RIDE MECHANIC
Alchemy and chemistry from the north
Owen Matthews takes being ‘Made in Australia’ to heart. His products are made and developed in Queensland, and even the bottles he uses for his acclaimed chain lube are made in the Sunshine State.
With a background as an industrial chemist, Matthews knew he could make a better chain lube in 2009. “At the time I was riding a lot of XC, up to about four hours, and needed a dry lube for my riding. Bike Milk formulation took about 18 months trials and testing. This involved mixing different formulations and then testing on my rides and also with close riding buddies and experienced mechanics.” The lube runs clean and is perfect for Australian conditions. Local mechanics he knew stocked it and used it, then he had more stores requesting it. “By the end of 2012 about 25 local shops were stocking it. Then I decided to expand the range with Bike Juice, Zalish, Downunder, Avaqua and Bike Butter.”
Queensland born and bred
Matthews adds: “I am a Queenslander and this is my home and the lifestyle I love. Most riding is done in dry and dusty conditions. Winter is pretty much perfect riding conditions all across the State. The rainfall in summer can be 100mm in an hour’s deluge so not many ride in that – too nasty for trails and bikes. So products need to be quite specific to the local conditions.”
But Matthews also keeps production local, with strong relationships with local manufacturers. “We can respond quickly to demands and adjust things whenever we want,” he explains. Matthews isn’t just thinking about holding stock and inventory, but about the country as a whole. “Australia needs a manufacturing sector and I am very happy with manufacturing Ride Mechanic products here in Queensland. When all manufacturing goes overseas then we lose the capability, including the support services and trades, and it does not come back.”
On the horizon
“Necessity is the mother of invention and when intelligent mechanics ask for something specific, I can make small lab runs of products and then refine with feedback,” he continues. “This is the best way to create something which works.” And right now, that new project is tyre sealant. But the task of quantifying what works and what doesn’t is long, and not something Matthews is leaving to guess work. He’s built a device to measure the rate air is lost at varying pressures, with different sized cuts, to test what is on the market.
“Once I have a better understanding of those basics then maybe I can try to improve and make one for riders to trial,” he explains. So next time you’re at your local shop, ask about Ride Mechanic products, and try something specifically designed for Australian conditions, and made up in Queensland.