Road Gear

Price: $290 Weight: 165 grams Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, and XXL Colors: Black, Orange, and Blue Web site: www.rapha.cc New from Rapha, a high-end producer of stylish cycle wear, is the windproof and water resistant Stowaway jacket. Meant for year-round use, the Stowaway is designed to keep you protected from the elements, without compromising your sense of style.

Re-introduced in September 2008, after a two year hiatus, the Litespeed Blade is a bike with a storied history. The signature titanium airfoil tube shape was created by accident in the early 1990s and brought to widespread prominence when Lance Armstrong used one (disguised as a Trek) in the 1999 Tour de France. Ten years after that historic ride, Litespeed is wielding a totally new Blade, and we had a chance to check out one of the first bikes to leave the test lab.

Sharpening the Blade

The Segal I rode most of last season was without a doubt the finest Israeli-made magnesium road bike I've ever had the occasion to try. That's an admittedly subjective statement, but I feel pretty sure I can back it up.

Dear readers,
I’ve enjoyed the recent exchange on CO2 cartridges, and judging by the volume of lighthearted mail I’ve received on it, so have a lot of you. I thought we’d thoroughly covered all of the technical aspects of it to the point that no more needed to be said.

Price: $70 Weight: 71 grams Web site: www.eastonbike.com Easton EC90 bar ends, new for 2009, are made of Easton composite carbon fiber and are ergonomically molded. One-piece carbon construction lends strength and a clean look. The pair weighs in at just 71 grams and is approved for use with Easton bars. The EC90 bar ends carry a limited 5-year warranty.

Price: $389 Weight: 315 grams per brake with rotor Sizes: 160, 180, and 203mm rotor sizes Web site: www.magura.com The Magura Marta SL hydraulic disc brake is now available in a magnesium model, which is about 20 grams lighter than the original SL model. The Marta SL Magnesium uses magnesium for the master cylinder and the slave cylinder, typically the heaviest parts of the system. For added look and feel, carbon levers are used and for additional weight saving, Magura uses titanium hardware.

Price: $575 to $900 Sizes: 120mm spacing Colors: Silver, black, gold, red, blue, green, and purple Web site: www.philwood.com As part of their 38th anniversary, Phil Wood will be releasing 100 specialty track hubs. The 3.5 Track Limited hub has a 3.5-inch flange and is only available in 32 and 36 spoke models. [nid:89071]

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Several show-goers were surprised to see a De Rosa booth at NAHBS, placed within sight of trendy urban single-speeds and wild one-off full suspension mountain bikes. The De Rosa bikes on display cut a uniquely classic image compared to some of the exotic and experimental show bikes. Here’s a look at both ends of the spectrum: the handcrafted De Rosas, backed by years of history and family tradition; and some one-off show bikes not found anywhere else.

Price: $1.70 each Weight: 30 grams per packet Flavors: Wild Berries Web site: www.carbboom.com Carb Boom now offers all natural wild berry Energy Chews. These nutrient-rich snacks are perfect for times when an energy gel is not enough and an energy bar is too hard to chew.

With so many exhibitors combining to bring unlimited creativity to NAHBS this year, the stories and photos are far from exhausted. Among the myriad of bicycle configurations on display in Indianapolis, those with only a single cog and chainring represented a majority. Many were track bikes, urban fixed gear bikes, commuters, town bikes, and even a cyclocross bike or two.

Dear Lennard,
You may want to do a little better research when answering these questions next time because both of your CO2 answers were completely wrong.

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Price: $80 Weight: 117 grams Sizes: EBB Shells 68 x 55mm Colors: Red, blue, silver, black Web site: www.ninerbikes.com Do you rely on an eccentric bottom bracket (EBB) for proper chain tension on your single speed, internally geared hub, or tandem? If so the new Niner Bio-Centric EBB may come as a relief to your current creaking and ovalized EBB shell woes.

More than 1,700 people attended Sunday's final day of the fifth annual North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Indianapolis, bringing the weekend’s total to almost 6,500. Exhibitors commented on Saturday’s huge crowds, and many shared the feeling that this was the best NAHBS ever. Awards for the best bikes on display were announced near the close of the show.

Among all the builders and the wide selections of material, color, construction and size at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, one common theme that I’ve noticed is a distinct respect for all-purpose, utilitarian bikes. Perhaps it’s a reaction to fuel prices during the summer, or simply an expression of the small builders’ ethic, but at least 70 percent of the builders on display are showing some variant of an urban town bike, a cargo bike or an all-purpose touring road bike.

One striking juxtaposition (among several) that I’ve noticed at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show this year is the use of cutting-edge modern materials and design mixed with old world craftsmanship and utilitarianism. Hand built carbon fiber bikes are dressed in fenders and racks. A hand welded single-speed town bike is built with an integrated seat mast and carbon fiber fork. No matter what the blend of exotic materials, wheels and components, the most common saddle on bikes in the show is a classic leather Brooks.

I came away from my first five hours at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show with more than 350 photos. OK, so only 15 percent of them are usable, but even so, the volume of eye-catching hardware on display is second to none. Most of the products on display are bicycles from small builders that show unique details, exquisite handwork, and timeless paint schemes. Yet even a multi-million dollar company like SRAM has a clever product to offer this market, which is oriented more toward singlespeeds, retro-styled road bikes and urban fixies.

With more than 100 exhibitors and a seemingly endless array of handcrafted bicycles and parts, the North American Handmade Bicycle Show feels like an oasis of optimism amid the current business climate.

Price: $230 Colors: Six colors Sizes: Small to Large Weight: 230 to 270 grams Web site: www.trialtir-usa.com LAS introduces their new top shelf helmet, the Victory. Designed with safety as the most important attribute, the Victory also excels in ventilation, fit, and style.

The night before the North American Handmade Bicycle Show begins, bikes are unpacked, booths are built, and one of the newest trade shows in the country begins to take shape. Held last year in Portland, Oregon, the annual NAHBS comes to Indianapolis, Indiana, for 2009.

Price: $1000 Colors: Burnt Orange Sizes: 26 inch Weight: 1865 grams both wheels Web site: www.crankbrothers.com New from the Crankbrothers production line: the all-mountain Iodine wheelset.

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One of the lingering tech questions from the Amgen Tour of California has finally been answered, at least partially. As early as the prologue, a reader wrote to inquire about Jelly Belly’s time trial bikes, which are GT-branded but not shown on the GT Bicycles Web site. The GT-sponsored team also used these frames (with a different paint scheme) last season. We finally tracked down Michael De Leon, PR and advocacy manager for the Cannondale Sports Group, to get some of the story.

Price: $195 to $225 Weight: 160 grams at 225mm Sizes: 27.2mm by 225 to 400mm Colors: Red, orange, blue, green, pewter, pink and black Web site: www.kenteriksen.com The Sweetpost is a new boutique seatpost from Eriksen Cycles. Based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and established in 2006, Eriksen Cycles is a small producer of titanium bicycle frames and seatposts. [nid:88617]

Weight or air resistance?

The Amgen Tour of California wrapped up successfully with another win for Astana’s Levi Leipheimer. Also "winning" were the spectators who were treated to both great racing and an impressive consumer expo at every stage finish. Despite nasty weather for the first three days, traffic at stage finishes was heavy, and downright crowded whenever the sun came out.

Mavic France placed a voluntary recall on all of its front R-SYS wheels this winter and a domestic recall followed suit two weeks later. The reason for the domestic delay was the CPSC’s approval of Mavic USA’s action plan for the recall. That plan was considered voluntary, but Mavic used verbiage and took action that made is seem more serious. Mavic stated consumers should “immediately cease use” and took the added measure of shipping R-SYS owners its Aksium model, which relies on steel spokes, until the situation can be rectified.

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Price: $36 Sizes: About 28 servings, 125 calories per scoop Web site: www.myogenesis.net

Price: $100 Sizes: 90, 100 and 110mm Weight: 119 to 125 grams Colors: Dark gray or black Web site: www.sixsixone.com Sunline, a producer of high-end downhill components, will have a new crosscountry stem on the market beginning in April. The Sunline XC 1 stem is aesthetically similar to stems by Rotor and Thomson, which can be attributed to their machining process.

Price: $65 Colors: Carbon finish Weight: 28 grams Web site: www.arundelbike.com

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Price: $245 Sizes: 133mm length Weight: 175 grams Web site: www.fullspeedahead.com The K-Wing Aero Integrated seatpost by FSA was designed with the intention of unifying the aero seat tube standards in the industry. It is highly adjustable with carbon aero spacers and the ability to direct the saddle side to side by up to five degrees. The post is built with a carbon Kevlar composite and stainless steel hardware and weighs just 175 grams.

Price: $150 Colors: Black, silver, blue, red, and purple Weight: 77 grams Web site: www.canecreek.com The Cane Creek 110 headset, which was released last year, is now available in most of the common platforms on the market, including the tradition 1-1/8-inch, 1.5-inch, integrated, and now the Zero Stack, which is common on Giant, Scott, BMC, and Fisher frames.

It has already been reported that the Columbia-High Road team is not using Scott time trial bikes. Photos and print stories back that up and our visit to the High Road compound the day before the prologue of the Amgen Tour of California yielded no indication that Scott Plasma TT bikes have been widely embraced by the squad. Our only look at the team's new time trial rig came by examining a display model at Scott's tent in the expo. It's a beautiful ride, but it may take a little tweaking to dial it in for roadies.

Disc brake squeal

Price: $1.99 per package Sizes: 60 grams; 200 calories Web site: www.clifbar.com Now Clif Shot Bloks are easier to eat. The new FastPak packaging streamlines the blocks into a single column of six, allowing you to pop them into your mouth with just one hand. With 33 percent less packaging, no longer will you have to finagle blocks out of a large wrapper and risk more than just a few stray blocks.

If there is any doubt about Astana’s commitment to Levi Leipheimer as the undisputed leader and odds-on favorite to win the Amgen Tour of California, one look at his new Trek time trial bike will quickly dispel it.

Louis Garneau is introducing a new helmet just in time for the Tour of California. Rock Racing and Team Type 1 will wear the Diamond helmet beginning Sunday, during the first road stage from Davis to Santa Rosa. The helmet promises to be light, comfortable, and of course stylish for these professional teams.[nid:87682]

Price: $1999 frameset Colors: Natural carbon weave finish with clear coat Sizes: 53, 55, and 58cm Web site: www.aerocatbike.com

In advance of the Amgen Tour of California, BH Bikes has created an AG2R-La Mondiale team replica G4. Sporting the same component group and paint job as the bikes ridden by the team, this promises to help push the BH brand toward broader recognition in the U.S. Fittingly, this season marks the 100th anniversary of the Spanish company.

Price: $59 to $129 Web site: www.deuterusa.com Deuter is coming out with three new hydration packs and a brand new drip-proof bit valve. The new Helix valve is standard issue with the 2009 hydration pack range and is also available on its own. The valve can be sealed shut and reopened with a twist. Even when the valve is open it should be resistant to leaking thanks to the new internal, spring-loaded plunger that seals the system.

Just one day before heading out to the Amgen Tour of California, Tom Zirbel (Bissell Pro Cycling) stopped by the VeloNews offices with his Pinarello FM1 time trial bike. He was on his way out for a last day of training before joining the star-studded peloton in Sacramento for Saturday’s prologue. We got some photos and component highlights, and enjoyed a relaxed conversation with Zirbel.

Making it work

Just before a trip to the San Diego wind tunnel, Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong shared some photos and component details of her new Cervélo S2 road bike. Armstrong is a star member of the new Cervélo TestTeam, and the new team is already working to contribute new information to the company. We also caught up by email with Cervélo race engineer Damon Rinard while he was at the San Diego low speed wind tunnel for a few insights.

Bike details

The questions came in to us here at VeloNews after stage 5 of the Tour Down Under: What sunglasses did Lance have on? The answer: Oakley’s new sports spec, called Jawbone.

Colors: Pearl white with light blue details Sizes: 36 to 43; half sizes 39.5 to 42.5 Price: $170 Web site: www.northwave.com The Devine S.B.S. is Northwave’s high-end women’s road shoe. It is the women’s specific equivalent road shoe to the men’s Typhoon S.B.S. Northwave says that its lower heel and forefoot volume is more accommodating to a woman’s foot.

Price: $17.99 Size: 4 ounces Web site: www.hincapie.com Hincapie Sportswear stepped up its retail line with SkinDefense, an advanced sunscreen perfected for cyclists and other endurance athletes. The 4-ounce non-aerosol spray bottle is perfect for a jersey pocket or saddlebag, though that might not be necessary because a single application provides sweat-proof solar protection for up to five hours.

Price: $59.95 Web site: www.silcapompe.it

Parlee Cycles has made a leap into the big leagues by committing to sponsor the Fly V Australia (presented by Successful Living) pro team. The official announcement is pending, but other team component sponsors include Edge Composites (wheels, stem, bar, seatpost and fork), SRAM Red drivetrain, TRP brakes, and Fi'zi:k saddles.

Price: $175 to $380 Web site: www.rudyprojectusa.com KarbonEye

First noticed spec’ed on newer Trek Madone road bikes, the Bontrager XXX Lite Road stem loses a little weight and cuts a sleeker profile than its predecessor. The original Bontrager XXX Lite carbon stem is still available for road and mountain bikes, but this newest model is specified for road use only. A couple of nice touches make it worth consideration as an aftermarket upgrade to any road bike.

The Ridley Noah is one of the latest in series of road frames developed specifically with aerodynamics in mind. As time trial bikes have pushed the aero envelope, many of the technologies discovered for TT use have also found a home on road frames. The added benefits incorporated by Ridley into the $3000 Noah frameset make it possibly one of the fastest road frames available.

Price: $2.50 each Weight: 32 grams Sizes: 1.1 ounce Flavors: Blueberry Pomegranate and Vanilla Orange Web site: www.guenergy.com GU now has a high-octane version of its original energy gel. Roctane is similar to the original GU energy gel but has added nutrients, including amino acids and electrolytes.

Sizes: 25-serving bag Price: $38.25 Web site: www.infinitnutrition.com When it comes to nutrition, size matters. A larger rider is going to require a higher caloric intake than a smaller one. In addition to size, there are other factors that result in our varying metabolic rates (and it always seems like the scrawniest guy at the table can down the biggest plate).

The rate of loss

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Evidently the forge is still hot over at Santa Cruz bicycles. It waited less than a week after the introduction of its new carbon fiber Blur XC to release a brand new gravity-oriented model called the Driver 8, an 8-inch VPP bike with a unique blend of downhill and freeride characteristics. Santa Cruz intends the Driver 8 to be a versatile, all purpose, everyday gravity bike. In a happy surprise for both Santa Cruz and dirt riders everywhere, it’s ready for the public a month early. [nid:87103]

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Colors: Black and Pink, Black, Gloss wood, White, Leopard, Caramel Sizes: One size fits most Weight: 29 grams Price: $59.95 Web site: www.tifosioptics.com [nid:87005]

Price: $15.95 Web site: www.velogear.com

Giro’s vision was 20-20 when it signed Alberto Contador to promote its new eyewear line.

Dear Lennard,
Can I run a new CN-7900 chain with 7800 derailleur, cassette, and FSA crank set (53/38)? It is time to replace my 7800 chain and would like to upgrade to the CN-7900 chain.
Mike

Price: $39.99 Weight: 30 grams Web site: www.axiomgear.com New, in the class of boutique bike parts, the Axiom Helix Pro Team water bottle cage. This elegant and simple cage design is a good fit for your most beloved bicycle. Unlike standard water bottle cages, the Axiom Helix Cage will add to the aesthetics of your bicycle instead of take away from it.

Sizes: 1.2mm Price: $36.95 to $69.00 Web site: www.powercordz.com Power Cordz now offers 1.2mm derailleur cable sets and a complete cable system. The difference between 1.2mm Cordz and traditional 1.2mm steel cables is that Cordz are made from Zylon, a fiber that Io Dupont suggests is as strong as steel yet reduces weight by 75 percent. In terms of compatibility, Derailleur Cordz are just that — fully compatible with Shimano, SRAM, Campagnolo, and any standard 4mm housing.

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Santa Cruz is unveiling its latest cross-country machine, a carbon fiber Blur XC, which looks to be the fastest endurance race bike the brand has ever built.

Dear Lennard,

Sizes: 23c or 25c x 700c Weight: 240 or 280 grams Price: $45.99 Web site: www.panaracer.com Panaracer now sells a tire that is intended to be ideal for heavy training and racing on less than ideal surfaces. On the scale of durability versus speed, the new Extreme Duro is aimed right in the middle.

Sizes: 20 gram syringe Price: $14.95 Web site: www.finishlineusa.com Chances are you paid top dollar for your bike and bike parts, and if not, it’s still valuable stuff. One way to extend the life of your bike and components is to keep them greased.

Colors: Green, black, white, red, blue, grey Sizes: Small to Extra Large Price: $1999 (frame and rear shock) Web site: www.intensecycles.com Are you unsure about your mountain bike riding style? Are you a pure cross country rider or do you enjoy technical descents that are akin to a hardtailer’s hell? Perhaps you find yourself somewhere in the middle? If so, the new Spider 2 by Intense bridges the gap between trail and cross country.

Considering that professional racers spend thousands of hours a year on their bikes, it’s surprisingly rare to find many who actually look comfortable on their steeds. Everyone knows what a bad bike fit feels like and most pros seem to share the same menu of dull aches, pains and injuries encountered by the rest of us. A few are blessed, like Fabian Cancellara, who seems genetically wired to ride a bicycle.

Dear Lennard,
I would like to change my Dura-Ace 7800 53/39 crank set for a compact 50/34 set and am considering the new Shimano 7950 but noticed that Shimano states that to run the 7900 crank set, the new 7900 chain and front derailleur are also required. Can I not simply put a 7950 compact crank set on my 7800 system and if so, will shifting be compromised? If indeed the new front derailleur is required, do I then need to change my shifters to 7900 as well?
Paul

Sizes: 8 oz (227g) tube Price: $18 Web site: www.beljumbudder.com Is your chamois rubbing you the wrong way? Perhaps this new chamois creme can help. Beljum Budder is a high quality chamois creme and skin lubricant designed to perform and protect the nether regions of friction-riddled endurance athletes. Not only does Beljum Budder make for a smooth and comfortable ride, it’s safe to use–made with all natural ingredients.

Mavic has issued a voluntary recall of its R-SYS front wheels, the company announced this week. Mavic is advising consumers not to use the front wheels from any of its R-SYS wheelsets (R-SYS, R-SYS Test and R-SYS Premium) because of the possible risk of spoke failure. The system relies on a unique set of tubular carbon spokes. While front wheels rely solely on the tubular carbon spoke, the rears combine those with Zicral spokes and the risk of failure is, therefore, lessened.

Why are my bottom bracket bearings wearing out so quickly?

Editor's Note: Drew Geer is an endurance mountain bike racer who has been using a computer training log since 1998 and has hand-written training logs going back to 1972. He's been an Apple Mac user since 1984. Geer paid retail for each of the products he reviewed in this article.

Do you have any advice for correcting leg-length discrepancies?