Tech News – November 24, 2005 Edited by John Stevenson Got tech? Send press releases, news, and tech questions to the Cyclingnews tech desk. Lampre-Fondital aboard Wilier Triestina for 2006-7 Lampre-Fondital will be aboard Wilier in 2006 Photo ©: Wilier Lampre-Fondital's manager Giuseppe Saronni and Andrea Gastaldello of Wilier Triestina have signed a two year agreement for the sponsorship of the Lampre-Fondital team through 2007, with an additional two year option available for renewal. This agreement replaces the deal that Cannondale had with Lampre-Cafitta in 2005 that was grandfathered in from the fusion of Lampre and Saeco. The Gastaldello family started their collaboration with Lampre in 2003 and 2004 when the Lampre riders raced on Wilier Triestina bicycles, but this collaboration didn't continue into 2005. Next season, Wilier Triestina will provide Team Lampre-Fondital 150 bicycles, so each rider will have four bicycles plus a time trial bike. The bicycles provided will include a scandium alu frame and a Wilier Le Roi multi-monocoque carbon fibre frame. For Lampre-Fondital's Damiano Cunego, Wilier Triestina is creating a special frame that will weigh in at 850 grams, 100 grams less than the usual Le Roi model. Cunego and his direttore sportivo Giuseppe Martinelli and team mechanic Enrico Pengo have already visited Wilier HQ to make sure the new material for 2006 is right and ready. "We've always worked will with Giuseppe Saronni and his team," explained Andrea Gastaldello, "so to become the team sponsor for Lampre again is an easy transition. And we are really looking forward to working with Damiano Cunego, who liked our ideas for his new frame very much. We are very happy to be working with them again." More info: www.wilier.it Kona Jake 24 Kona for kids Kona Bicycle Company - known for its mountain bikes and sponsorship of men's downhill world champion, Fabien Barel - has announced two new models in its range of 24-inch-wheeled bikes for younger riders. The new Jake 24 and Stinky 24 join the existing Makena, Hula and Stuff Jr to cover all the off-road options from cyclo-cross to downhilling. Kona Stinky 24 The '06 Stinky 24 Out Of Bounds bike features a 13 inch Kona Clump 7005 aluminum frame with Marzocchi Dirt Jam Pro 100mm fork, Fox Vanilla R rear shock, Shimano Deore shifters and derailleurs and Sun Ditch Witch rims. At the other end of the scale, Kona's new Jake 24 is a cyclo-cross bike for younger riders (and, it occurs to us, a switch to road tyres would make it a pretty fine first 'serious' road bike). The Jake 24 has an aluminium frame with Shimano derailleurs, Ritchey handlebar and Maxxis cyclo-cross tyres. Kona Stuff 24 Last year's Stuff Jr dirt-jumping bike has been upgraded to the Stuff 24 and has a Kona Clump aluminium frame with Marzocchi Drop Off 4 100mm fork, 24 inch Sun Ditch Witch rims, Tioga Blue Dragon tires and Hayes Sole disc brakes. More info: www.konaworld.com Bianchi offers limited Di Luca frames From December 1, fans of Bianchi and 2005 ProTour champion Danilo Di Luca will be able to buy one of 28 numbered, special edition Bianchi FG Lite bicycles. The 28 bikes - the number of races in the 2005 ProTour - will be finished in ProTour white to celebrate Di Luca's victory in the series. Bianchi will also be making available a 'sneak preview' release of 28 of the FG Alu-Carbon frames that will be used in 2006 by the Liquigas team, which will have 28 riders in 2006. Buyers of the FG Lites will receive a complimentary Liquigas-Bianchi team 2005 jersey, signed by Di Luca, while each purchaser of the Alu-Carbon frames will get a Bianchisti club jersey. "We have made up our mind to launch this on-line sale following the numerous requests coming from all over the world," said Stefano Viganò, Bianchi's marketing and communication manager. "We want to offer all our faithful Bianchisti our high-range products. Bianchisti ride high-tech bicycles and use PCs. That is also a way to celebrate with all our fans the victory of the first edition of the Pro Tour. Bianchi is appreciated all over the world because we know how to satisfy the requests of the most exacting Bianchisti." More info: www.bianchi.com Flyte Aresti Flyte announces Aresti Yet another bike in the 'titanium bargains' category is Flyte's new Aresti hardtail mountain bike. For those not familiar with the marque, Flyte is run by Jamie Raddin, the founder of Airborne Cycles. Back in 1997 Airborne was a pioneer of the notion of selling bikes and frames direct through the Internet. Raddin sold Airborne to Huffy in 1999, licensed the name back in 2002 and with the end of that licence is now continuing as Flyte. Raddin's schtick has been offering good value for money and you don't have to search far to find raves about his customer service too. The Aresti certainly follows in the value-for-money tradition, offering a seamless-tubed 3Al/2.5V titanium frame for US899 and a complete Deore LX-equipped bike for US$1,750. The Flyte is intended for use with 70-100mm travel forks, making it suitable for cross-country racing and general trail riding. It features tube sizes tailored to the frame size, with bigger pipes on larger frames, and welded bottle bosses. An 18in frame weighs 3.52lb, according to Flyte. More info: www.flyte1.com Descente for CSC For 2006 the CSC team will be clothed by Descente, the clothing company founded in Japan in the 1930s that has been making a comeback in the US in the last few years. Alongside the deal, Descente will launch a new line of cycling clothing and sportswear. "It's a tremendous opportunity for us to be part of the best professional cycling team in the world. Team CSC is among the favorites for the overall victory in the Tour de France, which makes it possible for us to get exposure for our brand in an exceptional way," said Jim Mohan, Descente's director of Design and Marketing. "Descente stands for top quality and personally I'm very happy we have made this deal with them. When I think back to my own career as a rider Descente has always had the reputation of being the best in terms of cycling apparel. They maintain an extremely high standard of quality, which fits in perfectly with our way of thinking," added CSC team owner Bjarne Riis. More info: www.descenteathletic.com SmartWool 3/4 sock Cosy socks from SmartWool With winter biting in the northern hemisphere, it's time to think about rugging up from top to toe to fend off the chill. SmartWool's new 3/4-length cycling sock is a little taller than standard bike socks so that it helps bridge the gap between your shoes and the bottom of your tights. Smartwool Microweight tee Made from a blend of 71 percent wool, 24 percent Nylon and 5 percent Spandex, the sock is part of SmartWool's extensive line of cycling and outdoor clothing. Most of the range is made from pure New Zealand Merino wool, such as the NTS (Nest To Skin) Microweight tank and tee shirts. SmartWool claims that the big advantage of the fabric is that it transports moisture through the fibers and away from the skin while it's still a vapour. "Instead of waiting for moisture to condense, they transport it while still in the vapor state, complementing your body's natural cooling process," says SmartWool's Ryan Guay. That helps make wool a year-round fabric and not just for winter. More info: www.smartwool.com A good year for Fulcrum The folks at Italian wheel-maker Fulcrum - an offshoot of component manufacturer Campagnolo - are congratulating themselves on a successful first year in the peloton. Fulcrum supplied wheels this year to Quick-Step-Innergetic, Saunier Duval-Prodir and Ceramica Panaria Navigare. From Tom Boonen's success in the first stage of Paris-Nice to Paolo Bettini's win at the Giro di Lombardia, Fulcrum-sponsored riders clocked up 20 ProTour victories. That tally included Boonen's world championship victory, and beyond the ProTour the year's triumphs also included Ceramica Panaria Navigare finishing atop the team rankings in the UCI European Tour. More info: www.fulcrumwheels.com Cannondale appoints Chris Peck to vice-president of R&D Bike manufacturer Cannondale has announced the appointment of Chris Peck as its vice president of research and development. Peck has worked for Cannondale's engineering department for ten years and has been involved with the development of Cannondale's high-end road frames including the CAAD series, Six13 and Synapse. Peck is also rider/manager of the Fiordifrutta team, which enables him to bring direct racing experience to his job. It's a gig many bike riders would kill for, and Peck is aware of just how lucky he is. "I've always felt fortunate to build and ride bikes for a living," he said. "Cannondale has the highest performance standards in the industry. I'm looking forward to working with an exceptional team of people-who share a vision in bringing nothing short of the best bikes to market in every segment." More info: www.cannondale.com