VN tech ticker: Vision Metron SL wheelsets, Finish Line FiberLink tubeless sealant, new SRAM cassette
Here's what's making cycling tech headlines on Thursday, July 8, 2021.
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Vision Metron SL wheelsets
Vision introduced the Metron 45 SL wheels and Metron 60 SL wheels at the start of the Tour de France under the EF Education-Nippo and Bahrain-Victorious teams. Now the aero disc wheels are up for sale.
The Vision Metron 45 SL wheels ($2,050), as the name implies, have a 45mm-tall profile, while the Vision Metron 60 SL wheels ($2,127) are 15mm taller.
While the wheels get taller and wider, Vision has shaved weights on them, through a proprietary, hand-layup process that may offer better control of materials during fabrication.
Claimed wheelset weights are 1,270g for the Metron 45 SL tubulars, and 1,390g for the tubeless-ready clinchers. The Metron 60 SL Disc tubulars should tip the scales at 1,350g while the tubeless-ready clinchers are proposed to be 1,460g.
Both wheelsets are available with either Shimano or SRAM drivetrain freehubs. Spoke counts for both the Metron 45 SL and Vision Metron 60 SL wheels are 21 front and 24 rear.
The new wheels were developed with optimal aerodynamics as the primary focus. To this end, the wheels are 20 percent wider than the previous versions of similar wheels from Vision. The Metron 45 SL wheels have a 19mm internal width and a fat 31.1mm external width, while the Metron 60SL wheels are 21mm internally and 33mm externally.
Vision is offering a lifetime warranty program for original owners of the Vision wheels with a proof or purchase who register their wheels with Vision.
Finish Line FiberLink tubeless sealant
Finish Line’s FiberLink tubeless sealant boasts Kevlar fibers to help reinforce seals.
The natural latex solution is claimed to quickly fill and cure to reduce air loss and provide a durable solution for use in road, gravel, cyclocross, and even mountain bike tires.
Finish Line also has a latex-free sealant with Kevlar.
The Finish Line FiberLink tubeless sealant is available in 8oz ($12), 32oz ($35), and 128oz ($110) bottles.
Check back here for a review of this tubeless tire sealant from Finish Line.
SRAM adds 10-30t cassette to Force range
SRAM just announced a new cassette option for its second-tier Force group, the 10-30t. Built for SRAM’s XDR driver body, the nickel-chrome finish cassette has five single-tooth steps.
The CS-XG-1270-D1 is a 12-speed cassette, with the following cogs: 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 24, 27, 30.
The $185 cassette will be available in August, SRAM says.
SRAM’s top-end Red cassette coms in 10-26, 10-28, and 10-33t options, each for $350. A 10-30t Rival cassette is $125.