If there’s one category of bike that’s not likely to go 1x anytime soon, it’s road. Which means there’s always that chance you’ll shift the chain right off the rings, which of course will happen when it’s most unfortunate (see: Murphy’s Law). So, Wickwerks has devised a solution that not only keeps the chain from falling off the inside and grinding into your sweet frame, but also one that prevents it from overshooting the large ring and wrapping around your crank…
The design allows both arms to be adjusted independently so there’s no rub on either side regardless of chainring size, brand or design. It’s being ridden at the Tour de France this year by Team LottoNL-Jumbo.
“Our Sentinel Dual Sided Chain Catcher is the next step toward perfect shifting.” says WickWërks lead engineer, Eldon Goates. “You want to push the chain hard against the inside of the large chainring during an up-shift. When the front derailleur is set for super-fast shifting, sometimes it will over-shift. Using the Sentinel will enable the Lotto NL – Jumbo team riders to have super-fast shifting without ever having to worry about over-shifting.”
It’s designed for Braze-On front derailleur mounts only, mounting with existing hardware in most cases. It’s made of CNC’d alloy and “abrasion resistant” composite materials with stainless steel bolts.
Price will be $39.50, available in black only. Works with 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 speed groups, but not recommended for 1x setups. Claimed weight is 24g, which includes all hardware and the replacement longer bolt to mount the front derailleur (so, actual weight gain is more like ~20g). Available now.
