Chico Yo-Yo Company Route 66
Reviewed by Chris Rhoads
May 2, 2010

Introduction

Analogies between cars and yo-yos have been around for quite some time. People have compared European yo-yos to their Maranello and Stuttgart designed auto equivalents. Japanese yo-yos are swift and agile like the nitro infused drift machines that sprint about the streets of Tokyo. Finally, North American yo-yos can be broken up into two categories, the family sedans that everyone remembers from their youth or the brawny Detroit muscle with the throaty grown that has more power then sense. Today we are looking at the latter. This is Chico Yo-Yo Company’s entrance into the beefy muscle market with their third release, the Route 66. The Route 66 was designed at the same time as their second release, the delToro and complements the delToro in form and function while adding heft and size to the mix. Now we get to see if this is going to be the ’67 Shelby GT500 that I have been drooling over for the past 23 years or if it will end up as just another Edsel.

Specs

  • Diameter: 53.34 mm
  • Width: 40.64 mm
  • Gap: 4.5 mm
  • Weight: 68 grams
  • Response: Custom Cut Red Silicone Pads
  • Bearing: C-Sized 10-Ball

Construction

The Route 66 comes in a well laid out black laminated box with the Route 66 logo on top. Inside is a foam insert containing the yo-yo, an extra set of response stickers, and the string. Once removed from the box it is easy to see where the delToro and Route 66 designs begin to diverge. While both are true V-Shaped yo-yos, the Route 66 begins to take on a very slight H-Shape due to the increased heft in the rims. Going back to the auto analogies in the intro, the Route 66 looks like someone took some well crafted aftermarket rims and bolted them onto the delToro frame, changing the performance and giving it a brand new look. Instead of a single piece look for the profile, the rims have this nice stepped design that emphasizes the copious amounts of rim weight that the Route 66 contains. The cups are deep recessed, emblazoned with the Route 66 logo, and contain a tiny bump in the middle, nothing to worry about if you are a part of the thick thumbed crowd like I am. There is even a nicely recessed IGR cut into each cup for all the grinders in the community. The finish on the review unit I received is a glossy combo of deep black and rich blue. While I am not a big fan of dark colored yo-yos, this combo does work well together. Fans of brighter colors will want to keep their eyes pealed for the 45 piece limited run of Route 66’s in two tone Iron Man red and yellow. As stated above this is a glossy anodized finish which can impede grind performance in humid weather, more on that later.

Weight

Remember those rims I talked about above? Well they are more than just for show. They add some serious amounts of rim weight to the Route 66 and are the main reason why it tips the scales at a healthy 68 grams. That 68 grams also slows the yo-yo down, it isn’t obnoxiously slow but you don’t have to jerk your hands around trying to keep up with it. The heft of the Route 66 just gives it that welcoming solid and stable feel, like no matter how hard you push the yo-yo it will not spin wildly out of control.

Response and Bearing

The response is a set of custom cut, red silicone pads that provide excellent binds. The groove will accept other brands of pads and silicone if that is what you prefer. When I asked Thad Winzenz about his choice of pads, here is what he had to say.

“the groove for silicone is deep enough to accept flowable and is sized to accommodate existing pads that are already in popular use. It has always struck me that standardizing a few component dimensions (like pads and bearings) gives the end user the flexibility to use whatever pads or bearings they prefer instead of being locked into what just one manufacturer makes. I like having options and being able to try different things, I figure other people do to.”

Honestly I could not have said it better myself. I wish more companies would follow suite and standardize a couple of key components. They need to realize that just because we don’t want to use their provided bearing or pads it does not mean we do not like their yo-yo. We just want to tune it to OUR preferences.

The stock bearing is a C-Sized, 10-Ball. There isn’t much more I can say about them that I have not said in previous reviews. Here is a quick recap if this is your first High Speed YoYo review. The 10-Ball is my favorite bearing. They spin great, stay quiet, and are durable as all get out.

Playability

Big, that was my first reaction when playing the Route 66. It is only about 3 mm larger in width and diameter than the delToro but it plays so much larger on the string. It reacts quickly to string movements and direction changes but it is not that overpowering quickness you get with smaller and lighter yo-yos. The added rim weight does give a noticeable increase in spin times over the delToro, allowing for even more complex combos with fewer binds in between. The one downside to those rims is that I found them sometimes hitting my palm wrong, sending a small shooting pain to my wrist when I would bind. Not a big issue but something to be aware of.
As far as the rest of the performance, very well done. The gap and catch zone were easier to hit thanks to the yo-yo moving at a more manageable pace. Hops, whips, and slacks are a breeze as well.

Grind performance was surprising given the glossy finish of the Route 66. In dry weather the Route 66 gave respectable arm, finger, and palm grinds. On a humid day all bets are off. The glossy finish gets sticky and will shoot off any skin it comes into contact with. Here is hoping that the initial run of the Route 66 is an epic success so that CYYC will produce more with their incredible bead blast finish. Thumb grinds are excellent with the Route 66. I found the deep recessed cups and well implemented IGR to be quite easy to catch with my thumbnail.

Final Thoughts

This is no Edsel. The performance is there, as well as the fun. Just like any muscle car, there are going to be a few small quirks that you have to get use to. My quirks with the Route 66 were the gloss finish and where it hit me on the hand. All hands are different and some people don’t grind, so I chalk these quirks up to preference. These quirks aside, the Route 66 is an absolute blast to throw and a beastly player. If you are a fan of large V-Shaped yo-yos like the Superstar, you really need to give the Route 66 a shot. It gives incredible performance at a sub $100 price point.