Chris King turns 50 this year, and to mark the occasion, it recently introduced a new matt gold colourway for its lauded hubs, headsets and other components.
But the cycling company, which was founded in the backroom of a Santa Barbara bike shop, has kept the celebrations going with its new Gold Grease.
Gold Grease is said to reduce bearing drag and extend a bearing’s lifetime. It is also said to be more stable than the company’s other lubricants, which increases the time between servicing your hubs.
The company’s president, Kirby Bedsaul, says: “Obviously, we put a lot of effort into making our components look good and last a long time, but at the end of the day, riders want components that perform, and that has always been one of our core tenets, too.”
The new lubricant is the result of an extended testing period, where Chris King tested several options. It found Gold Grease made hubs faster straight away and then enabled them to get faster over time, presumably as the lubricant disperses and the ball bearings settle into their races.
Chris King says its Gold Grease produces 25 per cent less drag right out of the box compared to its Silver Grease, which is now discontinued. King also says the new lubricant produces 16 per cent less drag after 1,000 miles versus the Silver Grease, and 18 per cent less drag than when it is first used.
“With hubs, but really with all components that use bearings, you’re looking at two characteristics, drag and durability. Gold Grease gives us a huge advantage in reducing drag, which is really about gaining speed,” Bedsaul says.
Chris King may have moved from Santa Barbara to its current home in Portland, Oregon, but the company’s mission remains remarkably close 50 years later: to create long-lasting, high-performance components for your bike. Gold Grease appears to further that mission.
“It’s funny to get so excited about grease, but honestly, these are the details that make all the difference,” says Bedsaul.
Chris King’s Gold Grease is priced at $15 (25g) or $29 (100g).
