In Louisville, KY at the Cyclocross World Championships, 2013, many of the top athletes were riding products that were designed, engineered and developed at Synthesis!
Did you know, the "World's Fastest Shifting Chainrings" - produced and sold by WickWerks - were designed, developed, and tested right here at Synthesis Engineering Services, in Colorado Springs?
Yes, for many years Synthesis provided all the design and product development for these innovative products. Read the case study article about deploying Full Service Engineering and so much more. These great products represent improvements in bicycle shifting as well as resulting in several great patents - and a lot of bicycle racing success!
Racing More Than Cyclocross
Fun facts: Katie Compton, one of the world's most elite women riders, raced on WickWerks chainrings for most of her career - a career resulting in many USA national championships and one that dominated women's cyclocross the world over. Her husband, Mark, was also very instrumental in helping Synthesis hone and refine the chainrings to become the best shifting chainrings made.
This photo is from the Cyclocross World Championships, 2013. Of important note, many riders that eventually made it to the podium at the Kentucky Cyclocross World Championships were riding these chainrings, so it is a pretty cool compliment to know that we were - if only barely - helpful in getting them there.
The weather was nasty that year, especially the muddy course for the Masters races. However, in the midst of the difficulties, I heard so many compliments about how well the chainrings work! Awesome to hear. I watched the racers with mud packed in so bad that wheels could barely turn. Derailleurs clogged so bad that most racers could not shift at all, but that was not the case for those riding our great chainrings. They shifted even when others would not. It's part of the technology, and we think - part of the reason riders with these rings are so successful.
Of particular note through that event were the performances of Katie Compton, Kaitlin Antonneau, and Sue Butler. These WickWerks sponsored riders who use and abuse the chainrings every day, found success at Worlds. Congratulations to everyone that competed.
Progress Onward And Upward
After 10 success filled years, WickWerks decided they could fly on their own, which is awesome. The Synthesis sign-off and highlights are in this article about Engineering, Cycling, and a big Thanks. We are glad to be a part of the many great products they have.
If you're ready to take your business to the next level, give us a call. We are here to help with all things engineering and beyond.