Road Gear

The U.S. distributor of Look Cycling products, Veltec Sports, has issued a voluntary recall of the French manufacturer’s “Carbostem” handlebar stems. According to a Veltec release issued Friday, there have been no accidents or injuries involving any of the stems, but Look has reported that the stems, constructed of carbon fiber and aluminum, are subject to failure as a result of fatigue. Obviously, if that were to occur, a rider could lose control and crash. Therefore, Veltec is overseeing a full recall of the small number of stems distributed in the U.S. Veltec’s vice president of

Dear Lennard Zinn;Everyone knows you don't have to work as hard if you're drafting off the person in front of you. How does your work effort change if someone is drafting behind you?Here is why I ask: I always thought that if you were riding by yourself, then you had to work harder than if somebody was drafting behind you because as you move through the air, it flows past your bike and body and creates turbulence as it swirls around in the void of space behind you. This almost creates a suction behind you pulling you back against your forward progress (if my logic is correct).

One of the more frequent questions I get on my “Tech Q&A" column is why Campagnolo changed its 10-speed chain and eliminated the PermaLink and, therefore, the tool to install it, now requiring the purchase of a different chain tool. In late July, I visited Campagnolo in Vicenza, Italy, and I got the answer to this question directly from Mario Meggiolan, the engineer who designed the new chain tool as well as the carbon Hyperon wheel. Campagnolo first supplied the PermaLink with 10-speed chains because that was the best way it could see at the time to make such a narrow chain strong enough.

Watch your head, because the component war continues to wage at full-fury. First, with Shimano's intentional/accidental shot over the bow with its posterboy Armstrong showing up all big and beautiful in the latest Sports Illustrated sporting next-gen Dura-Ace. And now with Campagnolo granting VeloNews the first detailed images of its much-rumored electronic gruppo. Our visit to Campagnolo world headquarters in Vicenza, Italy last week (look for a full report in two weeks) certainly helped smooth-out the tight-lipped policy that Campagnolo has so far held about any official comment about

VeloNews technical writer Lennard Zinn is a frame builder, a former U.S. national team rider and author of several books on bikes and bike maintenance. Zinn's VeloNews.com column is devoted to addressing readers' technical questions about bikes, their care and feeding and how we as riders can use them as comfortably and efficiently as possible. Readers can send brief technical questions directly to Zinn. Zinn’s column appears each Tuesday on VeloNews.com.Question:The question about the MTB carbon steerer tube and the recent column about carbon forks begs the question – what do you think about

With the racing off-season in full bloom, the past two weeks provided a short window of opportunity to sneak out of the office. But unlike a leisurely jaunt to ride the back roads of Tucson or a few days railing Fruita singletrack, we needed to get some work done (so said the boss). With a week's notice, I was told I needed to, "Pack my bags and grab as many notebooks as I could," because we were off to Italy for a manufacturer meet-and-greet. Part social call, part product fact-finding tour, this trip provided the opportunity to introduce myself to a good segment of the Italian manufacturers

If Dr. Irwin Goldstein’s warnings about cycling-caused impotency or those Specialized saddle ads of a few years ago weren’t enough, now we learn from our evening news and newspapers and news magazines that the pounding experienced on a mountain bike now poses risks to your manhood as well. So, what do we do? Of course, after the Goldstein scare we were offered a flood of bike saddles designed to cure the problem. Are we now going to have bike designers claiming their suspension systems will not only improve your comfort and bike handling, but will also enhance your personal life? But isn’t

A can of beer always helps to make problems seem less important, butsometimes, it can actually fix bike problems! Aluminum beveragecans are 0.1mm thick and are easy to cut with a knife or a pair of scissors,rendering them quite useful for making minor spacing adjustments on a bike. Slipping seatpostA seatpost that gradually slips downward as you ride can be causedby an ovalized seat tube, a sizing difference between the seatpost andseat tube or a tolerance buildup over a number of parts; the latter isparticularly rampant with suspension seatposts in oversized seat tubes.What can you do? A

VeloNews technical writer Lennard Zinn is a frame builder, aformer U.S. national team rider and author of several books on bikes andbike maintenance. Zinn's VeloNews.com column is devoted to addressing readers'technical questions about bikes, their care and feeding and how we as riderscan use them as comfortably and efficiently as possible. Readers can send brief technical questions directly to Zinn. Zinn’s column appears each Tuesday on VeloNews.com.Carbon road forks:I get so many questions about carbon forks that I have decided to focus this column entirely on questions related to

Unless you’re from Southern California, Florida or some similar sun-drenchedlocale, winter can turn your local trail into an inhospitable place forriding. But if you find the hum of indoor rollers an even less invitingoption than standing up to Old Man Winter, you’re in luck. The key, ofcourse, is staying warm and dry, and modern clothing technology has createdsome formidable barriers to the cold and wet of winter. Keeping your core warm is critical to survival, and maintaining toastyextremities will keep frostbite away. Thanks to advances in winter shoedesign, frozen feet are less likely

What has 10 arms and is azure blue, brimstone red and safety yellow? Yeah, I don't know either, but I do know we're up to our collars in winter riding jackets around here. Thanks to a nasty little winter squall that raced into town this weekend, Lennard and I have been riding our brains out in the frosty coldness that is late November. Here in Boulder, Sunday cracked a high of just about freezing, which is ideal conditions for the jackets we've rounded-up for this particular test. From relatively affordable, to downright ludicrous in price, it's interesting to see what an extra $100 (or

VeloNews technical writer Lennard Zinn is a frame builder, a formerU.S. national team rider and author of several books on bikes and bikemaintenance. Zinn's VeloNews.com column is devoted to addressing readers'technical questions about bikes, their care and feeding and how we as riderscan use them as comfortably and efficiently as possible. Readers can sendbrief technical questions directly toZinn. Zinn’s column appears regularly on VeloNews.com.Question:It would seem like the ultimate night riding light would be an L.E.D.light for light weight and efficiency. Has there been anyone working

Ever wonder how manufacturers choose the colors and graphics for their upcoming products? While some take a decidedly low-key approach ("My girlfriend's eyes are azure blue, so let's go with that"), others are meticulous in their selection process. When GT was still GT, the company was rumored to have spent almost a quarter million dollars researching the "perfect" looks for its 2001 product line. Part of that process including using involved focus groups and scientific analysis in which participants were hooked-up to diagnostic equipment to monitor specific emotions as subjects were

VeloNews technical writer Lennard Zinn is a frame builder, a formerU.S. national team rider and author of several books on bikes and bikemaintenance. This is Zinn's VeloNews.com column devoted to addressing readers'technical questions about bikes, their care and feeding and how we as riderscan use them as comfortably and efficiently as possible. Readers can sendbrief technical questions directly toZinn. Zinn’s column with a representative selection of reader questionappears each Tuesday.Question -- Recently you wrote about a chain lube thatvirtually stopped chain wear.  I can't remember the

Shimano’s next-generation XTR website lets you see the functional capabilities of this revolutionary component group in cyber-space.  Simply click on drive train, shifting or braking for systems demonstrations and the company’s philosophy on developing these cutting edge mountain biking tools. “What impresses me most about how the new website came together is it’s about as close as you can come to actually riding the product.  It’s like a virtual test ride.” Says Devin Walton, Product Manager for Shimano American Corporation. This futuristic cyber bike ride lets you see action diagrams of

John Parker, legendary founder of Yeti Bicycles, dropped us a line to inform us that his world-class cadre of old Yeti race bikes and prototypes have begun showing up on e-bay. Highlights includeJulie Furtado's 1990 Durango World Championship-winning Yeti C-26 (with an opening bid of $7500), complete with all original equipment including a prototype Manitou fork, Yeti quill stem and Onza Ti bar ends. Other bikes to be auctioned at a later time- include those built for John "The Eagle" Tomac, Myles Rockwell, Paul Tracy and Carolyn Curl. For more visit www.yetifan.com or click straight on

How can I stop my Look pedals from creaking?

The Interbike International Bicycle Expo is wrapping up in Las Vegas Tuesday afternoon. As VeloNews editors fold up their laptops and lend a hand breaking down our booth, we thought we’d put up a few more shots of items that caught our interest today. Cervelo – When the Toronto-based frame builder signed on as bike sponsor of the CSC-Tiscali team, Cervelo earned the distinction of being the smallest manufacturer supplying the Division 1 peloton. The company doesn’t reveal its precise numbers, but its safe to say that annual production is somewhere in the mid-four figures. Precise numbers or

The doors opened on the 2002 Interbike International Bicycle Expo on Sundayas crowds of dealers, industry types and shop rats descended on the SandsConvention Center in Las Vegas. In the mix, VeloNews editors scouredthe halls for a glimpse at what will by plying the roads and trails inthe coming year. We'll offer updates throughout the show, but these are things that jumpedout at us on our first day. Pinarello Dogma: With a front triangle built using Dedacciai'snew magnesium tubeset, the Dogma stole show today as every roadie in Vegasmade a pilgrimage to visit this near-holy beauty. With

It's been almost a full year since Manitou (in conjunction with Cane Creek, RaceFace, and Chris King) unveiled the evolutionary OnePointFive standard. And while most of the initial gee-whiz (or so-what?) factor has worn off, most of us are left wondering how an oversize headset, steerer and stem (not to mention frame) will really improve our riding? We’ve seen an increasing number of manufacturers producing OnePointFive standard components and forks, (a surprise move with once-skeptical Marzocchi adopting the standard) but most of us are still searching for some harder reasoning to

The 60th annual Milan International Bicycle Show fulfilled expectations of beautiful Italian designs in bicycles, components and soft goods. It also exceeded expectations of visitor interest. The aisles were constantly packed with passionate Italian cyclists who could not help but caress thecolorful two-wheeled creations in the booths. In general, the Italian show is better at showing off whatever is cool about our sport than other shows, and the visitors respond to it. There was even an entire hall devoted to road racing – including mass-participation Gran Fondo races. Paradigm-shattering

Building on the success of its single-pivot, light, but burly 2002 Gemini freeride models, Cannondale is adding a third Gemini model for 2003, the Gemini 900 (with Manitou Breakout, Fox Vanilla RC, Hayes HFX-9 w/8" rotor). This OnePointFive Standard-equipped bomber uses the same frame technology as last year's Gemini, but takes the entry-level price down from $2,975 last year down to $2,199.The Jekyll line, which offers adjustable full-suspension and all-mountain performance, has also been re-engineered. For ’03, the Jekyll’s maximum rear wheel travel increases from 115 mm to 135mm, and is

While those racers who own "tradtional" cross country forks will be able to benefit from Mavic's new hyperlight 2003 CrossMax SL Disc wheelset, Cannondale Lefty owners have been left out in the cold. That is, until now. Mavic just announced development of a Lefty-specific 750 gram CrossMax SL Disc front wheel. According to Mavic, "The Crossmax SL Disc is a concentrate of Mavic know-how and features technology such as the Fore concept, which provides a sealed rim and added strength, ISM (inter-spoke milling) which reduces inertia and rim weight (30-40g), a Maxtal rim for strength and

It's no secret that Lance Armstrong never used Shimano's SPD-R system. He rode what he liked and those were his old Look-compatible Shimanos. After three successive Tour de France wins, the Japanese manufacturer finally decided it had enough of watching its decade old equipment bring Armstrong to the podium and set out to build a pedal Lance would approve of. It looks like the new design got the nod of approval: Armstrong has kept them on his bike since spring. The svelte 276-gram/pair (plus 60 grams for the cleats, screws and washers) pedals are the fruit of their radical redesign labor.

While we thought 2003 couldn't get any brighter for Shimano and its highly redefined XTR group, the Japanese manufacturer surprised us again this morning with the announcement that it would be producing its first XTR-level wheelset. Sources report the wheelset should go for around $850 and be available about the same time as the component group (around January, 2003.) Vital stats include: total wheelset weight of 1650 grams, both 24 spoke count in a paired lateral crossover pattern and, most significantly, are both tubeless and traditional-tire compatible. Although the wheels were not

Marin Bikes just announced the launch of its patented Quad technology which will be featured on the company's XC full suspension bikes. The Quad was developed with chief designer John Whyte, an ex-Formula One engineer and cycling enthusiast. The Quad, named for its four-bar linkage system, four inches of rear wheel travel and quadratic wheel path equation will be available in four models including the East Peak, Rift Zone, Mount Vision and Mount Vision Pro. According to Marin, the Quad suspension design is a four-bar linkage system with a patented Intelligent Pivot (i.e. similar to VPP

So why did ONCE go so fast on Wednesday? Was it because the team pedaled harder and stayed in better formation and had good equipment? Well, that is one explanation. Another is that all of the other teams only had nine riders, while they had ONCE (Spanish for “eleven”)! Sorry... I had to throw that in. Beyond the numbers, it is worth noting that the teams that go fastest have 100 percent of the riders wearing aero helmets, rather than a mixture of headgear and even of clothing and equipment. You also tend to see other riders on fast teams using their aero’ bars further back in the line,

Armstrong won on a special superlight prototype aero’ bar that Dedahad whipped out for him for the Tour. It is completely flat; there is nodrop to it like the Vision Tech bars the team has used in the pastand still has on some of its time trial bikes. It is made out of aluminum, but according to Deda’s Fulvio Acquati, “We are still working out the exact design with Armstrong, and when we get it exactly the way he wants it, we will make it out of carbon.” Dedaalso has a carbon aero’ bar that Acquati was showing to the teams the daybefore the prologue. The carbon base bar is just a prototype,

This year will not be the first time anyone has ridden a titanium Litespeed at the Tour. That’s happened many times since the small Tennessee-based industrial metals firm began turning out titanium bicycles in 1986.

When Lance asks, you have to be ready to deliver. Take, for example thisstory of Armstrong’s new time trial handlebar. The day after the finish of the Midi Libre, U.S. Postal team managerJohan Bruyneel calls Deda Elementi, the team’s handlebar sponsor, to reportthat Lance is unhappy with his current equipment and wants something lighterfor the upcoming Dauphiné Libéré and the Tour. The next day, May 28, representatives from Deda drive from their factoryin Campagnola Cremasca, Italy, to Les Deux Alpes to meet with Armstrong,Bruyneel and Lance’s mechanic, Jean-Marc Vandenberge. At the

When a carbon fiber handlebar breaks, it makes a sound like a snapped twig.There’s a sharp “crack!” followed by a hollow splintering sound, just asif you’d broken a dry stick over your knee. Then, silence.The similarity in sound is due to the similarity in structure. Carbonfiber, like wood, is made of long strands of high-strength material surroundedby a resin matrix. Trees do it with cellulose and sap. Engineers do itwith synthetic polymers and glue.The difference, of course, is that carbon fiber is considerably strongerthan wood; in fact, carbon’s raw tensile strength figures typically

Features: The Italian-made Sci-Con 52 Aerotech bike travelcase is a nylon bag with padded sides and a solid base with four rubbercasters to roll on. It has a two-way zipper around the unpadded ends andtop and two large carry straps around the girth. The rear dropouts clamponto a fixed-position mount with a skewer and a steel guard to protectthe rear derailleur. The front fork mount (two versions are shipped withthe case) slides back and forth to adjust for the wheelbase of the bike.The wheels are strapped to the frame, and three hollow slotted cylindricalfoam pads (pieces of hot-water-pipe

Las Vegas, the beacon in the desert, is a particularly bright one for the bicycle industry in this challenging year. Coming into the fall, the bike business was already reeling from high-profile bankruptcies like Schwinn and GT and from having many other companies on life support. Then came September 11, and it seemed unlikely that many would even be willing to fly to Las Vegas for the major selling event of the entire year and the only time that small and mid-sized companies get to put their products in front of bike dealers. The heaving of a collective sigh of relief was almost audible

As the workmen traveling with the Tour de France for the past three weeks were happily breaking down the press room for the final time, we pulled a few good shots off the 64meg chip on Lennard Zinn’s digital camera. As Lennard flies home after a year in Europe, we thought we’d share a few of those shots from the last days of the 2001 Tour de France.

After Lance Armstrong found on L’Alpe d’Huez that he wanted a 22 and did not have it, he did something about it for the beyond-category climbs of the Tourmalet and Luz Ardiden today. He once again used a 12-23, but it was not a standard cog distribution. He had an extra two-tooth gap lower down and used one-tooth gaps at the top. The smallest two cogs were titanium on his cassette, while the last seven of his nine cogs were blue aluminum Specialities T.A. on his Mavic Ksyrium SSC SL wheel. The top three cogs were 21-22-23 (so the entire set went 12-13-14-15-17-19-21-22-23). The front inner

Riva del Garda, a small town at the northern tip of Lake Garda, has become one of Europe’s major mountain-bike Meccas over the past decade, largely due to the spectacular trails coming down the mountains overlooking the dark waters of the deep, narrow Alpine lake nestled in Italy’s northern border. For the last eight years, Riva has hosted a springtime mountain-bike festival and manufacturer show that this year attracted around 10,000 visitors, mostly from Germany. Mountain bikers filled the town for five days and tried their legs en masse on the second day of the festival in an off-road

Salient features: The Deda Magic bar has a 31.8mm clamping area (rather than the standard 26.0mm) and comes in a medium-depth ergo bend or a deep-drop round bend. The bar has a "K.E.T." (Kinetic Energy Treatment) that hardens the metal by "bomb-peening" it with heavy shot. The Magic stem is cold-forged in three dimensions, a process that allows Deda to create unique shapes without compromising the strength-to-weight ratio. Likes: The stiffness of this stem and bar combination is immediately noticeable, especially in long sizes. When sprinting or climbing out the saddle there is no noticeable

You may have thought that Il Diablo, a.k.a. Didi Senft, is the craziest guy that follows the major European bike races. But that’s only because you see him waving his pitchfork on TV and you haven’t seen some of the unique race groupies who don’t get on TV. My current choice for most way-out is Skippy, an Australian who rides every single stage on his bike ahead of the peloton. He starts on the course a couple of hours before the race starts and finishes each stage just before the peloton. The publicity caravan that precedes the racers has around a hundred cars in it, each with a giant

Oscar Camenzind outsprinted Davide Rebellin, David Etxebarria, Francesco Casagrande and Michael Boogerd in an exciting finish to the Ardennes classic, Liége-Bastogne-Liége. The Swiss Lampre-Daikin star followed the moves of the powerhouse Fassa Bortolo team of Casagrande and Raimondas Rumsas, who led in the bunch seconds after the first five. Another Fassa Bortolo rider, Dario Frigo, had been off the front for well over the hour in a group that shrunk from 13 down to six by the time it was caught with a mere 10km to go. Fassa Bortolo then lined the field out on the approach to the

It looks to be a fine day tomorrow for Liége-Bastogne-Liége. The weather reports call for mostly sunny skies with scattered rain and temperatures in the high 40s. Expect a strong ride from Fassa Bortolo, especially Raimondas Rumsas. His teammates Francesco Casagrande, Dario Frigo, Wladimir Belli and Ivan Basso, second Wednesday in the Fléche Wallonne after a day-long breakaway, will all be dangerous on this course too. Mapei’s Michele Bartoli and Paolo Bettini, last year’s winner, Rabobank’s Michaël Boogerd, and Liquigas-PATA’s Davide Rebellin are all be riders to watch as well. The

Okay, okay we admit it; we've lusted after Campagnolo Record components about as long as we've been riding (which in our case means five-speed freewheels and friction shifting). Normally we wouldn't make a big deal about someone's promotional contest, but… hey, you can win a Campy 10-speed Record group and, oh yeah, wheels and clothes, too. Log on to win.campagnolo.com and give its "Win Your Record" contest a shot. If you win because you went through this site, you owe us a set of pedals, okay?

In its third year of existence, the GAS women’s road team promises to be a force to be reckoned with in everything from major Tours to World Cup individual races and overall. Sponsored by an Italian jeans and sportswear company, the team has added more power this season to an already star-studded roster. At the team introduction on February 26, GAS spokesman Piergiorgio Dal Santo said, "We want to be the Mapei team of women’s cycling, both in terms of setting the standard for professionalism as well as by being the best team in the world." Joining 1997 world road champion and 2000 Giro

Cannondale expanded its motorized product range this weekend with the release of its FX400 All-Terrain Vehicle. The ATV joins Cannondale’s MX400 motocrosser released last year and the XC400 cross-country motorbike, due for release in April. The first of the ATVs was delivered last week to Pennsylvania motorsports dealer Gatto Cycles to what the company says was a very enthusiastic reception. The $8000 FX400 sports a four-stroke engine with electronic fuel injection, and the industry’s first twin-spar perimeter aluminum ATV frame. Cannondale founder & president Joe Montgomery praised the

Former world road champion Alessandra Cappellotto is an energetic woman. She claims to be old for cycling (33), yet a normal February day for her consists of a five-hour training ride followed by an afternoon spent driving all around the area near Bassano del Grappa visiting suppliers for her bike shop. As she dashes from place to place in her silver Mercedes wagon, she handles calls on her cell phone regarding her bike shop, her teams, and the wellness center she will be opening in the fall. Her final meeting at saddle manufacturer Selle San Marco behind her, she rushes north to Bassano to

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Written by Josh at Zipp:Here is an excerpt from a PM I sent to somebody a few weeks ago on this identical topic. I hope this helps clarify things somewhat... The outer aluminum hoop in our clincher rims weighs only 200 grams, and therefore will get much hotter than a standard aluminum rim. Since the temperature of something is relative to the energy input/mass, a 200 gram rim will get twice as hot as a 400 gram rim for the same energy input. What happens is that if your descending a mountain at 70 degrees and you brake for 2 minutes and your standard aluminum rims heat to 220 degrees (an