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New Arrivals – January 30, 2003
Edited by John Stevenson
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Welcome to New Arrivals, a section showcasing the latest equipment that's landed on the Cyclingnews tech desk. Look out for reviews over the next few months when we've clocked up some saddle time with this stuff.
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Endless Pursuit Performance package
For navigationally-challenged mountain bikers (we suppose road cyclists could use it too, but you'd have to be pretty seriously lost to need a GPS!), Endless pursuit has developed software that extrapolates, interprets and then charts/graphs the data that the GPS unit collects. Their website, allows users of a GPS to go online and download data from their ride, run, hike and analyse information such as power, speed, uphill speed, calories etc. In the perfomance package, they include the Garmin Geko 201 which sits in the middle of Garmin's three-model Geko range of GPS receivers. For North American users, the WAAS correction feature provides "a position accuracy of better than three meters 95 percent of the time" according to Garmin. The Geko 201 also includes PC and external power connectivity, a user-configurable trip computer, and 10,000 trackpoints.
Price: US$150
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SRAM X-9 shifters & rear derailleur
With Shimano moving away from trigger shifters to its new Dual Control technology, SRAM is looking after riders who still like triggers and separate gear and brake levers with its X-9 shifters. The triggers use a 1:1 cable pull to match derailleurs such as SRAM's X-9 - Rocket triggers are available for 2:1 cable pull derailleurs such as Shimano's.
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We're testing the X-9 triggers shifters with the rather tasty X-9 derailleur. The sensibly-priced kid brother of the carbon/aluminium/titanium X-0, the aluminium X-9 weighs a claimed 255g and features serviceable cartridge bearing pulleys.
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Orbea Rallon
While Orbea is known for bright orange road bikes under the Euskaltel-Euskadi boys, the Spanish manufacturer also makes a wide range of mountain bikes, including this beefy freeride rig which Cyclingnews designer Paul Mirtchin is currently dropping off things on while he takes a well-earned holiday.
The Rallon boasts rear travel that's adjustable between 4.25in and 5.5in with six inches of whack-absorbing Marzocchi Bomber Z150 up front. New Shimano Deore XT does the shifting while Formula disks provide stopping power.
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Carnac Quartz road shoes
Carnac's top-of-the-line Quartz shoes feature kangaroo leather uppers with a thin neoprene lining; four carbon-reinforced straps for a snug closure; and Carnac's UCS3 EV sole which uses adapters to accept any pedal system you care to name.
The Quartz shoes boast 'conformable' foam insoles that shape themselves to your feet as you use them, and that have plastic arch supports and heel surround to fully cradle your soles.
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Park Cyclone CM-5 Chain scrubber
The latest chain cleaning tool from Park puts the grubbiest bit of your bike through a pair of brushes and a final sponge-down, all housed in a sturdy plastic solvent reservoir. An interesting tweak is a magnet at the bottom of the reservoir to trap metal particles from the chain. Metal clips clamp it closed and a convenient handle makes it easy to use.
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Thomson Masterpiece stems
Available in +5 degree and -10 degree angles, and in lengths from 90 to 140mm, Thomson's road stems are beautifully crafted from 7000 aluminium and come in black or silver finish.
This set of stems will be pressed into use over the next few months when we come to test new bikes - it's impossible to say anything meaningful about the a test bike if it doesn't fit properly, so Thomson has generously helped out with more stems than we can shake a ruler at. Currently Thomson only makes stems with 26.0mm clamp, but a version with a 31.8mm clamp is coming soon.
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