A quick glance at the state of the mountain bike in 2024 will reveal a lot of high-pivot designs. One of the motivations for the latest crop of high-pivot bikes is their ability to mitigate chain growth and pedal kickback but what if you didnt need an entirely new frame design to do it? What if it was as simple as changing your hub?Thats what the new e*thirteen Sidekick hub promises, well, that and more. By decoupling the drivetrain from the rear wheel when coasting, the Sidekick system claims to reduce drag, noise, and vibration while improving suspension performance by eliminating pedal kickback in nearly all situations.Sounds good? Lets dig in. How Does Sidekick Work?Sidekick starts with a proprietary freehub mechanism that contains an extra pawl. The pawl is on a timed pusher which allows the pawls to retract from the ratchet ring when coasting. Essentially, the drive pawls can slide up and down ramps on the pusher a certain amount before sliding all the way up to engage the drive ring. But until the drive pawls engage the drive ring, the wheel is free to rotate, separated from the drivetrain. For the system to work, there has to be a deadband that allows the wheel to rotate before the pawls engage. Since not all riders and frames will need or want the same amount of deadband, it can be changed without tools from 12 to 15 or 18. BenefitsTo validate the system, e*thirteen has done extensive testing with a team of extremely talented racers including Aaron Gwin, Rnn Dunne, Rmy Mtailler, Fabien Barel, and more. Using a BYB telemetry system with a 1000Hz/sec sampling rate, e*thirteen found that the Sidekick allows riders to spend 7% more time in the mid-stroke of the suspension range (11-70%), while allowing 44% more (cumulative) use of the shock travel in that range. Sidekick was also responsible for 20% less crank movement than a traditional hub, which is where the elimination of pedal kickback comes into play. Claimed Rider Comfort & Speed BenefitsAssists riders to maintain a neutral position on downhillsFlat pedal riders will experience less kickback at the pedals, providing a planted feel with more comfort and controlEliminates drivetrain clatter and chain vibration when descendingAllows for smoother and quieter shiftingWhisper quiet when freewheelingReduced drag equals free rolling speedClaimed Suspension Performance BenefitsEliminates pedal kickback in nearly all situations, giving a chainless feel while descendingNo change is needed in rear shock compression and rebound tuneSimplifies suspension setup window by allowing free suspension movement (no pedal kickback!)More active suspension while brakingSpend up to 50% more time in the mid-stroke (sweet spot) of rear wheel travel giving the feeling of more available travelHow Does Sidekick Compare to Other Products like Ochain?I asked this question to e*thirteen co-owner and engineer, Greg Thrash, since it seemed like two products with a very similar goal. According to Greg, the most significant difference is how the two devices mitigate kickback with Sidekick, the cassette has to rotate through the deadband before the ratchet can engage, so there is zero resistance to chain movement during that period. With O-chain, those movements are resisted by a spring. So fast, dramatic suspension events that feed tension into the chain dont affect the suspensionwith Sidekick, whereas with O-chain, they may be blunted by the springbut are still present.A secondary effect, but probably what you notice the most, is that the normal chain vibration and noise you perceiveas you ride over rough surfaces just isnt there since the cassette can rock on the axle freely both forwardand backward without any intermittentratchet engagements.On top of that the hub is nearly silent. There is a single pawl in the system that makes it work, but it has a very light spring activating it, so you cant hear it operating over the sound of your tires on the ground.Between the super low drag pawl and your suspension working better, your bike seems to roll super fast, corners better, carries more speed; everything seems to work better.Who is Sidekick for?Many of those reasons are also why e*thirteen is marketing this to more than just downhill racers. Advertising it as beneficial for everything from aggressive short-travel trail bikes to full DH bikes, as well as Class 1 ebikes, the Sidekick system has benefits for a wide range of riders. Namely, improved suspension performance, lower drag, less noise, and reduced fatigue. What About High Engagement Hubs? It seems the bike industry has been pushing relentlessly toward higher and faster-engaging hubs. The Sidekick system seems to fly in the face of that, so what gives? According to e*thirteen, while those high-engagement hubs might help you out of a tight technical spot, they wont improve suspension performance. In fact, they might hurt it stating, while coasting at 15 mph (25 kph) a hub with 1-degree engagement can engage over 1000 times per second, leading to significant pedal kickback and poor suspension performance. A hub with 18-degree engagement in the same scenario can engage over 60 times per second, also resulting in a high likelihood of pedal kickback.Hub ConstructionNone of this matters if the hub isnt up to the task, so e*thirteen spent a lot of time obsessing over the details to make Sidekick durable enough to stand up to the worlds top racers. A steel axle ensures the hub is stiff enough and strong enough for World Cup DH abuse, and a captive thread endcap system allows for tool-free cleaning and maintenance. The ratchet ring is replaceable along with all parts for serviceability. At 452g for a Boost hub, the Sidekick hub is on the heavier side, but its likely less added weight than the extra chain and pulley to create a high-pivot frame design. J-Bend hubs will be available to build into your own wheelset, or e*thirteen will offer complete builds with their new Grappler Flux and Sylvan rims as well. Hubs and wheelsets will be offered in all modern sizes and freehubs to fit most bikes and drivetrains. Sidekick Hub SpecsDriver:XD, Microspline, HG, mini-HG, 7-speed integrated cassetteSize:Boost, Super Boost, 157x12mm, 148mm DHAxle Material:SteelSpoke count:Boost, Super Boost 28h, 32h / 157x12mm, 148mm DH 32HSpoke type:J-BendBearings:6903 / 6808Engagement:12 / 15 / 18 Adjustable DeadbandMaterial:AL 6061-T6Weight:Boost (XD) 452g / Super Boost (XD) 450g / 157x12mm (7-speed) 652g / 148mm DH (mini-HG) 459gColor:Black/Sterling SilverMSRP:499.95 $/ (UK 469.95), 589.95 $/ w 7-speed integrated cassette (UK 559.95)The post e*thirteen Sidekick Hubs Promise to Eliminate Pedal Kickback with Revolutionary Drive System appeared first on Bikerumor.