New Arrivals – August 23, 2007 Edited by James Huang Got Tech? Send press releases, news, and tech questions to the Cyclingnews tech-heads. 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. Trek Madone 5.2 The Trek Madone is all-new for 2008 Photo ©: James Huang Trek redesigned its successful Madone road racing range from top to bottom for 2008 with shapely new look and a wealth of innovative features. The integrated seat mast requires no cutting yet offers a total of six different seat 'caps' to accommodate a wide variety of rider physiologies, a newly oversized and tapered 1 1/2"-to-1 1/8" E2 steerer tube and front end deliver lighter weight and more precise handling, and the fully integrated bottom bracket accepts nearly all modern crankset systems currently on the market while shedding weight and unneeded parts in the process. The 90mm-wide bottom bracket shell design also allowed Trek frame designers to incorporate a correspondingly massive down tube and more widely set chain stays for extra drivetrain rigidity, yet Trek also claims that the new frame is more vertically compliant than the previous version. Our Madone 5.2 tester is built around Trek's OCLV Black Series frame, yet in spite of its middle rung on the corporate carbon fiber totem pole, is said to be identical to what Alberto Contador and the Discovery Channel team used in this year's Tour de France. Shod in Shimano's new-for-2008 Ultegra SL group, Bontrager Race Lite clincher wheels, and a smattering of other Bontrager components, our 54cm tester weighs in at just 7.3kg (16.1lb) without pedals. Price: US$3519 Sampson Diablo 20 The Sampson Diablo 20 promises a high-performance ride Photo ©: Mark Zalewski Sampson Sports is not a new kid on the block by any means, but it may seem that way to cyclists who have only recently jumped into the sport. The company has a long history with components, including clipless pedals and cranksets, and now delivers a solid line of bikes and frames as well. The Diablo 20 celebrates Sampson Sports' two decades of business with a full-carbon fibre frame that offers the lofty promise of a truly high performance machine that is not only supremely comfortable but also won't break the bank in the process. "While far from the light weight of our [regular] Diablo, I think you will be very impressed with the power, smoothness, and exceptional value," said Eric Sampson. The frame's purportedly unique damping capabilities come courtesy of the Sampson Attenuation System (SAS), in which foam polymers of varying durometers are injected directly into the tubes to absorb road vibrations as they ascend the frame to the rider. Our test bike came complete with SRAM Rival shifters and deraillurs, Easton EC90 fork, as well as Reynolds Cycling's excellent Attack carbon wheels; but everything else is Sampson's own brand of Stratics components, including the crankset, chainrings, pedals, and 260g/pair brake calipers (which retail for just US$199 for the set). Sampson Sports also offers standard Shimano and Campagnolo options as well, in addition to other custom options. /MZ Price: US$2699 (frame and fork); $4418 (as built) Selle Italia Flite Kit Carbonio The Selle Italia Flite Kit Carbonio Photo ©: James Huang How does one go about improving or updating a legend? Carefully. The iconic Selle Italia Flite that single-handedly sparked the lightweight saddle revolution undergoes its own extreme makeover to yield a new model that bears little resemblance to the original, but supposedly delivers the same classic fit and feel (and there are no painful surgeries or embarrassing TV cameras hovering about, either). In addition to the radical new look, the new Flite Kit Carbonio model also sports a new composite shell and one-piece carbon fiber rails that bring its weight down to just 156g. Selle Italia sticks to its roots, however, by offering a good old fashioned full-grain leather cover in either black or the currently en vogue white. Price: US$221.99 Selle Italia LDY Sport Gel Flow The Selle Italia LDY Sport Gel Flow Photo ©: James Huang Selle Italia mostly leaves things well enough alone for its Flite LDY Sport Gel Flow update, retaining the shell shape and overall design of the existing model which has proven to work rather well. The Trans Am cutout coupled with silicone gel inserts promise to deliver long-term comfort with minimized soft tissue pressure, while tubular Vanox rails help to keep weight in check. As with the Flite Kit Carbonio, Selle Italia elects to use a genuine full-grain leather cover for the LDY Sport Gel Flow (although it's also perforated in this case), which is further enhanced with reflective details along the rear edge. Actual weight of our tester is 276g. Price: US$116.99 Spiuk ZS1RC road shoes The ZS1RC is Spiuk's top-of-the-line road shoe. Photo ©: James Huang Spanish company Spiuk has left out little in its rather comprehensive range of accessories and clothing, which also includes a line of road and mountain shoes. The top-level ZS1RC road shoes are based on a rigid 'white carbon' sole for efficient power delivery, along with forefoot venting and three-hole cleat compatibility. Uppers are built using a skeleton of 'Livepore' microfiber synthetic sprinkled with liberal doses of nylon mesh. A single ratcheting buckle, two forefoot Velcro straps, and an injection-molded heel cup aim to supply a secure hold. Spiuk supplies the ZS1RC with two sets of insoles: one is fully perforated for use in warmer weather, while the other is only partially perforated to block air uptake from the sole vents. The ZS1RC is only available in whole sizes from 40-46, but few will likely take issue with the Euro-cool factor of the single black/white/silver color option. Weight for our pair of sz44 testers (with summer insoles) is 696g. Price: US$239.99 Spiuk ZS1M MTB shoes The ZS1M is the top off-road offering Photo ©: James Huang For the mountain bike crowd, Spiuk offers the ZS1M with a glass fiber-reinforced nylon sole and aggressively lugged outsole with provisions for a pair of optional toe spikes. The upper boasts similar construction to that of the ZS1RC, with a combination of synthetic leather and nylon mesh, along with a single ratcheting buckle, two forefoot straps, and an injection molded heel cup to lock on to a rider's foot. Also as on the ZS1RC, the ZS1M is delivered with two sets of insoles, one for warmer temperatures and another for colder months. The ZS1M is available in white/red or black/silver, and in whole sizes from 39-46 (depending on color). Our sz40 testers weigh 768g equipped with summer insoles. Price: US$139.99 Photography For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com The Trek Madone is all-new for 2008 with a radically-new frame shape and a plethora of new features. The steerer tube flares from the standard 1 1/8" up top to a huge 1 1/2" down at the crown to yield more precise handling and a lighter, stronger structure. The integrated seat mast differs from others in that it requires no cutting. Trek has revised its carbon frame nomenclature to simplify things. OCLV Black Series designates its mid-level carbon fiber content and lay-up schedule. The Madone 5.2 is equipped with Shimano's new Ultegra SL group. Images by Mark Zalewski/Cyclingnews.com The Sampson Diablo 20 promises a high-performance ride along with supreme vibration damping capabilities courtesy of its Sampson Attenuation System. The Diablo 20 is finished in a bare tinted clearcoat to show off the carbon weave. Our tester is equipped with a number of Sampson components , including the Stratics carbon crankset. The Diablo 20 foregoes showy graphics with a bold, yet understated, finish. The minimal chain stay bridge offers extra rigidity to the rear end. The Sampson stem mates a carbon fiber center tube to aluminum ends. Easton provides the straight-bladed EC90 fork for our tester. Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com The Selle Italia Flite Kit Carbonio maintains the classic Flite's shape but with updated materials for a lighter weight. It looks radically different , but Selle Italia insists that Flite devotees won't be able to tell a difference when sitting on it. Carbon rails pare weight of the Flite Kit Carbonio down to just 156g. The Selle Italia LDY Sport Gel Flow maintains a similar shape as in years past. Suspended rails supposedly offer a bit more shock absorption than if the rails were attached directly to the base of the shell. A series of reflective details offer up some nighttime visibility. The ZS1RC is Spiuk's top-of-the-line road shoe. Full carbon soles promise efficient power delivery. A single ratcheting buckle and a pair of Velcro forefoot straps work to hold your foot in place. The injection molded heel cup combats heel lift. The ZS1M is the top off-road offering from Spanish company Spiuk. Aggressive lugged outsoles suggest surefooted traction in dicey terrain. The micro-adjust buckle should hold on tight while maintaining a fine range of fit. Spiuk supplies its shoes with both winter- and summer-specific insoles.