Tech News – February 17, 2006 Edited by John Stevenson Got tech? Send press releases, news, and tech questions to the Cyclingnews tech desk. Marriage, Italian style: Bianchi & Ducati join forces By Tim Maloney, European Editor Troy Bayliss Photo ©: Roberto Bettini Ducati's Federico Minoli, Bianchi's Davide Brambilla and Troy Bayliss Photo ©: Roberto Bettini Coppi's 1953 Bianchi specialissima Photo ©: Tim Maloney Not Troy Bayliss' Superbike Photo ©: Tim Maloney From Fausto Coppi in to Felice Bianchi Photo ©: Tim Maloney Two of the most legendary names in the Italian two-wheel field, Bianchi and Ducati, announced a collaboration to create an exclusive range of bicycles at Bianchi's HQ in Treviglio on Wednesday. Bianchi's Davide Brambilla and Ducati's Federico Minoli were on hand along with Ducati's superbike star Troy Bayliss to present the initiative from the two Italian firms. "Once again, Bianchi is together with another historic Italian company. If we add up all the years since Bianchi and Ducati were founded, there's more than 200 years of history in our companies," said Brambilla. "So with this exchange of our mutual passion for two wheels and our vast experience, we believe our collaboration with Ducati will bring forth great things." To be presented at the international bicycle shows towards the end of this season, the new Bianchi-Ducati range will the feature the aggressive colors of red, yellow and black and feature road bikes, MTBs, a city bike and a kids road bike, all using advanced technology elements with a blend of carbon fiber and aluminium. And the new Bianchi-Ducati range will also feature an array of accessories such as bike wear and parts. Cyclingnews caught up with 36 year old Australian Troy Bayliss, who was World Superbike champion in 2001 for the Ducati-Infostrada team and has come back to the boys from Bologna for the 2006 Superbike season after a disappointing season with the Camel Honda Pons squad. Bayliss, who originally hails from Taree, New South Wales, Australia is a likeable and totally professional guy who was happy to chat about his passion for cycling. "I love to ride my bicycle for training, but sometimes it's not compatible when I'm racing," Bayliss told us. "I lost too much upper-body strength when I got down to 64kg, as my (motorcycle) racing weight is 68kg." Bayliss lives in Monte Carlo, but often rides with an Italian team just over the corniche in Ventimiglia. "I still love cycling; I started out a long time ago and did triathlons and even races like [tough Australian one-day race] Grafton-Inverell." Bayliss, who still rides his Bianchi in special Ducati livery from a team deal a few years ago is excited about the collaboration between the two firms. "I think Ducati and Bianchi have a lot in common and there will be exciting products coming from this partnership," he said. More info: www.bianchi.it More photography from the Bianchi-Ducati launch For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here Images by Roberto Bettini/www.bettiniphoto.net Ducati's Federico Minoli, Bianchi's Davide Brambilla and Troy Bayliss at the launch of the new Bianchi-Ducati bike line. Federico Minoli, Davide Brambilla and Troy Bayliss with some very celeste bikes. Davide Brambilla and Troy Bayliss do the grin and grip Troy Bayliss looks like he'd rather be riding. Images by Tim Maloney/Cyclingnews Not Troy Bayliss' Superbike - Ducati's history in racing is almost as long as Bianchi's. Coppi's 1953 Bianchi specialissima with rare aluminium Ambrosio stem Not your father's Ergopower - Coppi's 1953 Bianchi specialissima, with early Campagnolo Gran Sport derailleur Coppi's 1953 Bianchi specialissima - note integrated headset, cast fork crown and compact seat cluster. Still a modern bike over fifty years later. The Man, The Legend - Fausto Coppi & Bianchi are synonomous. Here is Coppi's 1953 Bianchi. From Fausto Coppi in 1953 to Felice Bianchi two decades later, Bianchi always stayed true celeste blue. Gimondi's 1973 Worls Championship Bianchi. Felice Gimondi's 1973 Bianchi - note the elegant World Championship bands pantographed on Gimondi's Cinelli stem. The celeste brand knows no bounds. Here are the AIS-South Australia Bianchi team bikes, complete with 'Roo logo, ready to go to the riders. Calling Peter Dawson, your bike is ready. David Millar Photo ©: Saunier Duval Saunier Duval-Prodir heads for the wind tunnel The Saunier Duval team is in the USA from this weekend for the Tour of califoirnia, which will see a top-quality selection from the Spanish team headed by Gilberto Simoni and including Koldo Gil and Ángel Gómez Marchante. After the race, those three plus the team's new signing David Millar will spend some time in the wind tunnel fine-tuning their new Scott Plasma time trial bikes. More info: www.scottusa.com Campagnolo's 2006 Racing Bibs Airy bibs from Campagnolo Campagnolo has announced the latest incarnation of its Racing Bib Pants, and says the 2006 model is "the most technological bib pants in the Campagnolo line". The main feature of the Racing Bib Pants is a liner with three of Campagnolo's new Air Cushion System (ACS) pads. In a classic 'Campagnolo spoken here' explanation, the company says these pads "prevent the irritating problem of the saddle." And who could complain about that? Campagnolo says the ACS pads combine the advantages of a thin pad with the level of comfort of the thicker pads, providing shock absorption, ventilation and lower weight. The Air Cushion System The Racing Bibs' liner has three pads, two under the ischial bones and one in the perineal area. Campagnolo says the flex of the pads as you ride creates an 'active ventilation' effect, pumping air through the area. The Racing Bibs also have a tubular construction which eliminates some seams, and reflective piping for night-time visibility. They retail for €119. More info: www.campagnolo.com Better pads for carbon rims By Rob Karman After my review of the Reynolds Stratus Cross Wheels I was contacted through Reynolds by brake pad manufacturer SwissStop about the company's carbon rim specific GHP compound pads which it thought might help improve the braking performance of the Reynolds wheels. After finally finding time to install and ride the pads in the midst of a very busy January, I found the improvement to be an almost night and day difference compared with my previous experience with braking on the Reynolds wheels using various different pad compounds (stock Shimano, Avid, Kool Stop Green, etc...) and brake set ups (Avid, Shimano, IRD, toe in, flat to the rim, etc). After thorough testing over the past few weeks I am now quite satisfied with the braking of the Reynolds wheels. If only Reynolds could include these pads with the wheels, but alas there are too many different brakes out there. The SwissStop GHP compound is available in models for smooth post cantilever, threaded post and V-brake type inserts as well as Shimano and Campagnolo road calipers. More info: www.swissstop.ch King raises over ten grand for breast cancer charity Component maker King Cycle Group has raised US$10,316.56 for the Oregon and Southwest Washington affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation through the company's second annual Pretty & Strong sales promotion. King made limited production runs of pink anodized components including its legendary cartridge bearing headset as well as road and mountain bike hubs, headset spacers and stem caps, stickers, and a limited edition t-shirt. The pink bits were available from September 1, 2005 to December 23, 2005 and a portion of the proceeds from each item was set aside as a donation to the local Komen Foundation Affiliate. (The components were also sold by online retailer Competitive Cyclist, which matched the Chris King pledge - see story.) King Cycle Group's Jacki Sterner said the entire company had gotten behind the program. "Obviously, our pink headset is the same as our silver or our black one and so on," she said. "What is unique about the Pretty & Strong pink headset, and the hubs too, is the group of people here at King Cycle Group who decided to make it a symbol for a cause. The dealers who chose to sell it and the riders who chose to buy it carried that commitment to completion. I am continually amazed that we have the people inside our company and customer support outside who can make this sort of thing go." Retailers said the components had been a big hit with riders, especially when the fund-raising purpose behind them was explained. "We built up a special edition Juliana with a Pretty & Strong NoThreadSet and hubs," said store manager Scott Linnville of Bicycle Sport Shop in Austin, TX. "We had a customer come in who absolutely loved it. After we explained the cause behind the promotion she was convinced this was her perfect bicycle. A lot of our staff bought pink headsets, too. I'd say it's the coolest limited edition color ever from Chris King." More info: www.chrisking.com Diamond helmets for Quick.Step Spot the diamond Photo ©: Quick.Step Tom Boonen and his Quick.Step-Innergetic teammates will be wearing some expensive headgear this season, courtesy of Lazer helmets. Each rider will receive a helmet with a golden name plate and a small diamond embedded in it. Tom Boonen and Paolo Bettini will receive a 1.18 carat diamond in recognition of their World Champion and Olympic Champion titles, while all the other members of the team can win a 1 carat diamond if they win a ProTour race, like a stage in the Tour De France. Tom Boonen will be the first rider of the team to wear the new helmet in the next Vuelta Andalucía. More info: www.lazer.be SRAM equips Orbea Component maker SRAM has announced the second team that will use its new road bike components in 2006: the Spanish Team Orbea Continental squad. The Orbea squad was founded in 2005 and its first-year successes included a stage win at the Tour de l'Avenir and the team title. All of the Orbea squad's riders are under 26 and the youngest is also the only non-Spaniard on the team, a 19-year-old from Texas called Armstrong. Brad Armstrong is a 19 year-old state champion from Burleson and "a terrific talent," according to Orbea's global marketing director, Joseba Arizaga. He is no relation to the seven-time Tour de France winner. The team will use SRAM's complete new road group, including shifters, front and rear derailleur, cranks, bottom bracket, chain, cassette and brakes. The SRAM components feature SRAM's DoubleTap shifting system, which uses one inward-moving lever to effect both upward and downward gear shifts. More info: www.sram.com; www.orbea-usa.com Africabike Photo ©: Kona Extra security Photo ©: Kona Kona reveals Africabike Bike maker Kona - best known for its tough downhill and freeride mountain bikes - has been working for the last several months on something very different. The Africabike is Kona's contribution to the fight against HIV and AIDS in Africa. It's designed to be a durable, practical bike for the conditions humanitarian aid workers encounter in Botswana and Kona is scheduled to ship 200 of the bikes in April. A far cry from the carbon wonderbikes and long-travel suspension machines we covet in the west, the Africabike features a steel frame (for ease of repair); a step through frame (to accommodate female riders who wear traditional skirts); Shimano coaster brakes (chosen because they are more durable than pull-brakes); a singlespeed drivetrain (which has fewer parts to break); and 26-inch mountain bike rims with specially designed Continental tires that are resistant to the thorns and rocks that litter Botswana's roads. More info: www.konabiketown.com.