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Tech News – May 23, 2003
Edited by Paul Mirtschin
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Oval and Cannondale
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Oval Concepts has announced its sponsorship of the #1-ranked SAECO/Cannondale team for 2003. Oval will provide SAECO/Cannondale with JetStream A900 carbon aero forks for their time trial bikes for both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France.
"It is an honour and privilege and a big responsibility to be working with both the SAECO Team and Cannondale," said Morgan Nicol, President of Oval Concepts. "Racing with the SAECO Team means providing performance at the highest level. Working with Cannondale means meeting quality-testing standards at the highest level. This is an excellent test for our high-end products and our young company."
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Each leg of the 495gram JetStream A900 fork features a pair of aerodynamic "slots" designed to modify the airflow around the spokes at the top of the wheel. The fork's designer, John Cobb, claims that this will give the fork a 55 second time saving in a one hour time trial at 35 km/h over a generic aero fork.
Dirt Works Australia has recently started importing the range of Oval components, and director of sales, Wayne Chapman, told Cyclingnews that the Jet Stream fork would retail for AU$1099.
This is not the first partnership that Oval has made with Cannondale, as they recently signed to sponsor the Siemens/Cannondale mountain bike team, providing the team with bars and stems.
Shhh... Secret Saddle
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fi'zi:k has snuck out a snippet of information about a soon to be released, very hush-hush saddle, the Arione.
Designed with the assistance of Gilberto Simoni, the carbon reinforced shell/ titanium railed saddle features fi'zi:k's secret Wing Flex technology; so secret, fi'zi:k won't tell us what it is.
The Arione is expected to weigh 210 grams and will come with a US$110 pricetag. It is expected to become available in October.
Two C2 saddles
And speaking of saddles, Selle Italia has rolled out yet another new saddle, this time a carbon/Rylsan nylon composite saddle called the C2.
The C2 will be available in two models, the C2 Standard, made from top grain leather and available in black, yellow, red and blue, and the C2 Genuine Gel, featuring silicon gel inserts to improve comfort.
Trek's new sport-performance helmet
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Trek is to release a new sport-level helmet named the Interval. Aimed at the US$50 price bracket, the 21-vent helmet features a "Hard Cote" in-moulded shell, internal reinforcement and Trek's "ZipTite" fit system, offering 8 cm of adjustment.
The helmet also comes in both male and female models, each designed to better fit each sex's head shapes.
Catlike helmets recalled
CPSC has announced that Catlike USA will be recalling all Catlike Kompact bike helmets as the helmets fail impact testing required under CPSC's safety standard for bicycle helmets.
Approximatly 2,250 of the Catlike Kompact were sold between March 2002 and February 2003. CPSC reports that although no injuries have been reported, consumers should stop using the helmets immediately.
A Ducati in the peloton?
Ducati and Oakley have teamed up to produce custom versions of Oakley's Minute, Straight Jacket, Valve, Juliet and Half Jacket sunglasses with Ducati colour schemes and laser-engraved lenses with Ducati trademarks.
The sunglasses will be sold through both Oakley's and Ducati's distribution points.
Bikes with bounce
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The always-changing world of mountain bikes is set to see the introduction of two new long-travel suspension forks in the coming months, with both Marzocchi and Magura testing new models.
The Marzocchi Bomber 888 forks have been seeing some intense testing under Kona/Clarkes riders Fabian Barel and Tracy Moseley over the past month at both the Red Bull Downtown event in Lisbon and the first round of the NORBA series at Big Bear.
Magura is set to release its new Thor freeride fork to the masses around September, and the interest is already building. The new fork will be adjustable from 110-150mm of travel, will come in the OnePointFive headtube standard only, and is rumoured to weigh only 2.4kg (5.3lb), due to its carbon-fibre/aluminium construction.
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In an attempt to make it as stiff as possible, the fork will feature a double-brake-arch design, placing a brake-arch both in front of, and behind, the fork's stanchions.
Another exciting feature if the Albert Plus rebound damping system. This has both separate high and low speed adjustable damping, something more and more suspension systems are featuring.
The Thor will replace the MID EGO fork. No price has been released at this time.
Crossing the Ti
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After building up a custom frame for former national cyclocross champion and three peaks winner Nick Craig, On-One's resident decision-maker, Brant Richards has decided to release a run of titanium cyclocross frames based on the same design.
Not one to stick to "the one true way", On-One has designed the frames to run 135mm MTB hubs instead of the 130mm road spacing, and has also designed the frame to run disc brakes up to 165mm in diameter. Brant says, "The weight weenies can always take a Dremel to it"
If your bent is touring, the frame also comes with mudguard mounts. The frame will set you back only £799.
Giro by the numbers
Members of Cipollini's Domina Vacanze - Elitron team have been using Specialized Speed Zone P.Brain computers to track their numbers during the Giro d'Italia. Michele Scarponi has been making his results available after each stage, allowing people to check out the speeds, elevation gain, and heart rate of this young GC hopeful.
The P.Brain has an interface to download and analyze the data on a PC, as well as heartrate monitor, altimeter, current/max/average speed, digital clock, odometer, trip distance and auto time mode.
Check out the Domina Vacanze - Elitron website to see what Scarponi is putting his body through.
Photos
- Marzocchi Bomber 888 forks on Tracey Moseley's Kona Stab DeeLux
- Oval Concepts JetStream A900 forks
- A bright white Selle Italia C2 saddle
- Oval Concepts R700TT aero bars
- Another look at the JetStream A900 forks
- Oval Concepts A900 aero bar
- An artistic look at Simoni's fi’zi:k Arione saddle
- What is hidden in this picture?
- The underside of the fi’zi:k Arione
- The tubular Vanox rails on Selle Italia's C2 saddle
- Trek's new Interval helmet
- The new Magura Thor forks
- A look at the AlbertPlus speed-sensitive damping adjustment
- Looking through the vents on the JetStream A900 forks
- On-One's titanium cyclocross frame
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