{"id":547528,"date":"2026-03-19T20:57:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T20:57:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/547528\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T20:57:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T20:57:11","slug":"is-this-cyclings-most-overhyped-tech-a-real-world-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/547528\/","title":{"rendered":"Is This Cycling\u2019s Most Overhyped Tech? A Real-World Test"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated3 min read<\/p>\n

As a cycling tech editor, my world is all about learning and experiencing the latest ideas and products. It is a fun and invigorating job, and I\u2019m always filled with wonder by the creativity and cleverness of cycling geeks around the world as they surprise us with products intended to make bike riding a bit better. Sometimes, though, the marginal gains offered by a product feel so small that they cross into overhyped. Ideas and products that don\u2019t seem to pay off in substantial ways, at least for amateur riders like me on real roads and trails.<\/p>\n

While I know these technologies work for some riders, I\u2019ve been disappointed by the payoff when I\u2019ve ridden them. Few things are more frustrating than investing a ton of money into something, only to go for a ride and feel no meaningful difference. This past year, I tested one product that\u2019s received a lot of hype but didn\u2019t seem to offer any meaningful benefit to me on a ride.<\/p>\n

That product is an anti-kickback device for mountain bike drivetrains.<\/p>\n

For the uninitiated, anti-kickback devices claim to address two things.<\/p>\n

First: When a rear suspension system compresses, the distance between the bottom bracket and rear axle increases (often referred to as chain growth). This causes the tensioned top run of the chain to try to rotate the cranks backward, pushing against the pedals and the rider\u2019s feet. It can also impart additional force on the rear suspension that, in some situations, may inhibit its ability to react freely to bumps. This is called kickback.<\/p>\n

\"Bicycle<\/p>\n

Matt Phillips<\/p>\n

Second: Bumps cause the chain, which has enough mass and speed, to bounce and slap against the frame. This creates noise and vibration that can often be felt by the rider.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an ongoing debate about how much these effects actually occur and how much they influence suspension performance, speed, and control. But let\u2019s set that aside.<\/p>\n

Anti-kickback devices aim to reduce feedback by allowing the drivetrain to float (or limiting chain ocillation) without pulling on the cranks. The claimed benefits are a smoother, quieter ride and, at best, improved suspension performance leading to better speed and control.<\/p>\n

Examples include the Ochain active spider (the brand was recently acquired by SRAM), e*thirteen\u2019s Sidekick rear hub, Rimpact\u2019s Chain Damper, and DT Swiss\u2019s Degrees of Freedom internals for its DEG hubs. In my opinion, the DT Swiss system is the most elegant\u2014simple and seemingly free of many drawbacks \u2014 though it only works with DEG hubs.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been skeptical of the claims behind these devices, but proponents consistently say, \u201cJust try one and you\u2019ll find out for yourself.\u201d So that\u2019s what I did.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t request a media sample. I bought a Rimpact Chain Damper<\/a> ($252), ran it on two of my personal bikes \u2014 a Yeti SB140<\/a> and a Chromag Darco<\/a> \u2014 and rode my usual trails.<\/p>\n

\"Bike<\/p>\n

DT\u2019s Degrees of Freedom is the most elegantly executed anti-kickback system.<\/p>\n

My takeaway: Meh.<\/p>\n

I rode the bikes with the damper installed, then removed it and repeated the same trails, and my impressions didn\u2019t change.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the bikes were a little quieter, and maybe there was slightly less feedback making its way through the frame to my hands and feet. If so, it was subtle enough to be difficult to isolate.<\/p>\n

I did not feel any significant change in suspension performance or grip. Nothing that altered how I rode, and no Strava PRs.<\/p>\n

There are several possible considerations I want to acknowledge. Maybe the Rimpact Chain Damper I tested isn\u2019t as effective as the other systems. Maybe the devices work better on bikes other than the ones I tested. Maybe the benefit is more noticeable on different terrain than what I sampled. Maybe my trails, even with lots of embedded square-edged rocks, aren\u2019t the best to showcase the devices\u2019 advantages. Maybe I\u2019m not sensitive enough, or perhaps I\u2019m not fast or aggressive enough.<\/p>\n

Product testing in the field is a complex and imperfect process.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve read reports from other riders and editors that sing the devices’ praises. So they have convinced some riders. And I\u2019m not here to say the devices are a hoax or that they don\u2019t provide benefits to at least some riders.<\/p>\n

All I can say is I tried one, and I didn\u2019t notice any game-changing magic from an expensive, heavily-hyped thingy.<\/p>\n

Member Exclusive: Check Out Our Top Cycling Stories\"Chevron\"Chevron\"Headshot<\/p>\n

A gear editor for his entire career, Matt\u2019s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he\u2019s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling, Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you\u2019re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn\u2019t race often, but he\u2019s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race.\u00a0<\/p>\n