Week in Tech: Gerrans’ power, GripShift and an Illegally fast e-bike
Grip Shift makes a return, Gerrans powers up and Specialized electrifies in Europe only
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Simon Gerrans’ Milan-San Remo power meter data
GreenEdge and SRM released Simon Gerrans’ complete power file from Milan-San Remo, offering a very rare insight into what it takes to win one of cycling’s monuments.
A few highlights include a stint at 1,188 watts to stay with Fabian Cancellara and Vincenzo Nibali up the Poggio, 400 watts over the final 2km (even behind Cancellara, who was likely doing 550 watts or more), followed by a 1,300-watt sprint at 60kph after 300km to take the win. No problem, right?
All the data can be found on SRM’s website.
Now that they’ve acquired Cervélo, what’s next for Pon Holdings?
For those interested in the behind-the-scenes dealings of the cycling industry, former VeloNews editor Steve Frothingham of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News offers a look at the future of Pon Holdings. The company completed their acquisition of Cervélo in February, and looks likely to continue its expansion within cycling.
Grip Shift is back
Grip Shift is has returned to SRAM’s top-end mountain bike lines. The fantastically light system is now fully 2×10 compatible and was first used by Jaroslav Kulhavy during his XC world championship win last fall.
Highlights include full-metal shift indexing for improved durability and longevity, three rows of ball bearings for play-free movement, and an integrated, lock-on grip. The new shifters will be available in an XX version with Gore RideOn cables for $295 and an X0 version for $225. That’s quite a bit more pricey than the old nine-speed Grip Shift shifters, but SRAM appears to have bumped up the quality considerably as well.
Availability is set for April 30, 2012.
Specialized enters the e-bike realm
Specialized has thrown its electric hat in the ring, announcing the new Turbo electric bike, which offers silent cruising up to 45kph with the push of a button. In fact, it’s actually too fast for the U.S. and is only available in Europe for now.
The bike utilizes quite a bit of bike high-technology, including Magura’s excellent MT Carbon disc brakes, a tapered head tube, Q15 thru-axle fork, and a SRAM X0 2×10 drivetrain. A wireless interface unit with illuminated display shows battery status, turns the integrated front light on and off, and offers standard bike computer features like speed, time and distance.