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’s efficiency on race day.
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 — or coming up with their own systems to do it on the fly.
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.
From a DIY Concept to a Functional Prototype
Finishing in the top 10 overall in the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix, Andrew L’Esperance 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’Esperance 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.
Now, Faction Bike Studio and L’Esperance have “turned that original concept into a fully integrated electronic chain lube dripper system purpose-built for gravel racing.” 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.
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.
This isn’t the first automatic on-bike chain lubricator that we’ve seen. Both the Rohloff Lubmatic and the Scottoiler Cycle S1 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’Esperance system appears to be the lightest, sleekest, and most refined version that we’ve seen thus far.
How Well Does it Work?
Saturday’s Unbound 200 will be the first real-world race test of this brand-new electronic chain lube system. There’s obviously a lot more to a successful ride through the Flint Hills than a well-lubed drivetrain, but it certainly couldn’t hurt L’Esperance’s chances. And it will undoubtedly be a true test of the system during proper race conditions. We’ll certainly be watching and are keen to see how it performs.
Best of luck to Andrew L’Esperance and all of the other competitors taking on Unbound Gravel this weekend. We’ll bring you more info on this unique new electronic chain lube system when we have it. Stay tuned.
