Cyclocross World Championships, 2013

Cyclocross Racing Worlds, 2013 — Katie Compton Racing at CX Worlds, 2013.

In Louisville, KY at the Cyclocross World Championships, 2013, many of these top athletes were riding products that were designed and engineered right here at Synthesis! Did you know, the “World’s Fastest Shifting Chainrings” — produced and sold by WickWerks — were designed, developed, and tested right here 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.

Racing More Than Cyclocross

Fun facts: Katie Compton, one of the worlds most elite women riders, raced on WickWerks chainrings for most of her career — a career resulting in many USA national championships and that dominated women’s cyclocross the world over. Her husband, Mark, was also very instrumental in helping Synthesis refine the chainrings to become the best shifting rings 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 World Cyclocross Championships were riding these chainrings, so it’s 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 could not shift. That was not the case for 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 were so successful.

Also, of particular note 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. 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’re here to help with all things engineering and beyond.