Zipp 300 cranks
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Zipp 300 crankset and 185 bottom bracket
Zipp uses a unique bonding process that allows it to use less aluminum
and more carbon in the 300 road crankset. Zipp says the additional
carbon not only produces a lighter crankset but also a stiffer and
more durable one. Weight on our 172.5mm test set was a stunning
464g with 39/53T chainrings and a mix of aluminium and titanium
hardware.
Zipp sticks with a traditional three-piece configuration for a
low Q-factor and uses an ISIS spline pattern to mate the crank to
its 185 bottom bracket. The 185 BB uses double-wide cartridge bearings
for durability and rigidity and a hollow titanium spindle to drop
the weight of our test BB to just 182g. /JH
More info: www.zipp.com
MSRP: US$750 (300 crankset), US$250 (185 titanium bottom
bracket)
fi'zi:k Arione Carbon with
carbon rails
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fi'zi:k Arione Carbon with carbon rails
Having established a reputation for making very comfortable seats,
fi'zi:k is now going after the gram-counters with the latest version
of its Arione Wing Flex seat. With the previous titanium rails replaced
with braided carbon fiber, but retaining the popular carbon-reinforced
WingFlex hull, the new incarnation weighs just 190g on our scale.
More importantly, fi'zi:k says the new rails are just as strong
as its previous solid titanium rails, despite being 20g lighter./JS
More info: www.fizik.com
MSRP: US$285
Shimano WH-7801-SL road wheels
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Shimano WH-7801-SL road wheels
Tubeless road tires aren't even available to the general public
yet, but Shimano has already released it new tubeless-compatible
WH-7801 road wheels. The lightweight scandium alloy rim uses a solid
outer wall for air retention and the rear rim incorporates an offset
spoke bed for more even tension. Dura-Ace quality hubs use polished
bearing surfaces and an aluminium 10spd-compatible freehub body.
The WH-7801-SL wheels use 16 butted and bladed spokes up front and
20 in back, and the nipples are located at the hub flange to reduce
rotating weight. Our test set weighed 1610g without skewers./JH
More info: www.shimano.com
MSRP: US$979
Nike Altea Plus shoes
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Nike Altea II Plus
It's getting increasingly hard to find shoes that will take anything
but cleats that conform to Look's three-bolt fixing pattern. Riders
who prefer pedals with other cleat designs, such as Crank Brothers
Quattros or the Shimano SPD-R of a couple of years ago will be pleased
to see that Nike is looking after them with the Altea II Plus, which
has cleat mountings in its carbon fiber sole for just about every
bolt pattern there is.
Up top, the Altea II Plus' synthetic leather upper fastens with
the tried-and-tested three-strap design, with a ratchet buckle for
quick and easy closing of the top strap. There's a moulded heel
cup to keep your foot stable, and dual density insoles for support
and comfort. A women's version is also available./JS
More info: www.nikecycling.com
MSRP: $169.99
Nike Poggio IV Ultralight
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Nike Poggio IV Ultralight
At the other end of the sclae, Nike's Poggio IV Ultralights take
only a three-bolt cleat, and are about as simple as it's possible
for a cycling shoe to be. There's no ratchet here, or any other
mechanical closure, just three Velcro straps, because that's the
lightest way of fastening a shoe. And The Poggio's live up to their
name, tipping the scales at a mere 480g/pr in a size 43. The only
way to get anything lighter, as far as we know, is to shell out
two to four times as much for fully handmade or custom shoes from
companies such as Lust Racing and Rocket7./JS
More info: www.nikecycling.com
MSRP: $199.99
Dinotte Ultralight
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Dinotte Ultralight
Dinotte's aim with this compact, high-power single-LED light was
to make the ultimate front light for road bike use. While mountain
bikers like the huge light output of HID and multi-LED designs,
what you need for road cycling is lots of light, in a compact, low-weight
assembly. To that end Dinotte uses a five-Watt Luxeon LED powered
by four rechargeable AA cells that sit in a pouch under your handlebar
stem. The whole shebang weighs just 200g, leaves spots in your eyes
for several minutes if you're foolish enough to look straight into
it and has a claimed run time of 180 minutes in low power mode and
100 in high, with 2300 mAh cells./JS
More info: www.dinottelighting.com
(in the UK: www.on-one.co.uk)
MSRP: US$249.99 (with 2300mAh AA cells & charger), UKP119.00
(without batteries or charger)
White Industries ENO Disc
hub
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White Industries ENO Disc hub
White Industries offers up an elegant solution to the problem of
achieving proper chain tension on a fixed/single-speed bike with
vertical dropouts. The offset mounting holes in the axle of White
Industries' ENO Disc hub create a built-in eccentric and eliminate
the need to run a separate tensioner. The ENO Disc uses a highly
polished aluminum body and solid aluminum axle along with a pair
of stainless steel axle ends. Hub shell is threaded for a standard
BMX-style freewheel and is compatible with IS six-bolt rotors. A
clever disc caliper mount also incorporates a similar eccentric
to maintain proper brake alignment. Our test hub weighed 386g with
mounting hardware, and the special caliper mount adds an additional
48g.
The ENO Disc hub is available in 32h and 36h drillings and silver
or black anodized hub shells. 135mm OLD spacing is standard, but
130mm spacing is also available for you singlespeed/fixie cyclocross
freaks out there./JH
More info: www.whiteind.com
MSRP: US$160 (hub); US$60 (caliper mount)
Powercordz brake cables
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Powercordz
Here's yet another way to shed a few grams. Powercordz are brake
and gear cables in which the standard steel inner wires are replaced
with a high-strength synthetic cord made from polybisbenzoxazole
(PBO). The polymer inner wires are noticably lighter than steel
ones and manufacturer Io DuPont claims weight savings of 30-60g
over a complete bike./JS
More info: www.powercordz.com
(in Australia: www.smoothride.com.au)
MSRP: $199.99
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