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Tech News – January 5, 2004
Edited by Paul Mirtschin
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Limited edition World Championship fi'zi:k Arione
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Italian saddle manufacturer Fi'zi:k has released a limited edition World Championship Arione in honour of Saeco-Cannondale rider Igor Astarloa's 2003 Road World Championship victory. "The longest saddle in the peloton" (as described by Phil Liggett) will be decked in white with UCI World Championship stripes streaming the length of the 30 cm saddle.
Igor Astarloa and Gilberto Simoni were the only two professional racers to use the Arione throughout the 2003 race season, quickly clocking up a Road World Championship and a Giro d'Italia win between them.
The limited edition Arione will retail for US$140 and will be distributed through fi'zi:k's exclusive US distributor, BikeMine. Anyone wanting one should sprint to their nearest bike shop to reserve the saddle. If you miss out, the standard two-tone black Arione will still be available at US$125.
New Year, New Saddle For Armstrong
By Tim Maloney
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According to Selle San Marco's Gigi Girardi, Lance Armstrong is currently testing its OV saddle for the 2004 season. San Marco is USPS's team saddle sponsor and while Armstrong has used Selle San Marco's "classic" Concor Light model to win 5 straight Tours aboard his Trek, Girardi believes that Armstrong will likely use the OV model for his attempt to win an unprecedented sixth-straight Grand Boucle.
"We hear Lance likes this model so far", Girardi explained to Cyclingnews. "OV is a patented model that eliminates vibration via a monobloc shell with three different materials injected in it." Check out Selle San Marco's website for more details on the OV and other saddles: Sellesanmarco.com.
Shimano delayed
Due to unexpectedly larger orders in the latter parts of last year, Shimano is experiencing delays in getting some components to bike manufacturers and retailers. With the 2004 Shimano range seeing two completely revised groups, as well as an increase in OEM orders, Shimano thought it had covered its bases with the projected increase in demand. However, with some groups seeing orders of up to 400% above 2003 orders, the company has been taken by surprise and has told companies to expect lengthy delays if they didn't get orders in early.
"We projected a big increase in demand for some new products introduced (XTR, XT, Dura Ace), but we could not foresee the magnitude of the overall market development. For example, the worldwide orders we received for Ultegra components for the shipment in the first half of 2004 have been five times larger than the previous year, and the orders for Deore components have been three times more than its usual volume," Hiro Hirata, vice president of sales for Shimano's Bicycle Components Division, told the Bicycle Retailer magazine.
"Overall, we managed to increase the capacity by 20 to 25 percent in that short period (since 2004 ordering began), but a further increase has not been possible as our factories are already running seven days a week in several shifts," Hirata said.
Shimano hopes to get deliveries back to normal as soon as possible.
Specialized Epic wins PopSci Grand Award
Popular Science magazine has awarded the Specialized Epic its Grand Award in the Best of What's New 2003 awards.
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Full-suspension mountain bikes are a relief for downhill trail riding, but their cushioning effect saps efficiency from your uphill slogging. Until this year the best solution was high-end shocks that can be manually deactivated when performance needs to trump comfort. Enter the Fox Brain Shock, available exclusively on the Specialized Epic. Created jointly by the shock specialists at Fox Racing Shox and bicycle manufacturer Specialized, the Brain is equipped with a ball-bearing inertia valve that responds only to forces that come from below. No matter how hard you stomp on the bike or its pedals, the suspension won't budge, giving you maximum pedaling efficiency. However, when one of your wheels slams into a rock, the inertia valve opens and the suspension kicks in. The result? Epic scoots uphill and across smooth terrain with the speedy efficiency of a hardtail bike, but still soaks up the rough stuff like a champ. |
Specialized brake recall
CPSC and Specialized have announced a recall on all 2004 S-Works Enduro and 2004 Enduro Expert mountain bikes with 8-inch brake rotors in the front. 250 of the bikes were sold during September 2003 for between US$2,390 and US$4,880.
A press release from Specialized and CPSC warns, "During heavy braking, the brake tabs on the front forks could break off, possibly causing a loss of control and fall from the bicycle."
Specialized has agreed to replace the 8-inch brake rotors on these bikes with 6-inch rotors at no cost to the customer. Customers should stop riding these bikes and return them to an authorized retailer as soon as possible
Team Commencal-Oxbow
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Oxbow and Commencal have announced the formation of Team Commencal-Oxbow, complete with two of the best mountainbikers on the circuit, Anne Caroline Chausson and Miguel Martinez.
Along with the new team comes the new Commencal DH bike, a single pivot 7005 T6 aluminium frame with 180 mm of travel.
The Commencal-Oxbow team will consist of:
- 17 time world champion Anne Caroline Chausson (Downhill and 4-cross )
- Bernat Guardia (Downhill).
- Romain Saladini(Downhill and 4-cross )
- Franck Parolin (Maxi/Mega races)
- Sydney 2000 Olympic Champion Miguel Martinez (Cross Country)
Other Plans include the creation of a training centre where young riders will be coached and trained as well as communication support systems for the team: video, photos reports and discovery adventure trips to dream spots...
Sigma sees the light
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Sigma Sport has released details of three new products for 2004; two lights and a heart-rate monitor.
The first off the rank is the Triled, a three-LED front safety light offering over 120-hours of continuous light. Powered by three AA batteries, the Triled will handle all weather conditions thanks to its weatherproof body. A multi-adjustable quick-release mount also allows for tool-free mounting on all bar widths, including the 31.8mm oversize bars.
The Triled will retail for 11.95 Euro.
Also priced at 11.95 Euro is the Blade, another three-LED light also designed for commuting. Sharing the same run-time as the Triled, the Blade is designed for handlebars that already have objects such as computers and HRM's mounted. The narrow design of the Blade minimises the footprint required by the light, allowing fitting in the narrowest of areas.
Heart rate monitors usable by almost anyone.
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Simple and easy in use, and fluent in German, English, French, Spanish and Italian, the Fit Watch is claimed by Sigma to be as easy to operate as your cell-phone. The Fit Watch automatically calculates your maximum heart rate based on your weight, height, age and gender, and then defines your three individual training zones: The Health zone (55- 70 percent of your maximum heart rate), the Fitness zone (70-80 percent of your maximum heart rate) and the Performance zone (> 80 percent of your maximum heart rate).
The Fit Watch calculates your maximum heart rate based on your weight, height, age and gender. Based on your personal data the Fit Watch then defines your three individual training zones: The Health zone ( 55- 70 percent of your maximum heart rate), the Fitness zone (70-80 percent of your maximum heart rate) and the Performance zone (> 80 percent of your maximum heart rate). During your training the change-over from one zone to the next is marked by an audible signal. The integrated Training Manager enables you to precisely control, plan and evaluate your training. The most important parameters will be tracked and checked during your training session. You may choose to subsequently save the data for future reference and comparison. Seven training units in total can be saved and evaluated in this manner. The memory contains among others, your average heart rate, the percentage of your heart rate and calories burned. All currently measured data can also be viewed during exercise.
The Fit Watch displays the time, date, and three timers, total training time, heart rate, and calorie counter and has sufficient memory to save data from seven individual training sessions.
The Fit Watch is priced at 79,95 Euro and will be available from March. The price includes the transmitter belt, elastic strap - and bicycle handlebar-mounting bracket.
Un-DeFeeted
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DeFeet has introduced new products to its Un-D-System clothing line. The US$24.99 Un-D-Flector wind protector eliminates the need for extraneous apparel during windy and cold conditions. Worn under a jersey and over a baselayer, the Un-D-Flector provides an effective lightweight wind barrier that is both simple and light. Made from 55 percent Polyester and 45 percent polyurethane, the Un-D-Flector features a minimal bib-style design that includes flat-lock seams for comfort and no snaps, which can complicate removal.
DeFeet also released a range of woollen cycling gear, the Woolie-Boolie, Buffalo-Boolie and Polar-Boolie.
The Woolie-Boolie, Buffalo-Boolie and Polar-Boolie combine the four-season comfortable and natural feel of fine Merino wool with 15-percent Nylon and 20-percent Lycra to make a cycling sock usable in all weather conditions.
Wheel truing on the run
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Cyclingnews recently received an email about a new wheel truing device, the R2.O.C.-Tech. Designed to mount in place of the quick-release nut, the R2.O.C.-Tech allows the rider to easily true wheels without the need to lug a truing jig about.
Once fitted to the QR, the user simply slides the gauge to the required hight, and starts truing. The designer, Paul Morningstar, told Cyclingnews "the wheels stay on the bike and one has the ability to read the rim at each spoke- adjusting only those that are needed. It is very easy to achieve wobble of less than .25mm."
The R2.O.C.-Tech has already been battle-tested during last years Race Across America, where it was put to great use.
Photos
Images by fi'zi:k
Images by Tim Maloney/Cyclingnews
Images by Team Commenical/Oxbow
Images by Sigma
Images by Paul Morningstar
Images by DeFeet
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