Chain.Driven

Tried to explain how I managed to deform parts of my clutch hub after installing the pressure piece wrong… and now I’m using a knife sharpener, foam roller, blender lid and a box of Kraft Dinner to simulate a 500 EXC clutch assembly.

Somewhere between “hydraulic force” and “why didn’t it just hit the clutch cover?” my brain short-circuited.

If you can explain what actually happened inside the clutch in simple terms… I’m all ears.

In this Snowbike 101 segment, Chad breaks down the QDT belt drive system — what to check, what’s normal, and how to make it last.

Doing an oil change?
→ Check torque specs on the drive bolts. Make it part of your routine.

Seeing dust inside the case?
→ Totally normal. That’s wax coating from belt manufacturing.

Wondering about lifespan?
→ With proper tension and care, belts can see up to 200 hours.
→ Chains typically around 100 hours.

Crack the case and get water in there?
→ Belts don’t like getting wet. Carry duct tape to patch it trail-side if needed.

Want extra protection?
→ C3’s QDT bash guard is a simple plug-and-play upgrade that protects the system from impact.

Small maintenance habits = big reliability in the backcountry.

Got a drivetrain question? Drop it below. 👇

🎥 & .driven
📸 .driven
🏍️ .23.lynn

Will my electric trials bike keep up with the enduro boys?

That was the question.

Five hours later… battery = absolutely decimated. It died just as I was loading the bike.

📍 Sooke, Vancouver Island
🕒 4h 20m ride time
📏 24 km of tight singletrack
⛰️ ~1,000 m of ascent
🔥 ~2,000 calories burned

Not huge distance — but hard, technical terrain. We split early into a fast group and a slower group… and I tagged along with the fast crew. Lots of pace. Lots of technical sections. A few crashes. One dented helmet. One looped bike. My own subframe (held together by JB Weld and plastic staples) finally waved the white flag.

The electric verdict?

⚡ Range anxiety kicks in around 30–40%.
⚡ Power noticeably tapers at ~20%.
⚡ Once you’re there, you’re basically heading home.

Could I have ridden longer with more battery? Yes.
Was 4+ hours of hard technical riding enough? Also yes.

For most riders — myself included — that’s a full day.

Super cool meeting a new crew of seriously talented riders.
Already looking forward to the next one.

In this Snowbike 101 segment, Chad explains why your jerry can setup matters more than you think — especially when you’re riding hard in the mountains.

Worried about exhaust clearance?
→ Always check suspension travel. When the bike compresses, your pipe can hit the can if there’s not enough space.

Running a standard track system mount?
→ In snowbike conditions, swollen cans + ice + hard hits can pop them loose.

Our solution?
→ A dedicated cage + strap system that supports the weight independently.
→ Strap over the handle, no over-cranking required.
→ No pressure on the tunnel. No sharp bolts inside where the track slaps.

Simple setup tweaks = less lost fuel and fewer trail headaches.

Got a storage setup question or mountain fuel strategy tip? Drop it below. 👇

🎥 & .driven
📸 .driven
🏞️ .23.lynn

In this Snowbike 101 segment, Chad explains when and why to run rail scratchers — and how they help protect your sled from overheating or premature hyfax wear.

Riding icy groomers or frozen spring trails?
→ Drop your scratchers to kick snow and ice into your rails and heat exchanger.

Seeing hyfax wear near the front shock?
→ That’s your high-pressure zone — and scratchers help reduce that friction.

Riding deep powder or soft snow?
→ Leave them up. You’ve got all the cooling and l**e you need.

Small upgrade = big difference in longevity and performance.

Got a question about setup or trail strategy? Drop it below. 👇

🎥 & .driven
📸 .driven
🏍️

Replaced the rocker arms and shims a while back and was supposed to check them after ~5 hours.

Did I?

No.

Between work, travel, and life, every time a rare sunny winter day shows up or a buddy calls to ride… the wrenching gets postponed and the prayer gets upgraded.

Today’s maintenance plan:
🙏 hope for the best
🚀 full send anyway

The night before this ride, I said no.

Too much work to do, deadlines stacking up, and winter in full force. But when I woke up to blue skies — the only sun we’d seen all December — I knew I wasn’t going to get anything done knowing the boys were out riding.

So plans changed.

This was a cold, frosty Saturday in Bamberton. Minus one in the morning. Iced-over logs, slick roots, frozen puddles, and snow-dusted rock. Chris, Rob, Colin, and I met up under the power lines and spent the day riding familiar back roads in unfamiliar conditions — Oliphant Lake, creek crossings cut deeper by recent logging, a whiskey stop at the Men’s Health Retreat, and a sketchy hill climb on Baldy that took us all out more than a few times.

Before we even left, I had to fix my bike. I’d forgotten I smashed my headlight plate during my concussion, so I melted a hole with a hot bolt and strapped it together with a Giant Loop Pronghorn strap. Good enough to ride.

The ride itself was classic: wheelies over frozen puddles, unexpected logging around the lake, a creek crossing none of us planned to do until Rob sent it, and a steep, slimy rock face that punished everyone before finally giving way.