News

Ritchey has partnered with Paul Lew to create the SuperLogic sub-1100-gram/pr. wheelset with boron/carbon aero clincher rims rated to 145 psi and selling for $4330! The tire bead pops up and onto a seat to lock it on; Ritchey has tested it up to 175psi without problems. The rim is distinctive with its thick edges so different from the thin edges of a hook-bead rim. The SuperLogic tubular wheelset is under a kilogram per pair and sells for $2900.

Hed’s forged track hub is an extremely high-quality single-speed hub. The stainless axle ends are interchangeable for 120mm or 130mm spacing.

The Hed Black Dog aero bar sells for $900 and weighs a mere 660 grams. Its “Lazy S” curved extensions allow the rider to drop lower on a descent with less back strain due to a more relaxed grip. Two hand positions on the extensions and flip-up pads are all designed with gaining time on climbs in mind.

The eeBrake has an elegant quick-release arm that lifts to open the brake. The superlight curved front spring is all that is needed to return it. The pads slide in easier and without a cotter pin, allowing easy pad change when switching from carbon rims to aluminum rims. A pair of calipers weighs as little as a single caliper of a many high-end brakes (195 grams/pair with pads).

Craig Edwards, former owner of Sweet Wings, now has his superlight eeBrake in production. It pivots about an eccentric center bolt to which the caliper clamps with a pinch bolt. Lowering the pads to reach the rim is done half with the rotation of the eccentric center bolt, and half with the half-length brake pad slots, resulting in less loss of leverage with longer reach. Short pivot distances, wider pivots, and non-layering of brake arms means higher stiffness and no arm-twisting.

Now you, too, can own a Parlee ... well, at least the 7-gram Parlee front derailleur clamp and use it on your own bike (with any 1-3/8” seat tube and braze-on front derailleur). A quarter the weight of an aluminum clamp, yet it’s purported to be as tough.

The Lezyne mini floor pump has a flip-out stand to stand on when pumping. An option is a pressure gauge in-line with the hose.

Lezyne’s miniature floor pump folds up into an extremely compact package. You have to bend over pretty far to use it, but it beats the heck out of a standard mini pump for getting air into the tires without damage to the valves, thanks to a hose rather than a chuck integrated into the pump. I don’t know whom else it appeals to, but it looks like the solution to me for traveling with a coupled travel bike in a small S&S bike case, which requires deflation of the tires but is too small to fit a floor pump.

The Specialized Myka FSR is an entry-level women’s full suspension bike. The $1650 Comp model with RockShox Tora Le Femme 100mm fork has a steeper seat angle, lower spring rates, and lighter construction to accommodate a woman’s lower center of gravity and lighter weight. 10 percent of the retail price goes to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to fight breast cancer. Specialized designates as Komen Foundation products some women’s bikes, shoes, helmets, and saddles and gives 10 percent of retail price on any of these to the foundation; the company will donate $250,000-$500,000 in 2009 through this program.

Look’s foray into full suspension to complement its 986 carbon hardtail, the 996 frame has an all-carbon front end and features a DW Link articulating the swingarm at the bottom bracket. The frame sells for $2,500.

Yakima’s Fork Lift roof rack trays require no additional crossbars; they mount directly to the factory rack’s crossbars. The clamp’s tool-free installation feature is easy to use; it opens wide to click into any of three settings in order for it to fit on crossbars of different sizes and shapes. A single-knob adjuster of the locking skewer speeds installation of the fork onto the mount. Each unit (that holds one bike) sells for $139.

The Effetto Mariposa Giustaforza torque wrench now comes in colors, and with a case with receptacles for its bits. Effetto Mariposa also offers cases of bits alone.

1. Cantitoe Road introduced its new seatpost designed by Salsa founder Ross Shafer and Cantitoe Road owner Tom Petrie. Elastomers surrounding the Kent Eriksen saddle clamp allow the saddle to move a bit in all directions, providing more comfort. Different elastomers of varying durometer are available to tune the ride to your preference. I rode prototypes of this seatpost over the summer and found it to indeed increase saddle comfort.

Do you want to contribute to Mailbag, a regular feature of VeloNews.com? Here's how:
? Keep it short. And remember that we reserve the right to edit for grammar, length and clarity.
? Include your full name, hometown and state or nation.
? Send it to webletters@insideinc.com.

Phinney flies to another elite national title.

The Vibraser will be ridden by Time’s pro teams in the classics and in training for its added comfort.

Giant’s TCX is ready to roll from the showroom floor to the cyclocross race course. It is easily one of the best-priced workhorse cyclocross racer’s for 2009. The Aluxx alloy bike borrows technology including a tapered steerer tube and big ‘MegaDrive’ down tube from the new TCR line.

The devil is in the details and Giant didn’t miss one on its new cross-country race rig, Anthem X, it equipped the rig with blue anodized alloy water bottle cage bolts.

Giant incorporates a co-pivot to provide more Maestro suspension travel at a reduced weight for its Anthem platform. The new 4-inch travel bike is called Anthem X.

The old 96er, yep, Moots’ Gristle is named after a steak in the movie the Great Outdoors. Jon Cariveau, Moots Brand Manager, says that he likes how the smaller rear wheel handles versus a straight 29er. It’s got more snap, but you have the roll-through of the front wheel.

The Vision drink system allows you to drink without breaking your aero position. FSA claims it makes the bike faster than without. Hydra Pak makes the internals that hold one liter and it can be refilled on the fly.

FSA’s XC-150 wheelset is 15QR compatible and weighs 200 grams.

FSA’s RD-488 carbon tubular wheel is improved with uni-directional carbon rim walls, a 3k weave in the spoke bed and basalt brake track. External Spline drive nipples and a respectable 1390 gram weight make a perfect carbon wheel for ’cross.

FSA was the first major manufacturer to start the Ceramic Revolution, and it continues with headsets in 2009.

Time will cash in on the color white for 2009 with its new RXS Racer pedal. It features a hollow steel axle, a composite body and Time’s Angular float, lateral float and Sensor technology, which regulates the feel of the float. The pedals weight 260 grams per pair.

The Vibraser will be ridden by Time’s pro teams in the classics and in training for its added comfort.

Time has a new traditionally tubed frame called the VRS Vibraser. The new bike has double the Vectran fiber when compared to the VXRS ULTeam frame. The added vectran makes the frame almost 200 grams heavier but offers superior road shock absorption.

The RXR uses Time’s patented RTM molding process. RTM allows the frame to be easily repaired by removing and replacing damaged tubes. This gives some piece of mind considering the RXR module costs $6000.

The seat tube sports an aero shape with a wheel cutout up through the entirety of the Translink seat mast. The RXR made its debut at the Tour de France and participated in the Olympic road race and the 2008 world championships.

Time’s new aero road bike, the RXR, has a frame that comes in under a kilo. The module, which includes a fork, Translink seatmast, headset and stem weighs 1.7 kilos.

Stinky, Kona’s 7-inch platform, comes with shorter chainstays, a 1.5-inch headtube and a new array of rocker links and oversized fasteners. Stinky comes with ISCG mounts and cable bosses that make it Hammerschmidt ready.

The Major Jake is the team issued Kona factory ’cross frame. It’s scandium and built for production with a Shimano Ultegra transmission. Kona equips it with Alpha Q’s CX20 fork, the same model the team uses.

The Kapu is built with Dedacciai SAT steel, bronze welded with chrome lugs. It has rack and fender mounts along with clearance for larger 25mm tires as a standard feature. Ultegra and FSA parts round-out the package.

Kona reports that in this day and age of carbon, its steel bikes are selling better than ever, so for 2009 it updates its lugged Kapu with a 1.125 head tube and fork steerer.

Kona only makes women’s specific triathlon bikes, because according to Kona’s Pat White, “who wants to see men in spandex?” The Lisa TR builds off an aero shaped 7005-aluminum tubeset.

Kona’s utility hauling bike the Ute is back and refined for its second season. The 2009 bike has a new U-style kickstand and improved rack and waterproof bag system.