With the official launch of the FRS Strap Ons due early October, we have been busy finalising the design making it bigger, badder, and better than before. We have taken all the feedback received into consideration coming up with what we believe is one hell of a long lasting strap system.
First up, lets take a look at the new system:
The first thing you will probably notice is the complete absence of webbing. Our first straps used a combination of 25mm webbing and reclaimed seatbelt webbing. This material was a fantastic choice due to its abrasion resistance and load bearing abilities. Unfortunately though, there were some "animal" testers who wore their webbing prematurely. As such we searched high and low for a better alternative.
What we came up with is a TPU laminate: A polyester fabric (very similar to what we make our bags from) laminated on both sides with a PU coating. The PU coating provides exceptional abrasion resistance, while the polyester fabric ensures that the material does not stretch (max 6% at breakage). For reference, this is the same material used in inflatable boats and hovercraft bladders. Understandably, this material needs to have high abrasion resistance for these purposes!
The second thing you will probably notice is a rear flap on the top of the system. This was added for two reasons. Firstly to stop the flap kicking up as shown below:
Secondly, this flap was added to decrease wear as the riders foot was inserted into the system. It was found that this area received the most wear out of all the strap. When not in use the pedal flips upside down; when the rider tried to flip the pedal and strap back around, this area rubbed against the ground, causing premature wear.
Not visible in any of the pictures (but believe us, it's there!) is the additional process of 25mm velcro being glued/laminated to the straps. Previously the hook and loop was only stitched in place; as the stitching abraded away, the likelihood of it holding diminished. The switch to laminated straps ensures that the system will still go strong, even if you abrade through your stitching.
The laminated straps also mean it is possible for you to cut your straps to size if you wish. We have not found this necessary as the strap is designed to accomodate a very large range of foot sizes; but some people may wish to cut it down.
Caution, we need to test this, and will let you know if it works: It may also be possible to cut the straps vertically so that each 25mm strap is now a dual 12.5mm strap. This would mean that each corner of the pedal would have two straps, ensuring that the pedal doesn't have to be modified.
While on the topic of installation, the new system is much thinner than the original webbing. This ensures installation is a breeze; the straps just slide in place! It also helps reduces a lot of the visual bulk of the system, and reduces the likelihood of straps rubbing on your cranks.
The strap material at the moment will only come in black, but we will be offering colours through the use of coloured stitching. Colours on the drawing board at the moment include: Black, white, lime green, royal blue, red, and possibly hot pink.
In short, the new straps will be:
- More abrasion resistant
- Last longer
- Be glued/laminated
- Easier to fit
- Less bulky
- Come in colours
The straps will be available for $55 pick up. Contact us if you would like to reserve yourself a set, or drop in to see the friendly folk at Gear Brisbane.
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