News
News
Armstrong slates press conferences to discuss cancer, comeback
Lance Armstrong will hold a pair of press conferences in the next two days — the first on Wednesday in New York and the second on Thursday at the Interbike trade show in las Vegas, Nevada. In New York, Armstrong will discuss his Global Cancer Initiative. At Interbike, he will detail plans for his 2009 return to professional cycling, including his team, a partial schedule and development program. VeloNews will be attending both events. Stay tuned.
Outdoor Demo 2008: Cannondale’s Scott Struve.
Cannondale marketing director Scott Struve showed the new Six an Asian made full carbon bike modeled after the Super Six, but made with materials that allow its retail price to start at $1800.
Outdoor Demo 2008: D3OPads
D3OPads are molded out of the material, which in an extreme example is soft and formable like playdough in your hands, but does not mar when hit with a hammer.
Outdoor Demo 2008: 661Knee
Protective gear maker 661 debuted an impressive technology this year with its d3O-impregnated pads; the line increases for 2009. d3O is a material that remains soft and pliable under normal conditions, yet firms instantly during impact.
Outdoor Demo 2008: SpeedplaySyzer.
Speedplay has a new prototype mountain bike pedal called the Syzr. Its designed to square off the mud shedding abilities of crankbrothers pedals. It is not ready for production and Speedplay wouldn’t offer a release date.
Outdoor Demo 2008: Chris King cogs.
King also rounds out its selection of un-ramped single-speed cogs with 21-, 22-, and 23-tooth models.
Outdoor Demo 2008: Pivot’s Floating Front Derailleur system in action.
The front derailleur on Pivot’s FFD system stays in place through half of the travel. When the swingarm comes within 3mm of hitting the end of the derailleur cage, the pin attached to the chainstay hits the black tab, causing the FFD mount to pivot forward, keeping the front derailleur from hitting the swingarm and in a good working range of angles with the chain.
Outdoor Demo 2008: Pivot’s Floating Front Derailleur system
Pivot’s Floating Front Derailleur system on the 6-inch-travel Firebird frame allows the front derailleur to pivot with the swingarm, so it will still hold the chain on and shift properly. The chainstay can then come in straight and directly without fear of it hitting the front derailleur, rather than doglegging down below, adding flex and deepening the chances for nasty chain suck.
Outdoor Demo 2008: Chris King’s new color.
King added the 10th color to its palette — brown. The new color also ushers in the use of its Sotto Voce branding. The softer logos were first debuted during February’s Handmade Bike Show in Portland, Oregon.
Outdoor Demo 2008: Chris King’s 15QR hubs for 2009.
King will offer two 15QR hubs for 2009, the one on the left has a standard ISO disc hubshell and the right uses the brand’s 20mm hubshell.
Outdoor Demo 2008: Chris King’s grease injection tool.
The BB has a trio of tools that allow for proper installation and service. The installation tool was pictured alongside the bottom bracket in the previous photo and the grease injection tool is demonstrated here.
Outdoor Demo 2008: Chris King Bottom Bracket Tool.
Chris King was proudly showing its fully serviceable external bearing bottom bracket. If the brand’s headsets offer any indication, this is going to be one sturdy unit. The BB’s are compatible with Shimano’s HollowTech 2 road and mountain crank specs.
Outdoor Demo 2008: The Masi Soulville 10.
The Masi Soulville 10 is retro with a new style. It has a compact double crank and a 10-speed cogset. The shifter is a SRAM 10-speed DoubleTap lever for flat handlebars. The Soulville has slide-on full-cork grips, cool, flat fenders, and sparkly red paint.
Outdoor Demo 2008: Using Campagnolo’s 11-speed chain tool.
After pushing in the pin from the non-drive side and breaking off the pilot pin, you turn the chain around and flip the gate of the tool down. On the flip-down gate is another pin that supports the assembly pin from the back side against which you tighten the chain tool until it mashes out (peens) the head of the assembly pin to lock it in place.
Outdoor Demo 2008: Campagnolo’s 11-speed chain tool.
Campagnolo’s 11-speed chain tool has the same wire loop as the 10-speed version that you insert into the tool to hold the chain in position when you are using the tool. You leave the unique lifting gate open when you cut the chain, as well as when you do the initial chain installation.
Outdoor Demo 2008: Campagnolo’s hollow 11-speed break-off type connecting pin.
Campagnolo’s hollow 11-speed break-off type connecting pin requires Campagnolo’s special 11-speed chain tool to install it through the “virgin” link on the end of the chain. Push the pin outward from the non-drive side so that if the end with the break-off pilot protrudes toward smaller cogs, where it won’t hang up, rather than toward bigger ones.
Outdoor Demo 2008: Shimano’s prototype tubeless carbon clinchers.
Even though we focused much of our attention on the electric parts, it's worth noting that the bike was equipped with a prototype tubeless version of the 7850-C24 carbon clinchers.
Outdoor Demo 2008: Dura-Ace’s original prototype electric shifter.
The shifters in the first photo represent the newest version. We were allowed to ride an older version, like the ones used in the ProTour last year.
Outdoor Demo 2008: The new Dura-Ace Electric front derailleur.
The slickest item in the group is the auto-trim function of the front derailleur. The computer knows to trim the front derailleur when the rear is at either extreme end of the cassette.
Outdoor Demo 2008: The Dura-Ace Electric Shifter.
The first thing people might ask of Shimano’s Electric Di2 drivetrain is: What’s the weight penalty? There isn’t much. The group is roughly 60-grams lighter than the 7800 Dura-Ace group and only 60-grams heavier than the new 7900 group.