K-Edge’s Cross Single Chain Catcher goes XL to accommodate for the gearing of cyclocross. © Cyclocross Magazine
Last month, we posted a series of articles that dealt with the issue of reducing the chances of dropping your chain, and what to do if it happens during the middle of a race. One of our focus examples was the infamous chain drop during the 2013 World Championships in Kentucky by Kevin Pauwels.
It looks like the folks at K-Edge took note. Just after we quietly snuck into their display at Interbike, K-Edge’s Tim Kelley walked right over and told us that he was in Louisville with a chain catcher ready for Pauwels’s team. Unfortunately, the team manager and mechanics opted to pass up an unfamiliar product. No one can be sure what would have happened had Pauwels decided to make the last-minute change; but we do know what happened when he decided to bypass the K-Edge chain catcher.
K-Edge’s Cross Single XL Chain Catcher comes in several models: one for braze-on mounts, the other for clamps sized either 31.8mm or 34.9mm. © Cyclocross Magazine
Move forward one-and-a-half years and cyclocross finds itself in an era where single chainring setups reign. Far from worried about the reduced risk of chain dropping through systems like SRAM’s CX1, K-Edge has adapted, designing their products to accommodate a variety of setups and frames, including a single chainring.
The Cross Single XL Chain Catcher is one of the latest products from K-Edge for the cyclocross market. Although it’s over three times as heavy as their road chain catchers at 32g, K-Edge understands that cyclocross demands a beefier approach to keeping the chain on the chainring. It retails at $69, and comes in different models: one used for braze-on mounds (if your frame has one even if it was set up with a single chainring), and a model with two separate clamp sizes: 31.8 and 34.9.
The new XL single models will weigh 10g more than the older, non-XL models, and will add $10 in price. K-Edge’s marketing material also states that the Cross Single XL was designed to be used in conjunction with a ring guard. Looking at a finished setup, however, shows that there is very little tolerance for the chain to work itself off the chainring, and the added weight might be worth the extra piece of mind.
K-Edge’s Cross Double Chain Catcher also comes in an XL, increasing the ability for a rider to use it despite a flared carbon bottom bracket shell. © Cyclocross Magazine
A big benefactor to the larger sizing is K-Edge’s Cross Double XL Chain Catcher, designed with a double chainring in mind. The longer height only adds a reported increase of four grams, and a rider gains the ability to work around a carbon frame with a flared bottom bracket shell.
K-Edge’s lightweight chain catchers, as shown below, are still available for $19.99 to the folks who can’t bear to add more than 10g to the total weight of their bike. For an extra $10, K-Edge also has their Pro model, which has the same 10g reported weight, but comes with a two bolt mounting system that also allows for the front derailleur to be fully adjusted without having to take off the chain catcher.
The Original K-Edge Braze-On Chain Catchers, still a popular choice, especailly for road bikes. © Cyclocross Magazine
For riders who care more about capturing the watts and video highlights, K-Edge has also unveiled their Aero Combo Mount, which is designed to hold the Garmin Edge 200, 500 and 510 models on the top with a GoPro camera on the bottom. The weight of the mount itself comes out to a claimed 43g and will retail at $55. Have a larger Garmin? K-Edge also has you covered with an XL Combo Mount that comes out to 48g.
The K-Edge Areo Combo Mount holds both Garmins and GoPros with flip-side interface mounts. © Cyclocross Magazine
Details at acecosportsgroup.com
For more Interbike 2014 news, be sure to stay tuned to cxmagazine.com.
