New Arrivals – March 10, 2008 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. Gary Fisher Procaliber Subaru-Gary Fisher team riders Photo ©: James Huang Subaru-Gary Fisher team riders have a new full-suspension race machine in their quiver to replace the stillborn Race Day. The new HiFi XC is not only lighter at a claimed 2350g with shock and hardware (the Race Day was approximately 2400g) but also 29 percent stiffer overall. Much of the improvement comes courtesy of a new asymmetrical carbon-and-aluminum co-molded rear end; the front triangle is a more conventional hydroformed and double-butted 6066 aluminum unit. Not surprisingly, the single-pivot HiFi XC is based on Gary Fisher's successful HiFi Trail platform but with several key differences. Travel has been reduced to a more race-friendly 90mm in the rear and a firmer mid- and end stroke offers a snappier feel under power. The front center dimension has also been lengthened while the head tube has been shortened to yield a more aggressive rider position. Saddle setback has also been increased roughly 15mm. Our Procaliber tester sits at the top of the heap and is equipped with an assortment of high-end goodies, including a Shimano XTR crankset, SRAM X.0 trigger shifters and rear derailleur, Avid Juicy Ultimate brakes, a plethora of Bontrager Race X Lite bits and Fox Racing Shox suspension front and rear. Total weight on our medium-sized tester is an encouraging 10.7kg (23.6lb) without pedals. Now we just need the trails to dry out a bit! Price: US$5499.99 Jamis Xenith SL Jamis continues its march upscale Photo ©: James Huang A US$6500 bike from Jamis? Yup, you read correctly and at least on paper, we might even argue that it's a relative bargain at that. Jamis has been making steady strides upstream over the last years and the new Xenith SL is its latest salvo fired into the heated high-end road bike market. Claimed weight is sub-900g on our 54cm tester courtesy of a healthy smattering of ultra-high modulus carbon fiber but Jamis has apparently been mindful of ride quality and stiffness. Frame details include so-called 'tri-oval' down tube and top tubes to optimize lateral rigidity and comfort, asymmetrical chain stays and full-length seat stays that Jamis says are more comfortable than monostay designs. Reinforcing ribs on the inner surfaces of both the seat- and chain stays augment lateral rigidity even further and a Jamis-designed and built one-piece carbon fork rounds out the chassis. Our tester comes equipped with a top-shelf component package consisting of a SRAM Red gruppo, Zipp 404 tubulars, an FSA K-Force Light crankset, Easton cockpit and San Marco Aspide saddle. Total weight without pedals is a superb 5.98kg (13.16lb) straight out of the box. Price: US$6500 Serotta HSG Carbon Serotta reminds riders of its racing heritage Photo ©: James Huang Serotta might not be the first name to come up when most consumers think of race bikes these days but the company's background is well-rooted in the sport (remember Davis Phinney?). While much of the range's premium pricing still limits the audience to well-heeled baby boomers Serotta is making a concerted effort to remind folks of its racing heritage (and the fact that its bikes aren't just showpieces). Our HSG Carbon tester is good evidence of that with its lugged full-carbon construction and Torsion Core 2 tubing that includes Serotta's now-trademark Colorado Concept shaping. According to Serotta, the HSG Carbon is the stiffest and most race-worthy frame in its catalog but the relatively small-diameter tube and arced seat stays suggest it's still quite comfortable. The frameset weight is also highly competitive at a claimed 1500g. More importantly, though, build quality and detailing is absolutely superb at first inspection and we have high hopes indeed for the ride characteristics. Our tester comes equipped with Serotta's SRAM Force build kit, which includes a full SRAM Force gruppo (save for a Shimano chain), Zipp Team CSC aluminum clinchers, an FSA bar, stem and seatpost, a fi'zi:k Arione saddle and a timeless Chris King NoThreadset. Total weight is a race-worthy 7.21kg (15.89lb) without pedals. How will it perform? You'll have to wait and see. Price: US$6825 (as tested); US$4275 (frame and S-Fork only) Isaac Sonic The full-carbon Sonic frame from Germany-based Isaac Photo ©: James Huang German-based carbon specialist Isaac (as in Sir Isaac Newton) has redesigned its top-end Sonic frame with a new true monocoque frame and light weight as its main objective. Indeed, actual frame weight on our relatively large 57cm tester is an impressive 990g (we had to build this one from the ground up) and the accompanying monocoque carbon fork is 380g with an uncut 1 1/8"-to-1 1/4" tapered steerer tube. The giant tube proportions suggest that the Sonic will still be quite rigid, though. The cylindrical down tube is nearly as wide as the bottom bracket shell throughout its length and the top tube begins as a massive unit up front before tapering down and flowing gracefully into the wide seat stays. The chain stays are also decidedly enormous at the bottom bracket. All of this surface area combined with so little weight does come with the expected price, though; a quick 'squeeze test' tells us without a doubt that the tube walls are frighteningly thin. Be that as it may, we're still looking forward to giving this one a go. Build kit is primarily Campagnolo including the Record gruppo and Neutron Ultra clincher wheelset. Finishing bits include a Deda Elementi Newton oversized bar and stem, Selle Italia SLR Trans Am saddle and Veloflex open tubular tires. Total weight without pedals is a just barely UCI-legal 6.83kg (15.05lb). Price: US$3199 Specialized Roval Roubaix 322X wheelset Specialized's Roval Roubaix 322X wheelset Photo ©: James Huang Is it classics season already? Yup, sure is and Specialized steps to the plate with its eponymous Roval Roubaix 322X clincher road wheelset. In marked contrast to the slew of deep-section wheels we've tested lately, the Roubaix 322x prioritizes ride comfort and durability courtesy of its shallow 19mm-deep aluminum box-section rim and relatively generous 24/30 front/rear spoke count. Crossed lacing is used all around for even more comfort and Specialized's DoubleDrive lacing pattern puts twice as many DT Swiss Aerolite spokes on the driveside for more even spoke tension. DT Swiss is also tapped for the front and rear hub internals and the front hub shell includes a snazzy carbon fiber center tube. Campagnolo and Shimano/SRAM-compatible freehub bodies are available and titanium quick-release skewers are included. Actual weight of our test set is a reassuring 1586g per set (plus 92g for skewers). If all goes well, we'll be testing these wheels on some actual Belgian cobbles come April! Price: US$1050 Specialized Roval Contrôle XC Race Disc wheelset The Roval nameplate also carries over Photo ©: James Huang Specialized has expanded the Roval nameplate to the off-road side as well with two models including our Contrôle XC Race Disc test wheelset. The lightweight hoops are definitely XC race-friendly at just 1428g per set (plus 106g for skewers) and the Stan's NoTubes look-alike alloy rims are tubeless-ready by virtue of the included sealing tape and valve stems. DT Swiss provides the front and rear hub internals as well as the Revolution 2.0/1.5/2.0mm stainless steel spokes and Pro Lock alloy nipples. Spoke counts are a reasonable 24/28 front/rear and Specialized's DoubleDrive lacing pattern is used up front to better handle disc brake loads. Look for a more in-depth review once the trails dry out a bit. Price: US$830 Photography For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com Subaru-Gary Fisher team riders have a new full-suspension race platform for the 2008 season, the HiFi XC. The HiFi XC frame design is based on the HiFi Trail but with shorter travel and racier geometry. Gary Fisher's Genesis 2.0 geometry is said to yield the same high-speed stability as on original Genesis geometry but now with improved low-speed handling. Our top-level Procaliber model comes with a top-shelf parts spec. Jamis continues its march upscale with the new ultralight Xenith SL. Jamis says the dual seat stays offer a more compliant ride than wishbone designs. The premium build kit includes a SRAM Red group and Easton components. It's not often that a production bike comes with Zipp 404 tubulars but in the case of the Jamis Xenith SL, we're certainly not complaining. The full-carbon Sonic frame from Germany-based Isaac is just 990g but its giant tube proportions suggest it's still very stiff. The massive head tube promises precise steering. The wide seat stays flow gracefully into the top tube. Enormous chain stays sprout from the well-reinfoced bottom bracket shell. Serotta reminds riders of its racing heritage with its competition-friendly HSG Carbon. Tube-and-lug carbon construction is alive and well and few do it better than Serotta. The curved seat stays supposedly provide somewhat of a leaf spring effect to the rear end. The included carbon fork is available in a number of different tunes to suit the particular application. Specialized's Roval Roubaix 322X wheelset harkens back to the olden days with its high spoke count and box-section rims. The rear hub utilizes its DoubleDrive lacing pattern for more equalized spoke tension. The shallow rim should provide a more comfortable ride than a deep-section one. The Roval nameplate also carries over on to the off-road side of things with the Contrôle XC Race Disc model. Included rim tape seals the inside of the rim for tubeless compatibility a la Stan's NoTubes hoops. Hub internals are made by DT Swiss and include the aluminum freehub body and star ratchet driver.