FLAER'S Revo Via is billed as the world’s first chain performance system 

Who are Flaér?

Flaér produce chain performance systems and performance bike care products. They sponsor elite cycling teams. As they put it: “We have helped pro riders and teams all over the world to get the best out from their input. After all, when you put so much in, work so hard to perfect everything about your ride and leave nothing to chance, why should you accept anything less.”

What is the Revo Via system?

The Revo Via is a chain performance system specifically for road bikes. In a nutshell, it provides a small amount of lubricant to your chain as you ride, with Flaér promising greater power transfer, and smoother changing.

So how does the lubricant get to the chain?

It’s applied in one of three settings via a reservoir that sits below your bottle cage. The first delivers 0.03ml every 30 seconds which Flaér says will equate to seven-and-a-half hours riding time, the second 0.03ml every 90 seconds for 22.5 hours and finally 0.03ml every 150 seconds for 37.5 hours in the saddle. A handy bottle cage extender enables both your bottle and the oil dispenser to be accommodated without any fuss.

Is it easy to fit?

Well that depends how adept you are at DIY and on a scale from zero to ten, I come in squarely at a two. I can change a fuse and a lightbulb and that’s about it. So what should have taken about 20 minutes actually took more than an hour. By completion, there was probably more oil on me than there was lubricant in the reservoir.

Basically, you attach the cage extender and slide the reservoir into place. The applicator is then attached by replacing the existing pin with one supplied by Flaér. That should be a fairly easy process, but you need to be dexterous and operating without a stand made it that little bit more of a challenge.

Once on and angled correctly you need to attach the feeder tube to both the reservoir and the applicator and you are pretty much good to go.

So what then?

Well, you need to make sure the battery operated dispenser is switched on and then decide just how much lubricant you want on the chain from the one of the three aforementioned options. Essentially the rule of thumb is you need more if the conditions are damp or wet and less if they are dry. You can adjust while riding if the conditions change or press the prime button, which gives 30 seconds of continuous boost. It’s worth noting the unit will only work when switched on and when there is motion. If you are out and pull over for a coffee stop the unit is designed to pause for up to two hours.

Does it work?

Absolutely, it works exactly as Flaér says it will. I went out on a 20-miler soon after setting up the kit and immediately noticed the difference. OK, in terms of my personal performance, I’m as far away from a pro rider as you can get so it’s hard to say what influence it had on my times. However, the ride itself was far smoother with the unit operating than without.

Is it worth the outlay?

The Flaér Revo Via was initially selling for £250, but I have noticed now that the price has been dropped to £149.95. It still represents a considerable outlay, and it may well be out of the pocket of a sizeable proportion of people, so you need to consider whether the benefits it offers are worth the expense.