{"id":245510,"date":"2026-05-27T22:33:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T22:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/27\/faction-and-andrew-lesperance-have-teamed-up-on-an-electronic-chain-lubrication-system-for-gravel-racing\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T22:33:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T22:33:10","slug":"faction-and-andrew-lesperance-have-teamed-up-on-an-electronic-chain-lubrication-system-for-gravel-racing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/27\/faction-and-andrew-lesperance-have-teamed-up-on-an-electronic-chain-lubrication-system-for-gravel-racing\/","title":{"rendered":"Faction and Andrew L\u2019Esperance Have Teamed Up On An Electronic Chain Lubrication System for Gravel Racing"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Gravel racing is hard both mentally and physically, but it’s also rough on your gear. With marquee events like Unbound pushing riders and their bikes to the limit for 200 miles, your equipment, and especially your drivetrain, takes an absolute beating. Factor in unpredictable weather and surface conditions that can change from mud to dust by the minute, and the grit accumulated on your chain, cassette, and chainring(s) can massively impact your drivetrain\u2019s efficiency on race day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For racers at the pointy end of the field, losing watts to a dirty chain or stopping to lube it mid-race can both negatively impact your results. If you stop, you can lose precious time, get dropped by the group, or potentially see your name slide down the results sheet. Which is why we occasionally see racers attempting to lube their (or sometimes other riders’) drivetrains while riding \u2014 or coming up with their own systems to do it on the fly.<\/p>\n

We just learned that our friends at Faction Bike Studio have teamed up with Andrew L’Esperance to create a brand-new, hands-free, electronic chain lubrication system. Here’s a sneak peek.<\/p>\n

From a DIY Concept to a Functional Prototype<\/h2>\n
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The lube tube and custom top guide\/lube dripper dispense lube on the chain with the push of a button.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Finishing in the top 10 overall in the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix, Andrew L\u2019Esperance appreciates the efficiency of a well-lubricated drivetrain. In fact, the Canadian rider was spotted using his own on-bike lubrication technique at Unbound last year. L\u2019Esperance zip-tied a syringe of chain lube to his seat tube, which he could manually press to apply lube to his chain on the fly.<\/p>\n

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These tubes are small reservoirs that store the chain lube discreetly in the bike’s seat tube until it is needed. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now, Faction Bike Studio and L\u2019Esperance have \u201cturned that original concept into a fully integrated electronic chain lube dripper system purpose-built for gravel racing.<\/em>\u201d With the push of a button, the system reportedly delivers a metered amount of lubricant to hit the full chain while pedaling at ~75 rpm. Check out the short video below to see it in action. <\/p>\n

The system includes a lube chamber hidden discreetly in the seat tube, a handlebar-mounted remote, and a custom guide and dripper positioned above the chainring. The whole system weighs a claimed 100g. <\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the first automatic on-bike chain lubricator that we\u2019ve seen. Both the Rohloff Lubmatic and the Scottoiler Cycle S1<\/a> were variations of the concept that aimed to work similarly. Neither of those appeared to have much commercial success, however, probably due in part to the limited market for such a niche bike accessory. Still, the Faction x L\u2019Esperance system appears to be the lightest, sleekest, and most refined version that we\u2019ve seen thus far.<\/p>\n

How Well Does it Work?<\/h2>\n

Saturday\u2019s Unbound 200 will be the first real-world race test of this brand-new electronic chain lube system. There\u2019s obviously a lot more to a successful ride through the Flint Hills than a well-lubed drivetrain, but it certainly couldn\u2019t hurt L\u2019Esperance\u2019s chances. And it will undoubtedly be a true test of the system during proper race conditions. We\u2019ll certainly be watching and are keen to see how it performs.<\/p>\n

Best of luck to Andrew L\u2019Esperance and all of the other competitors taking on Unbound Gravel this weekend. We\u2019ll bring you more info on this unique new electronic chain lube system when we have it. Stay tuned.<\/p>\n

factionbikestudio.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The post Faction and Andrew L\u2019Esperance Have Teamed Up On An Electronic Chain Lubrication System for Gravel Racing<\/a> appeared first on Bikerumor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gravel racing is hard both mentally and physically, but it’s also rough on your gear. With marquee events like Unbound pushing riders and their bikes to the limit for 200 miles, your equipment, and especially your drivetrain, takes an absolute beating. Factor in unpredictable weather and surface conditions that can change from mud to dust […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":245511,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6804],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-245510","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245510"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245510\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/245511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}