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Giro finale
Photo ©: Bettini


Tech News – March 3, 2004

Edited by John Stevenson

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New seats from Selle Italia

High-tech saddles from Selle Italia

Selle Italia has announced two new saddles in its SLR and Flite ranges. Both the SLR Kit Carbonio and the Flite Kit Carbonio have weight-saving titanium and carbon fiber rails, and carbon inserts in the rear of the hull.

The SLR Kit Carbonio has a claimed weight of 140g, but still boasts closed cell EVA foam padding and full grain leather cover over its carbon-reinforced hull. The Flite Kit Carbonio - the latest in a saddle dynasty that began 12 years ago with the original Flite - is slightly heavier at 160g.

Both saddles have a suggested retail price of $199.98.

More info: www.selleitalia.com

ROI Zefiro carbon bar/stem

ROI Zefiro bars

Will the deluge of carbon components ever end? We hope not! From Italy comes the latest black composite component for weight fanatics, ROI Zefiro's carbon monocoque, one-piece handlebar and stem. Weighing a claimed 365g in its 110x42 version, the bar/stem is also available in 100, 120 and 130mm stem lengths, all with 42cm bars (measured center to center).

Cost is a cool $595, which, we think, definitely makes them race bike only components.

More info: www.cyclinginnovations.com

Team Seasilver's Iron Horse Victory

Team Seasilver's Iron Horse

Here's a quick look at the Iron Horse road bikes currently being raced by new US Division III team Seasilver, parked, in the tradition of team bikes inside a hotel room somewhere in the USA...

Seasliver's team bikes are built around Iron Horse's Victory frame, the top model in its five-bike line-up of road machines. The semi-compact Victor is built from Columbus Airplane aluminium tubing with carbon seatstays and Reynolds Composites Forks.

The running gear is a mixture of high-end parts from various manufacturers. Truvativ suppliers the lion's share, coming in with cranks, bottom brackets, handlebars, stems and seat-posts. Tyres by Maxxis are wrapped round Reynolds Composites wheels while the team's Nike shoes push on Speedplay Zero pedals and they sit on fi'zi:k saddles.

Other equipment sponsors include Sock Guy socks; Rudy Project glasses; Lazer helmets; Accelerade/Endurox R4 sports and recovery drink and Premier Nutrition protein bars.

More info: www.ironhorsebikes.com

Klein & Maverick get coupley

In one of this year's more unusual bits of racing sponsorship, Klein and mountain bike fork manufacturer Maverick American is sponsoring boyfriend/girlfriend racing pair Ariel Lindsley and Abigail Hippely. The couple will travel the US racing and promoting the two brands, which have a link through Klein's use of the Maverick American suspension frame design on its Palomino range of mountain bikes.

As well as offering Palomino test rides from their team truck, the duo will also be promoting Dale's Pale Ale, a 'micro-brew in a can'. We assume for the sake of safety that ale samples will follow test rides and not the other way round...

More info: www.kleinbikes.com

Zero Gravity brakes sponsors Webcor & Jittery Joe's

New American lightweight brake maker Zero Gravity will feature on two US Pro team's bikes in 2004: Webcor Builders and Jittery Joe's.

Zero Gravity recently announced the tie-in with Webcor, the substantially-strengthened California team that this year boasts former Saturn demi-god Chris Horner on its roster and rising star 2003 Univest GP winner Ted Huang.

Athens, Georgia-based Jittery Joe's team will also be using the sub-100g, CNC-machined, titanium and aluminium brakes this year, a not terribly surprising tie-in given that Zero Gravity Brakes are made in Nicholson, Georgia, just a few miles up the road from Athens.

More info: www.zerogravitybike.com

Ambrosio's 2004 teams

Italian rim manufacturer Ambrosio may not quite have the ubiquity in the peloton of, say, Mavic, but it will still have a strong presence in 2004, with no fewer than nine Division I and II pro teams using the Solaro manufacturer's rims and wheels.

Ambrosio's 2004 pro roster

Gerolsteiner                       Wilier cycles
Colnago - Landbouwkrediet          Colnago cycles
Panaria - Margres                  Battaglin cycles
Colombia - Selle Italia            Daccordi cycles
Tenax                              Olmo cycles
Vlaanderen  - T Interim            Merckx cycles
Cafes Baque                        Olmo cycles
Miche                              FRW cycles
Team LPR                           Guerciotti cycles

More info: www.ambrosiospa.com

 

 

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