Tech News – May 26, 2006 Edited by John Stevenson, James Huang & Mark Zalewski Got tech? Send press releases, news, and tech questions to the Cyclingnews tech desk. Litespeed Vortex 20th anniversary edition Litespeed Blade 20th anniversary edition Litespeed #1 - Litespeed #100,000 The first Litespeed's head tube The Ghisallo headtube Early Litespeed dropouts Current dropouts Litespeed celebrates 20 years Tennessee bike maker Litespeed, famed for its manufacturing of high-quality titanium frames, is celebrating its 20th birthday this year. To mark the occasion, Litespeed is making two very limited 20th anniversary editions of its Vortex and Blade bikes. Only 20 of each will be available and they'll cost a rather eye-watering US$10,000 each. For that you get a bike with a special complete custom paint job with stencial art instead of decals, Dura Ace components with custom graphic Zipp 404 wheels and other high-end components such as FSA K-Force MegaExo cranks. Litespeed's titanium frames were officially unveiled to the world at the 1986 Long Beach trade show in California. At the time, the only other significant maker of titanium frames was Merlin Metalworks in Cambridge, MA and through the late '80s and early '90s the two companies blazed a trail for the material. In the early '90s, if you didn't want a Merlin or a Litespeed, it was probably because you hadn't heard of them, especially if you rode mountain bikes. The ride quality and durability of the bikes made from the grey metal were legendary. Nevertheless, it's pretty startling to contrast the quality of finish of the very first Litespeed frame with more recent examples. These pictures, courtesy of Litespeed's PR guy Herbert Krabel, show the very first Litespeed frame ever made, and details of the welding at the head tube and dropouts, with more recent examples from the 100,000th Litespeed, a Ghisallo. While failures of those early Litespeeds were very rare, the modern versions manage to combine titanium's rep for durability with extremely tidy fine-scaled welding too./JS More information: www.litespeed.com Ellsworth hits the road with demo tour Keep your eyes open for the Ellsworth rig Ellsworth's mountain bikes are already quite well-known (and well-respected) but the company is looking to generate more grassroots exposure to its ICT (Instant Center Tracking) suspension designs. According to David Wisenteiner, Ellsworth's VP of sales and marketing, "It is not really a secret that Ellsworth has some of the finest bikes in the world but in many parts of the country, actually seeing and riding one has been a bit like getting into Area 51. And as you know, talking about how great a high-end mountain bike rides is a bit like describing a color; you have to ride to know." In response to this, Ellsworth has sent two of their employees, Carol Gibbs and Mike Burgess, on a nationwide tour with a fleet of demo bikes, "with the express purpose of putting butts on seats." Although successful on the race circuit, the company is focusing on its core audience of 'advanced enthusiasts' and selected stops reflect this ideology. Gibbs and Burgess have already made stops at major events such as the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, CA and the Fat Tire Festival in Fruita, CO, but smaller stops at Ellsworth dealers as well as random trailheads are also on the table. The complete schedule is available on Ellsworth's web site, but keep an eye out for the dragon-festooned Ellsworth rig at your local trailhead./JH More information: www.ellsworthbikes.com Believe it or not, it's nearly show season again Although still several months away, online registration for this year's Interbike International Bicycle Expo is already available. The premier industry-only trade show will be held from September 27-29 in the now-traditional Sands Expo in Las Vegas, NV. As in recent years, the expo will be preceded by two days of OutDoor Demo in nearby Bootleg Canyon where show attendees will be able to try out some upcoming 2007 product firsthand. According to Lance Camisasca, Interbike show director, "we're looking forward to having a full house, Vegas pun intended, and seeing and learning about the industry's latest products and services. With the busy retail summer season ramping up, we encourage attendees to register now and be prepared for Interbike." Early registration will, indeed, have its advantages, as those registering prior to August 18 will receive show credentials in the mail well in advance of the event and will also avoid on-site registration fees. /JH Your friends may make fun of you Tunnel Vision Sweat GUT'R Texas company Tunnel Vision has developed what it calls the "ultimate sweatband solution". The descriptively-named Sweat GUTR uses a unique lip to channel perspiration out to the sides of a rider's face, and away from your eyes and glasses. The GUTR easily adapts to fit with most helmets and head sizes, and the stretchy and soft PVC material is said to be completely hypoallergenic. As odd as the concept may sound initially, pro riders have clearly taken notice. The Rite Aid and Team Orbea professional squads are both already using the GUTR in competition, and Team Jelly Belly is currently evaluating the product. In addition, according to Greg Thurmond, Tunnel Vision's VP of sales and marketing, the company is also trying to break into the world of mainstream professional sports, such as basketball, as well as industrial uses and multiple application patents have either been already granted or are pending. We've been using the GUTR ourselves quite a bit over the past couple of months, and have been surprisingly impressed. In spite of our initial doubts and hesitance (along with a giggle or two), the GUTR not only works as advertised, but has been almost completely unnoticeable from both a comfort and visual standpoint once it's properly positioned beneath a helmet. It seems like the boys in Texas may be on to something here…/JH More information: www.sweatgutr.com Shimano recalls front skewers Shimano American Corporation has identified a "potential safety issue" regarding several models of front quick release skewers purchased or received after November 1, 2005. Affected product lines include certain Dura-Ace, Ultegra, and 105 hubs and wheels, XTR and XT hubs and wheels, as well as certain Sport Dynamo front hubs. All of the skewers in question are silver in color; black skewers are safe to use, Shimano says. Corrective action will vary depending on region, and the company's replacement plan has yet to be approved in the US by CPSC. Regardless, Shimano requests that the skewers be removed from service immediately to prevent any incidents but says there have been no reported accidents or injuries directly related to the defective skewers. Those riders impacted by the recall should consult their local bicycle shop or Shimano's web site for further action. Shimano has issued the details below to help customers identify whether their skewers are affected. /JH More information: www.shimano.com Oakley Blade II Oakley Time Tank Oakley Transitions and Time Pieces The Oakley crew in Foothills Ranch, CA is keeping up with the bling factor as well as making a transition. First, Oakley has partnered with Transitions Optical, a developer of the photochromic technology that enables lenses to change colour based upon lighting conditions, to produce a range of light-sensitive glasses. Sounds easier than stopping and changing lenses whenever the sun ducks behind a cloud. The new lenses will be available on variety of models near the end of May. Oakley also has a couple of new watches coming this summer, in time for its riders to sport them at the Tour. The first is the Blade II, which is construced from high-grade stainless steel. The steel is sculpturally blended and a five-jewel quartz movement is powered by a 74-month battery. This watch has a strap of, it says here, Advanced Unobtainium®. The US $450 retail price might seem a little high now, but keep reading. For those riders that do something truly special at Le Tour, Oakley has an equally special watch for the rider to wear on the podium. Made from titanium, the TIME TANK is a lightweight, Swiss made watch with a gold plated 13-jewel quartz movement and the ability to measure cumulative time, intermediate time and split time. And with a retail price of US $1,195, it better be a special win indeed./MZ More information: www.oakley.com Rotor's 54T crank Rotor goes big Crank and chainring maker Rotor has announced the imminent availability of a 54-tooth, 130mm BCD version of its elliptical Q-Ring. The company says it has had "many requests for a larger collection of Q-Rings" and that the new size, which will be available July 1, will be part of "a series of new Q-Ring variants that we will be launching throughout the summer of 2006." Other new rings imminent from Rotor include: 52T & 50T x 130 bcd (both available early June); 46T x 130 (for cyclocross; end July); 42T & 44T x 130 bcd (for use with 54T TT Q-Ring, end June & end July respectively); XTR-size MTB rings (2006 & earlier 146/102/64 bcd, 45/33/23, end of June); 38T x104bcd (for single-speed and downhill, end July); 53/40/30 x130bcd(for Road Triple, end July)./JS More information: www.rotorbike.com Sibex Stella Rosa Red star rising Sibex Sports has announced a new addition to its range of titanium frames and accessories, the Stella Rosa. The new frame's joints are made from the same Russian 3Al/2.5V titanium as other Sibex frames, but they are mostly bridged with Italian Columbus carbon fiber tubing, which replaces titanium in the top tube, down tube, seatstays and chainstays. "The carbon tubes are oversized to give that great stiffness and ride quality while lowering the overall weight of the frame," said Scott Mares of Sibex. Each Stella Rosa is hand made and custom sizing is available./JS RRP: $2,800 More information: www.sibexsports.com FSA awarded Component maker FSA has been awarded a 'Fiets Rai 2006 Innovation Award' at the recent Rai Cycle Show in the Netherlands. FSA got the gong, awarded to the most innovative products in the bike industry, for its FSA MegaExo Ceramic bottom bracket (James Huang took a quick look at the bearings at last year's Interbike)./JS More information: www.fullspeedahead.com