Recently on Cyclingnews.com |
 Bayern Rundfahrt Photo ©: Schaaf |
Tech News – September 25, 2003
Edited by Paul Mirtschin
Got tech? Send press releases, news, and tech questions to the Cyclingnews tech-heads.
With the trade show season in full swing - EICMA and Eurobike just gone, Interbike still to come - it is getting hard to keep up with all the new models being released by the worlds cycling manufacturers.
Fuji
 |
Fuji has released its 2004 range of bikes, updating most models and introducing a few now bikes for the coming season.
On the road, the Team Issue-T continues to top the range, with its X-Fusion Plus frame with carbon seat stays; 10-speed Dura-Ace; 300 gram Feather X-traLite Carbon Road fork; Ritchey's new featherweight Protocol wheels as well as Ritchey WCS bars, stem, and seatpost. Yours for US$3,999.99.
For those without a bank-manager tied up in the cellar, the Professional offers a similar parts spec mated to an X-Fusion frame, also with the carbon stays, and a US$2,799.99 price tag.
On the dirt, Fuji has added a new hardtail to the range, the carbon-stayed Mt. Fuji-SL The SL comes with a RockShox SID Team fork with remote lockout; SRAM XO 27-speed drivetrain; Ritchey WCS Crankset on an American Classic ISIS Super Lite bottom bracket; and Ritchey WCS wheels, bars, stem and seatpost.
Omega
 |
Omega’s new Alchemy frame is made from custom-drawn 3Al/2.5V titanium tubes with an aero down tube made from 6Al/4V titanium. Omega also machines the Alchemy’s head tube from a solid billet of 6Al/4V titanium.
The hand-made frames are available off-the-peg or custom made to your measurements.
Principia
Principia has also announced the release of its Ellipse SX 2004 Danish Team Edition. Weighing in at a claimed 6.95 kg for the 55cm model, the Ellipse comes equipped with Campagnolo’s Record group; Zipp Z3 wheels; Mavic brakes; and Speedplay Zero Titan Team CSC pedals.
Speedplay
Speedplay has also unveiled some new pedals for 2004, including a break from the traditional clipless pedals in the new Drillium multi-purpose platform pedal. Made from anodized aluminium, the body rolls on three bearings per pedal (one needle, two cartridge), spinning around either a stainless steel or chromoly axle.
Speedplay hasn’t forgotten its clipless models however, adding models with chromoly axle to both the Frog and Zero range.
These pedals are a sharp contrast to the pedals of old, and visitors to Interbike will be able to see just how much technology has advanced, with Speedplay taking its pedal museum to the show. The museum features dozens of bicycle pedals, from the 1860s to the present, and is the brainchild of Speedplay designer and CEO Richard Bryne.
"There has been tremendous interest in the pedal museum on our website," says Bryne. "People are fascinated with the different designs and the anecdotal information included with many of the pedals."
For those who will not be at Interbike, the museum can be viewed online at Speedplay’s website.
Truvativ
 |
Truvativ has also released a new platform pedal in the long awaited Holzfeller. The cast-alloy pedal, featuring one of the lowest profiles around, spins on an oversized chromoly axle and oversized cartridge bearings. The Holzfeller also has replaceable chromoly spikes.
Interloc Racing Design
Interloc has also released a slew of new products, adding to its already popular carbon fibre seatstays, used by Marin, as well as Dean and other small custom frame makers.
 |
First off the rank is a 542 gram, 10- and 9-speed compatible, carbon fibre road crank, using a square taper interface to fit Campagnolo bottom brackets.
And joining the fight to see who can make a bottle cage that doesn’t actually weigh anything is Interloc’s 16 gram carbon fibre bottle cage, selling under the imaginative name of '16G'.
At Interbike, Interloc will also be showing a prototype carbon crank and titanium bottom bracket set that uses the ISIS axle/crank design but outboard bearings a la 2004 Dura-Ace. The Interloc crank differs from Shimano’s crank in that the crank arm can be separated from the bottom bracket.
SRAM
Taking a break from the seemingly never-ending courtroom battles with Shimano, SRAM is set to release its X-9 shifters and rear derailleur. The X-9 shifter differs from its little brother the X-7, in that it uses an alloy thumb shifter and a reprofiled thumb trigger.
The rear derailleur also lightens up a bit by using an alloy cage instead of the X-7’s steel cage, and runs sealed bearing jockey wheels.
Look for a long-term review on the X-7 gear as well as a look at the new X-9 gear in the coming weeks.
DT Swiss
 |
DT Swiss has revealed a single-speed version of the new 240s rear hub. The hub uses DT's "Star-Ratchet" Hugi freewheel mechanism, originally developed for tandem users in the Swiss Alps. The hub also uses Shimano's Centre-Lock disc mounting system, and comes with a cover that hides the disc rotor mount if you are not using disc brakes.
DT Swiss will also be releasing a Shimano Saint compatible hub based on the FR series hub. Both front and rear hubs will feature the Saint CentreLock disc mount.
JanSport
 |
Backpack maker JanSport will enter the hydration pack market in a big way when the company introduces its 2004 line later this year.
Made up of 11 models, the range features three women’s-specific packs, an unusual niche for a hydration pack maker.
Trek Volkswagen rider and 24 World Solo Champion Chris Eatough recently debuted new JanSport Water Tower system at the 24 Hrs of Adrenalin Solo World Championships in Whistler, BC, completing 22 laps in 23.40.04.
First Endurance
Sports supplement maker First Endurance has announced the addition of the Ultragen recovery product to its range. The protein recovery powder uses new flavours to mask the bitterness normally associated with these types of powders.
Navigators rider Burke Swindlehurst said of the flavour “Many other recovery products are palatable for the first few days, but after repeated use I find the gag-reflex kicking in to the point where I contemplate whether I need to use it or not!”.
Ultragen is due to be launched at the start of 2004.
Galfer
European brake component manufacturer Galfer Brakes is branching out into the cycling world with the addition of disc pads, rotors and brake hoses to the range.
Galfer manufactures pads for over 20 different brake systems, with different pad compounds depending on the intended use.
Galfer USA’s Andy Schwartz told Cyclingnews, “Whenever a new caliper comes out, we get a pad sample as soon as possible and proceed to make a batch of samples that we can put through our world class testing program (i.e. we go out and ride the heck out of the samples!). Usually we have new pads in the bike shops within a few months of our getting initial caliper and pad samples.”
Galfer also manufactures a range of rotors in 160mm, 185mm and 203mm diameters, drilled to fit the universal 6 bolt pattern. Galfer are currently working on a prototype rotor to fit Shimano’s Center-Lock mounts.
Look for a review of Galfer’s pads, rotors and stainless steel braided brake lines in the coming months.
Photos
- Interloc Racing Design's 16 gram "16g" bottle cage
- Fuju's top-end Diamond Super Lite FS XC rig
- DT Swiss goes all single-speed
- Fuji's freeride rig; the Adventure Super Lite
- The back of a JanSport hydration pack
- JanSport's Water-Tower hydration pack
- Fuji's carbon-stayed Mt Fuji SL
- Principia 's SX 2004 Danish Team Edition
- Truvativ's Holzfeller pedal
- DT Swiss give an option to the Saint front hub
- The rear DT Swiss Saint compatible hub
- Fuji's high-end Professional
- JanSport's Stinger all-day hydration pack
- The Team-Issue-T from Fuji
- The bladder from JanSport's Water-Tower
- Omega's titanium Alchemy
