The evolution of the c/guide First of all warmest congratulations for the c/guide. A huge success, right? The feedback is way more than we expected, I’m really happy about the amount of discussion about this little component. Everybody is surprised that such a simple thing can work so well. But you’ve already won a design prize, the Eurobike Award 2010? Yes that’s right. And yet you’ve been developing the c/guide continously since then. How come? Because we recognised a problem just before production was due to start. I’m really glad I found it on the trail and not the customers! There aren’t any existing lab testing standards for a part like the c/guide so we had to try out as many different prototypes as possible. How did you get the idea to design a chainguide and then to produce it. My original idea was turned into a prototype quite quickly and worked fairly well. We still needed a year to get to the current version, but every new model brought us forward: I’ve still got the 10 prototypes and it’s interesting to see the progression.               01 The first idea: 10,3g. Made of plate, because that’s what I found in the garage. With a Teflon tube plundered from a recumbent bike and guess what: it works!    02 O-Ring instead of the metal plate: 6,6g. Hmm, I don’t think you could sell it like this.    03 Filed version: 6,9g. Looks a lot cleaner    04 Aluminium –version, anodized: 8,8g. The zip ties holding the tube need to go.    05 Nice idea with Tegernsee-flavour. Not really serious: 6,1g.    06 C-form, with rearwards opening: 9,2g. It’s noted that the shrink hose can be easily fitted, looks quite nice, tube still needs improving.    07 c/guide first pre-series: 9,0g. - Eurobike Award 2010 – but what happens if the zip tie breaks?    08 c/guide made with a bent spoke: 8,0g. The idea works and is pretty indestructible.    09 c/guide series-prototype: 10,3g. – looks much cleaner – tube has been optimised (quieter) – now we can go into mass production    10 Bionicon c/guide is available in the shops Interview continued Apart from that no-one else has had the idea to build this simple chainguide. We’ve made the most of the opportunity and patented the c/guide. If it only weighs 12 grams you don’t have to think long about whether you should fit it on your bike. What’s the deal with longevity and wear? How long does a c/guide last? The glide tube lifespan depends on conditions: mud, dry, dust? But it’s a wear and tear part like the whole drive-train. You can replace the glide tube as it’s available separately. From our experience I’d say it should last at least one season for most riders. What’s next then? Can you tell us about future plans? I can’t say too much, but we will be presenting c/guide v.02 at Eurobike. The prototypes have functioned perfectly so we’ve already finalised the design and ordered testing samples. Don’t panic though! It’s a small evolution with a few additional features. It’s difficult to believe that we’ve squeezed at least 5 new features into the new version and it’s still the world’s lightest chainguide! The most important changes are even easier fitting, service and a wider range of compatibility. You’ll see more at Eurobike from 31.08. until 03.09. in Friedrichshafen. The new version won’t be available until 2012 and the original c/guide will remain in production for the weight weenies.