassettes for several seasons and I have not suffered any drive train failures during competition.

In 2014, on the Tallboy LTc, I replaced the chain twice and the Wolf Tooth front chain ring once but at the same time I replaced the Sram GXP bottom bracket twice to give you a sense of the use and abuse that bike took.  On the Crave, I replaced one chain in 2014.  The Nomad and the Blur LTc don’t see near the miles of the other bikes and still have not reached 5% chain stretch nor needed any other drive train part replacements. 

So, in summary, my 2014 riding/racing was spread out over four bikes and I replaced 3 chains, 1 chain ring, and 2 bottom bracket bearing sets due to wear.  It may be worth noting I am 6’ tall and weigh 220lbs so I do put a lot of stress on my bike components.

In 2013 prior to my sole reliance on Chain Brew Chain Lube and Wolf Tooth Chain Rings I used 3 bikes and they were set up with 2x9 drive trains.  My amount of riding and racing in 2013 was less than in 2014 (no Down Hill or Cyclocross racing).  In 2013 I wore out 2 bottom bracket bearing sets, 5 chains, and 2 sets of 2x chain rings.  Note: Chain ring wear is not directly comparable between 2013 and 2014 due to spreading the wear over multiple front chain rings on the 2x set up’s versus the dedicated 1x set up’s used in 2014.

I fully admit that there no way I could claim this is a scientific test of how Chain Brew reduced drive train wear because I never kept track of my miles, hours, or feet of elevation gained.  The only thing that I can vouch to is; I put a lot fewer miles on my drive trains in 2013 using another company’s wet lube vs. 2014 when I used Chain Brew exclusively.  So, the anecdotal evidence is I wore out fewer chains and chain rings even while increasing the amount of riding and racing significantly the year I used Chain Brew exclusively.

I do know for a fact that Chain Brew has significantly reduced my drive train maintenance.  I have not needed to break out brushes and degreaser to remove any build up of greasy gunk from my chain, chainring, cassette, or derailleur pulleys.  I do not miss the greasy chain tattoos on my right leg or clothes when I brush up against the bike.  And, I can lube my chain in the house or a motel room without stinking up the place with chemical odors.

 Just finished a CX Double Header in Dec 2014 - good and muddy it was!

Other uses:

I was having difficulty with the free hub pawls sticking on my Easton Haven wheelset so I began using chain brew as the lubricant.  I have enjoyed a year and a half of reduced drag and consistent and positive pawl engagement.  I also begun using it on my Crank Brothers free hub pawls and have felt improved performance on them as well.

It seems to make a clean and effective cable lube and has extended the life of some derailleur cables that were getting sticky and affecting shift performance.

I used it on some door hinge pins in my home but the dogs keep smelling and trying to lick them.  I attribute that to the root beer smell and Chain Brew even places a large warning on the bottle to keep away from children.  

More details on Chain Brew formulation:

While Chain Brew holds their exact formula a close secret, the following information was researched on the main ingredient found in Chain Brew and how it works to reduce friction and provide the excellent drivetrain performance I have experienced. 

   

The main Ingredient in Chain Brew is a high concentration of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) most commonly known as the DuPont trademarked material Teflon.  PTFE’s coefficient of friction is the third-lowest of any known solid material and is the only known surface to which a Gecko cannot stick (actual fact).  Chain Brew’s formula seals out moisture, inhibits corrosion, and is highly resistant to dust and dirt build-up.

Chain Brew is considered a dry film solid lubricant and is an aqueous dispersion of finely divided PTFE particles that are less than 10 microns in size.  It goes on wet but will air cure leaving the PTFE solids bonded to the chain surfaces providing a durable, dry, colorless coating with excellent lubricating properties, a low coefficient of friction, good corrosion protection, and excellent mud shedding characteristics.

Dry film solid lubricants are useful for conditions when conventional lubricants are inadequate, such as sliding or reciprocating motion that requires lubrication to minimize wear in gear and chain applications. Dry film solid lubricants offer protection beyond the normal properties of most mineral and synthetic oil-based fluid lubricants.  Mineral and synthetic oil-based fluid lubricants will squeeze out and quickly lose their lubrication and wear protection ability plus they attract dirt and contaminants to your drive train that will require frequent degreasing.  Dry film solid lubricants do not squeeze out and they prevent corrosion while offering greater friction protection for longer periods of time.  Dry film solid lubricants do all this without attracting dirt and contaminates to your drive train like mineral and synthetic oil-based fluid lubricants do.

For optimal results Chain Brew should be applied to a clean, dry chain by applying a single drop at each chain roller location.  Turn crank several times to aid in wicking lube into the chain rollers.  Let stand and then wipe chain off with clean rag.

Re-lube intervals depend on your mileage and riding conditions.  In dry weather conditions, periodic wiping off of the slight amount of surface dirt should be all that is necessary.  Chain will appear clean and dry but the dry film of PTFE is providing the required friction and wear protection.  Reapply Chain Brew as soon as the chain is beginning to “sound” dry and is making some slight noise.

In wet weather, it is recommended to apply Chain Brew much more frequently for corrosion protection.  I have found that in the very wet winter months in the Pacific Northwest I need to reapply Chain Brew after about 2 rides or if I washed the bike off with a hose.  You will notice during muddy ride the water and mud literally beads up and drips right off the chain.  This reduces drive train wear by reducing the amount of “grit” that tries to grind away at you chain, chainrings, and cogs.  It also minimizes any mud buildup that will cause shifting problems during rides and races.

Early Spring 2015 The XC Racing has been a bet wet!

Since the PTFE particles settle in the aqueous solution during storage, agitation is required to maintain a uniform dispersion.   Make sure you shake bottle vigorously prior to removing the cap and applying to your chain.

Marc Garoutte

Goodbye to Enduro Season

We've been slacking in our blog coverage this summer, but that's because most of the team has been out enduro-ing all summer!  Take a look at our new Media Coverage page for some race reports and videos that team members have been spotted in.

The Oregon Enduro Series just wrapped up in Mt. Hood and you can take a peek at the action here.  We have one more race to go, the season-ending Cascadia Dirt Cup Chuckanut Enduro which is always a blast to ride and race.

After Chuckanut, expect to see lots of cyclocross action as we count our broken parts and plan for next season!


 

BuDu XC #7 Ft. Ebey

The weather was ominous on the drive to Whidbey from Seattle but once we got to the island conditions were pretty good for the last BuDu race that counts towards series standings.  Although they got some rain the night before, trails were in great condition and everyone was looking forward to the challenging but super fun course.  To me Ft. Ebey is a great example of what a cross country race should be!

Also something to look forward to was the post-race refreshments provided by Boundary Bay!  Epic Racing had a huge turnout with both Seattle and south-enders and our Bellingham racers turning out for the event.  It was awesome to be able to catch up with and also to meet new teammates.  

Although some of us were sad to be missing the Enduro of Subdued Excitement at Chuckanut, we were easily able to console ourselves with the good weather and the post-race company.

With one more race to go at Henry's Ride, XC season is winding down for most of Epic Racing, although a few of us with be participating at the Stottlemeyer 30/60 race this weekend.  Downhill events continue, and many are also gearing up for the first Oregon Enduro race at Hood River in June.  Many of our enduro teammates are also eagerly awaiting delivery of their new Knolly Wardens.  We will have plenty of pics when they come in!

Our fearless leader Marc Garoutte has this to say about our XC efforts this year: "With the BuDu XC series point championship concluded, we have achieved 45 individual race podium awards, 71 top 5 finishes, and 119 top 10 finishes. Thats not all...an additional 13 season championship podium awards have been earned and Thomas Farmer has earned the 1st of many season Champion Titles for his efforts in the BuDu CAT 1 19-34 year old class! And the 2014 season is just getting started!!!"

Thomas Farmer

Thanks to all of our sponsors for a great XC season: Boundary Bay, Wildwater River Guides, Afford-A-Vet Animal Clinic, Chainbrew, Wolf Tooth Components, Center Cycle, Pearson Chiropractic and Rehabilitation, Schwalbe, CrapPhotos, Bicycle Center, Crank Brothers, Fanatik Bike Company, Lezyne, and Mazama.

Here's our results for the day and series -- 11 top 5 series finishes this year, a great way to start off the race season.  I'm especially proud of all of our Cat 3 women and juniors -- 6 of our series podiums were from them!  Will we see any of you move up to Cat 2 next season???

Shannon Sutherland

• Cat 1
• Thomas Farmer 4th 34&under (1st in series)
• Scott Fleenor 4th 50+
• Cat 2
• Amy Josefczyk 2nd 40-49 (2nd in series)
• Anthony Barlow 9th 40-49 
• Dave Pringle 6th 40-49
• Doug DeMars 8th 40-49
• Matt Levin 4th 50+ (5th in series)
• John DeWitt 3rd 50+
• Gary Green 5th 50+
• Matt Houchens 2nd Clydesdale (2nd in series)
• Mark Thomas 3rd Clydesdale (3rd in series)
• Marc Garoutte 6th Singlespeed
• Cat 3
• Megan Koziolek 5th 13-18 (2nd in series)
• Janna Houchens 2nd 19-34 (2nd in series)
• Alicia Taggatz 3rd 19-34 (3rd in series)
• Sandra Barlow 5th 35-49 (5th in series)
• Shannon Sutherland 3rd 50+ (4th in series)
• Griffin Barlow 9th 12&Under
• Haden Mills 3rd 13-18 (2nd in series)
• Dan Wheeler 6th 19-34
• Jon Nelson 50+ (3rd in series)