e*thirteen Sidekick Flux Wheels
Introducing Flux wheels with the new sidekick hub
Sidekick hubs make your bike better by disconnecting the drivetrain from the rear suspension, eliminating pedal kickback, and improving rider control, grip, and comfort on descents.
More than a component, it's a revolution in ride dynamics!
"Sidekick is a revolution, not evolution"
- Fabien Barel, DH MTB Legend & Canyon CLLCTV
What is Sidekick?
The Sidekick Hub by e*thirteen is a revolutionary rear mountain bike hub designed to enhance suspension performance by eliminating pedal kickback and filtering chain vibration.
It features a proprietary freehub mechanism that decouples the drivetrain from the suspension when coasting, providing a smoother, more controlled ride over rough terrain. This innovative design offers benefits such as improved traction, reduced fatigue, and near-silent operation. Sidekick eliminates the root cause of the problem completely at its source, unlike other devices on the market that require pedal kickback to occur before masking a portion of it.
"I firmly believe systems like the Sidekick Hub are the next big thing in mountain biking. Similar to how it was with the dropper post, if you’ve ridden it once, you don’t want to miss it".
- Reynaldo Ilagan, VP Product Development YT Industries
How does Sidekick Work?
A proprietary freehub mechanism disengages the drivetrain from the rear wheel when coasting, and an adjustable engagement deadband filters kickback and chain vibration before it reaches the pedals, isolating all pedal feedback from the suspension.
When coasting, a spring keeps the Sidekick's pawls disengaged. As you start pedaling, a mechanism we call the pawl pusher lifts the pawls into position allowing them to engage with the ratchet. The pawl pusher incorporates three settings, allowing the rider to tune the amount of deadband and subsequent amount of anti-kickback.
Running the new Sidekick hub kind of makes my bike feel the way it did in Leogang when I won that race without a chain. Super quiet, no pedal kickback, super smooth…it just feels like that all the time now.
- Aaron Gwin, American DH Legend & Gwin Racing
Sidekick Features
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The Sidekick Revolution
Rider Comfort & Speed
| Suspension Performance
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Rear wheel and shock suspension data collected using a BYB Telemetry system with a 1000Hz/sec sampling rate, highlights the benefits of the Sidekick hub. It's easy to see that with Sidekick, the bike's rear end is more active, especially in the larger mid-stroke of the shock. There is an average of 7% more time spent in the 11%-70% travel ranges and a cumulative increase of 44% across those travel ranges.
Using data acquisition I was able to test and quantify the effects of the Sidekick hub. It's easy to see that the rear end of the bike is more active, especially in the larger mid-stroke of the shock. In our tests we saw a cumulative increase of up to 44% in time spent across the 11%-70% travel ranges with DH bikes. Results will vary for different bike designs. It was also really impressive to see 20% less crank movement in comparison to the standard hub, meaning the cranks and pedals are more stable and subjected to less accelerations.
- Nick Lester, Downamics Data Acquisition - Muc-Off Young Guns
The Sidekick Edge
Unseen Suspension Saboteur There is a misconception that the effects of pedal kickback are something always perceptible to the rider. Pedal kickback and its knock-on effects dramatically degrade suspension performance even when riders don’t feel it happening. Sidekick is the first and only solution that isolates the drivetrain from suspension while freewheeling. This eliminates pedal kickback in nearly all riding situations, silences chain and freewheel clatter, and provides a whisper-quiet freehub ratchet. | Superior Suspension Solution Other crank spider-based solutions attempt to eliminate pedal kickback but do not disconnect the drivetrain from the frame suspension. In fact, while helpful in damping pedal kickback forces, with this type of solution, kickback, and chain vibration must happen for the device to function. Sidekick is a superior technology because it eliminates these forces by disconnecting the drivetrain from suspension movement. | Engagement Overload While faster engagement might be marketed as an advantage, it doesn’t improve suspension performance. For instance, 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. |
What can you expect?
Improved Suspension Performance & Traction With pedal kickback and chain vibration isolated from the suspension, your bike and rear shock act as they were designed, smooth and predictable in any terrain, at any speed, even during heavy braking. Efficient and predictable suspension means better traction and more control, providing confidence to push harder and ride faster! Sidekick is equally at home on long-travel Enduro and DH bikes, shorter-travel Trail or All-Mountain bikes, and Class 1 e-bikes. | 
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The benefits of using Sidekick have been insane. Giving us that no chain feel and letting the bike use its linkage properly, while being able to put down power whenever you want is pretty insane.
- Rónán Dunne, Mondraker Factory Racing & Linguist.
| Free Speed Freehub pawls are disengaged during coasting minimizing drag. With your suspension working more efficiently and the lack of drag from the freehub pawls, there is a noticeable increase in how speed is carried through both smooth and rough terrain. |
The new Sidekick hub feels like cheating. We’ve done the testing. The difference in friction without pawl drag, and how much faster it is, gives us a huge advantage timewise over everyone else.
-Joe Breeden, Intense Factory Team.
More Comfort & Less Fatigue As your bike works more efficiently to absorb bumps and impacts, your legs and body work less, control and comfort increase, and fatigue is reduced. This means longer, more enjoyable rides, the confidence to push hard on the longest tracks, and improved body positioning. | 
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It’s the single best update I’ve done to my bikes. With the Sidekick I feel less fatigue in my legs, especially my feet, it’s more comfortable, and also my vision has improved because I get less rattled from the trails.
-Rémy Métailler, Freeride Legend & Baguette Aficionado.
| Reduced Vibration & Chain Slap With chain tension filtered within the Sidekick freehub’s deadband, expect less vibration to be transferred to your feet, meaning a quieter, more comfortable ride. |
We really feel that we have a great performance advantage using the Sidekick hub. Pedal kickback is reduced (not that our bike has much problem with that), giving a calm feeling through the pedals and massively reduced chainslap.
-Jon Stout, Intense Factory Racing Head Mechanic
Near-Silent Operation With the freehub pawls disengaged from the drivetrain during coasting and chain slap nearly eliminated, Sidekick wheels are whisper-quiet, providing a more immersive riding experience, where the only sounds you hear are your tires on the trail. | 
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With the Sidekick hub my bike’s a lot quieter. I can hear the sound of my tires on the dirt, which is super satisfying. I love that sound! It’s also great to know if there are any problems with my bike. I feel safer knowing that everything’s running how it should.
-Lou Ferguson, Intense Factory Racing.
What is Pedal Kickback?
Pedal kickback occurs when suspension movement applies tension to the chain, causing unwanted pedal movement and compromising suspension performance.
This can cause the suspension to act unpredictably depending on gearing, terrain, and speed, as well as complicate shock setup. The rider also feels this tension as feedback through the pedals, reducing comfort and control.
Pedal kickback has always been an issue when it comes to suspension design. We had to compromise between traction and carrying speed in the kinematic concept. Sidekick will now provide so much more potential and possibilities!
-Fabien Barel, Canyon CLLCTV.
e*thirteen Flux Rims
What is Flux? Inspired by the legendary strength and durability of our LG1 Race rims, our riders called for discipline-specific DH and Enduro rims that pair our historic resilience with a more forgiving and compliant ride. The Grappler Flux Rim is our response: a masterpiece of engineering designed to deliver the robustness racers trust, with enhanced ride quality for peak performance and comfort. | The new wheel is a lot more compliant. You’ve got a better feel for the ground, it’s easier to feel where the traction is, it holds lines better, and overall it’s a lot easier on the body, hands, and feet. —Aaron Gwin, Gwin Racing. |
 | How are Flux rims different? Grappler Flux rims are a fusion of unique low-profile rim sections materialized in high-modulus carbon fiber or 6069-AL, meticulously engineered for the ultimate balance of strength and compliant, controlled ride feel. These innovative rims redefine performance in mountain biking, offering a new dimension of durability, ride quality, and comfort. |
We’ve done a lot of testing with e*thirteen in terms of tuning the rims. I’m really happy with where we’re at right now. The new Grappler Flux rim is super compliant and has good stiffness laterally.
-Dakotah Norton, Mondraker Factory Racing.
Who is it for?
Tailored for the competitive racer and the passionate enthusiast alike, Grappler Flux rims are available in Enduro and DH variations. Grappler Sidekick Flux wheels come in all popular axle configurations and are suitable for class 1 e-bike use. They’re the ideal choice for riders who challenge the limits of speed and agility on fast, aggressive tracks and trails while desiring more comfort, reduced fatigue, and enhanced traction.
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What can you expect?
Reduced Fatigue Grappler Flux wheels significantly reduce vibration and harshness transmitted to the rider, ensuring better control at high speeds and reducing rider fatigue. Sustain higher speeds for longer runs, navigate with precision at the edge of control, and finish rides with energy to spare. | Enhanced Traction The rim and tire work in unison to improve grip on the trail, increasing control and affording the confidence to push in technical terrain. With the enhanced traction from Flux compliant rims, the suspension setup can be optimized for speed and enjoyment. |
Reduced Tire Deflection - Improved Tracking With perpendicular compliance optimized, Grappler Flux wheels reduce tire deflection and track precisely through even the roughest sections of trail, without the annoying tire-roll-over feel of some compliant rim designs on the market. | Guaranteed Durability Grappler Flux rims share the same legendary strength that has made LG1 and Grappler Race wheels famous on the World Cup DH and Enduro stages as the only wheels that perform stop after stop, throughout the season. We stand behind them with a lifetime warranty on carbon hoops and a 5-year crash replacement policy on alloy. |
Features
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Tech Spec / MSRP
Grappler Sidekick Flux Enduro Wheels
| Grappler Sidekick Flux Downhill Wheels
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Sylvan Sidekick Wheels
Sylvan Sidekick All Mountain Wheels revolutionize lightweight MTB wheels, by employing the same hub technology as our World Cup-winning Grappler Sidekick wheels, combined with low-profile Sylvan asymmetric All-Mountain rims.
Sylvan Sidekick Carbon and Alloy Wheels are optimized for All Mountain use, skillfully blending a light and dynamic ride feel with the robustness required for aggressive trail riding. They’re the perfect match for Aggressive Trail, All-Mountain bikes, and light E-bikes.
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What can you expect?
- More efficient and predictable suspension performance
- Reduced rider fatigue
- Free Speed
- Enhanced traction and tracking
- Lively and dynamic ride feel
- Whisper-quiet operation
Sylvan Sidekick Wheels Tech Spec / MSRP
- Weight Carbon (29”): 800g/1060g (Boost, XD Driver)
- Weight Alloy (29”): 920g / 1180g F/R (Boost, XD Driver)
- Spokes: Sapim D-Light 28H/28H - F/R
- Rear Config: Sidekick 148x12 Boost or 157x12 Super Boost - Steel Axle
- Front Config: Sidekick SL 110x15 Boost
- Driver: XD / Microspline (HG Avail.)
- Valves: Quick Fill Presta Tubeless Valves
- Sizes: 29” Front - 27.5”/29” Rear
- MSRP Carbon: Front 779.95 $/€ (UK £709.95) - Rear 1119.95 $/€ (UK £1019.95
- MSRP Aluminum:: Front 379.95 $/€ (UK £349.95) - Rear 629.95 $/€ (UK £569.95)
View key specs, compare, and rate the latest from e*thirteen in the Vital MTB Product section.
9/23/2024 6:01am
View replies to: e*thirteen Revolutionizes Mountain Biking with the Launch of the Sidekick Hub and Grappler Flux & Sylvan Sidekick Wheels
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