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Faster without a chain?
Aaron Gwin's legendary Downhill World Cup victory without a chain will certainly be remembered by most and has inspired the optimisation of the rear suspension function of a full-suspension bike ever since. Gwin was victorious in Leogang in 2015 even with an early chain break. Some even claim that the chain that broke at the start was the guarantee for optimum rear triangle function without disruptive drive influences and therefore ultimately the key to victory. There are now various solutions to circumvent the more or less strong pedal kickback, depending on the rear suspension system, and thus make the suspension completely open and free from drivetrain influences. The brand new Sidekick hub from E-Thirteen is yet another.
The best-known and most common solution for reducing pedal kickback in the DH and Enduro World Cup is certainly the Ochain spider, which we have already tested extensively in BIKE. The increased use of Highpivot bikes goes in a similar direction. Although the high pivot point primarily improves the wheel lift curve, it also makes it possible to eliminate or reduce pedal kickback by deflecting the chain.
Why does pedal kickback bother you at all?
To understand what the new Sidekick hub from E-Thirteen does, we need to take a brief excursion into kinematics. What is pedal kickback and how is it noticeable when riding? To prevent a fully rear triangle from compressing completely under chain tension when accelerating, the pivot points are selected so that a certain amount of anti-squat is available. The anti-squat causes the rear triangle to want to rebound under chain tension, thus preventing bobbing or bottoming out. However, a lot of anti-squat always means a lot of pedal kickback. This is because the pull on the chain works in both directions. If the rear wheel compresses due to an obstacle, fullys with a high anti-squat have a stronger pull on the chain to the rear, which tries to turn the crank back. This is known as pedal kickback.
As the chainstays lengthen slightly during compression (or the distance between the bottom bracket and rear hub increases) and the chainring is connected to the cassette via the chain, there is an interaction between the drivetrain and the suspension. When the chain is under tension, the rear suspension of fullys with high pedal kickback can therefore compress less easily. Even when rolling downhill with the crank stationary, the chain wants to turn the crank back against the rider's weight with every spring movement. The rear triangle cannot compress freely, while the rider is constantly hit in the legs by the crank turning back.
The E-Thirteen Sidekick hub in detail
The real speciality of the Sidekick hub lies within the freewheel. The degree of freedom of the freewheel can be set to an additional 12, 15 and 18 degrees via an additional mechanism. If you turn the cassette back until the pawls engage, the selected degree of freedom is now available in the drive direction.
The Sidekick hub or hub set is available both individually and as complete wheels. With the complete wheels, the customer has the choice between the Sylvan all-mountain wheels or the Flux enduro and DH wheels. Both wheelsets are available in both aluminium and carbon versions. The prices are as follows:
- Sidekick front hub: 169,95 Euro
- Sidekick rear hub499.95 euros or 589.95 euros for the DH 7-speed HR hub
- Sylvan Carbon front wheel: 779.95 euros / rear wheel: 1119.95 euros
- Sylvan aluminium front wheel: 379.95 euros / rear wheel: 629.95 euros
- Flux Enduro Carbon front wheel: 799.95 euros / rear wheel 1199.95 euros
- Flux Enduro aluminium front wheel: 379.95 euros / rear wheel: 649.95 euros
- Flux DH carbon set from 1900 euros / aluminium from 1000 euros
The Sylvan AM wheelset with carbon rims we rode weighs in at 1854 grams (787 g front, 1067 g rear).
The additional degrees of freedom of the E-Thriteen Sidekick hub completely eliminate pedal kickback during compression. The rear suspension can compress unhindered, while the rider receives fewer impacts from the crank.
First ride impression with the E-Thirteen MTB hub
In normal trail use, you don't feel much at first. As long as there is tension on the chain, everything runs as usual. As soon as the trail drops and gravity takes over, the advantage of the new E-Thirteen MTB hub comes into play. As soon as you stop pedalling and just stand on the pedals, the hub can exploit its additional degrees of freedom. Every bump in the road allows the rear triangle to compress freely without the chain being able to pull the crank back (pedal kickback).
The rear suspension does indeed feel smoother and somewhat more forgiving. The very quiet background noise is also impressive. The chain slap seems to be audibly reduced. We also noticed an improvement in rear suspension traction when braking. Rolling through tight bends on the front wheel and then putting the rear wheel on the ground works more smoothly without any loss of traction.
The big disadvantage, however, is in trail-heavy sections where frequent acceleration is required. With the greatest degree of freedom of 18 degrees, you feel like you are pedalling completely into the void. Backwheel hops or fast acceleration somehow fizzle out. A very unusual function. In addition, the additional degree of freedom means you hit the freewheel with more momentum. Depending on the rear suspension system and preference, the degree of freedom can be reduced to 12 degrees.
