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TECH NEWS
ceramicspeed ufo chains2.pngCeramicSpeed’s new chain is claimed to reduce friction by 15%
Want to go faster for less effort? There’s a growing choice of products that offer marginal gains and one company that focuses on saving you watts is CeramicSpeed.
The company has just issued a new version of its UFO Racing Chain that it claims offers a staggering 15% less friction than the previous version with an extended range of 600km before the special treatment wears off, twice the longevity of the original version.
- Muc-Off unveils “fastest chain in the world”
The UFO Racing Chains are selected and optimised with a special coating to reduce friction, done by hand in Denmark at the company’s own facility. The development of the latest chain has been bolstered by CeramicSpeed’s acquisition of a US company called Friction Facts, a drivetrain efficiency lab.
It doesn’t go in much detail about the new formula other than to say it’s a wax-based formula - it’s not going to give away its secrets now is it - but does say it lasts double the distance with even lower friction than the original.
- How to clean and lube your bike's chain
Once the formula wears off, a bottle supplied Squirt lube will continue to provide lubrication but we’d guess that the efficiency is going to diminish compared to a box fresh chain.
“The latest frictional tests show that compared to the earlier version of the CeramicSpeed UFO Chain, the new formula shaves off up to 15% more of the chain friction,” says the company.
There’s an obvious attraction in reducing drivetrain inefficiency but CeramicSpeed is quick to add that it’s best suited to racing use in dry and clean weather conditions. Not one for a gravel race then.
The CeramicSpeed UFO Racing Chain will be offered in SRAM, Campagnolo and Shimano versions and 10- or 11-speed, using optimised KMC and Shimano HG901 chains. The chains will continue to be delivered together with a bottle of Squirt lube for maintenance use after the 600 km (370 miles) have been surpassed.
And how much for one of these chains? £99, so yes a fair bit more than your standard issue chain.
David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes.
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10 comments
Interesting. My chain is heading into Road.cc shortly for review. I can only claim to save you around 9 watts with my coatings, but it's a cheaper than theirs
http://b-kam-cycling.co.uk/missin-linc-chains/
What is the awesome 'protective power' you cast over the chains?
You need proofreading, pics and videos if you are going to make a go of that, Keith.
Being dyslexic is a nightmare
I use something called Grammarly and it normally picks up my mistakes. I'll get it read over again today. I have pictures and videos to go up, plus some reviews
15% reduction in friction, presumably from quite a low start point. Means if your loss in the chain was 12 watts before, it's now 10. Excuse me while I make a bigger difference by taking a leak before riding with a regular chain obviously weighed down by the cash I've saved by not buying an "ultrafart" chain (copyright nafaiutb acknowledged)
15% reduction is quite a high number. Is this on the basis that also have CS BB bearings & jockey wheels to match?
Ultrafart
?
A £10 per ride bike chain- now that's value for money
The name on the bottom of the box seems to read 'ultrafart', which would explain why it helps you go faster....
UK-based Watt Shop (top track cyclist Dan Bigham) states: "Although gains will vary from chain to chain, typically riders will find around 2-6w at a 250w power output, a 0.8-2.4% increase in drive-train efficiency."
https://www.shopforwatts.co.uk/blogs/news/history-of-waxed-chains
It's easy to miss that the 15 per cent claim in the headline is compared to the earlier version of the CeramicSpeed UFO Chain.
I'm not sure how relevant a press release about a £99 chain that needs frequent re-treating is to yer average road.cc reader, but I guess even journos have to keep the office lights on somehow.
And in other news Akihito buys magic jacket.........