---
title: "In-House Beta Testing Silk"
url: https://bikefriday.com/in-house-beta-testing-silk/
type: post
date: 2013-02-08
modified: 2019-08-05
markdown_url: https://bikefriday.com/in-house-beta-testing-silk.md
author: "BF Admin"
---

# In-House Beta Testing Silk

For the last several months I've had the privilege of beta-testing a *Silk*, our new 20-inch Gates Carbon Belt Drive bicycle.

I've been impressed with the sturdiness and durability of the new design. I take the bike off curbs (sometimes up them). I drop the bike regularly. I never clean it. And I haven't oiled it once.

Despite the repeated, and intentional, abuse it still runs smoothly.

My favorite moment, what really sold me on the *Silk*, came during a heavy downpour in the dark of night.

I was leaving the Bike Friday factory and traveling home via a bike path that runs alongside a canal.

I noticed that the water level of the canal was high but didn't think much of it. When I came to the first underpass, however, I was abruptly soaked from the knees down by a long stretch of water 7 inches deep.

My rain gear didn't hold up so well and my boots filled with water, but the *Silk* didn't skip a beat.

A half a mile later, still cursing myself for getting drenched, I encountered a second underpass.

This time I knew the water was coming and I thought, "Well, I can't get any wetter ... let's see what this thing can do."

I sped down the underpass as fast as I could, hitting the water with an even greater splash.

This time it was up to my knees and pedaling through it felt like I had the brakes on.

Downshifting with the Shimano Alfine 11 hub and the Gates CenterTrack Carbon Drive Belt entirely submerged? Not a problem.

In fact, the drive system responded just as well as it does when it's not under 22 inches of Oregon winter runoff.

I pedaled out of the flooded underpass feeling victorious.
Being very familiar with this particular bike path I knew that there was a third underpass still waiting for me.




I approached this final deluge with a great deal of enthusiasm and speed.




However, 20 feet in and I was up to my waist. This wasn't just a little spillover, no, at this point I was very much in the canal.




I was heading upstream with the full weight of the flooding waters pressing against me.




By no fault of the bike, I couldn't go any farther -- the water kept pushing me over. It was clearly time to turn around, and going *with* the water this time made for a, relatively, quick exit.




I continued my journey home, water pouring out of my pants, alive with excitement and deeply impressed with the *Silk*.




The rest of that night, and from then on, the *Silk* has held up great.




No real problems, no real maintenance, and plenty more abuse.




It just keeps taking it like a tank, like a nimble, quiet tank.




***[Editor's note: Matthew is a member of our Production team that hand builds Bike Fridays when he isn't splashing his way home.]***