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Part 6 - Litespeed, Cannondale, Crank Bros, IRD, BMC & lots more

Litespeed's litest
Photo ©: Chipps

Litespeed, light bike, light wallet

Litespeed have been building buzz for the last couple of months about what must be the lightest ever titanium frame (and probably the lightest production frame ever) , the new version of the Ghisallo. It's not like the original was exactly a boat anchor at a midge's under 2lb (900g), but Litespeed is claiming a staggering 770g for the new incarnation, a weight that clobbers even the fanciest carbon fiber exotica.

When too much titanium is never enough
Photo ©: Chipps

Reaching for your credit card already? Better make sure your account is generous; Ghisallos start at US$4,199 for a bare frame and go up to $8,199 for a complete bike with Shimano Dura-Ace and Ksyrium SL wheels.

But if you really have a stupendous amount of wonga burning a hole in your pocket, Litespeed also showed a titanium racing tandem at Eurobike. How much? We didn't ask; that would have just proved we couldn't afford it.

Cannondale Scalpel in carbon
Photo ©: Chipps

Christophe's Cannondale

Cannondale's Scalpel suspension bike is popular with cross-country racers who want some cushion without a lot of extra weight. Cannondale pro ride Christophe Sauser was spotted at the world's aboard this new version of the Scalpel with has carbon fiber top and down tubes, in the style of Cannondale's Six13 road bikes.

Random notes

Here's a bunch of other interesting stuff spotted at Eurobike.

All the colours of Crank Brothers
Photo ©: Chipps

Pedal specialists Crank Brothers have even more colours in the Candy mountain bike pedal, which provides a small platform for riders who find the Egg Beater pedal just too minimal. If you can't get a colour-match with your frame from this lot, it's time to go looking for a powder-coater.

Interloc also showed these carbon cranks
Photo ©: Chipps

Interloc Racing Designs has a line of carbon fiber cranks, including these sleek units with a hidden chainring bolt behind the arm - very reminiscent of Campagnolo Record.

BMC Pro Machine
Photo ©: Chipps

BMC's new Pro Machine was present and correct, resplendent in its bare carbon finish. The bike Phonak rode in this year's Tour sports BMC's signature seat cluster and lops substantial amount of weight off the previous aluminium version.

Giro Lance lid. Comeback certain.
Photo ©: Chipps

The whole cycling world is consulting Nostradamus, casting runes, checking out tea leaves and examining the entrails of farmyard fowls to determine whether Lance Armstrong will make a comeback for the 2006 Tour to try and "piss off" the French. But at the Cyclingnews tech desk we're certain Big Tex will be back because Giro still has his helmet, this Atmos with a lone star in yellow. Our money is on the Texan lining up in France again in July.

Storck PowerArms
Photo ©: Chipps

As well as being the first and now biggest of the Fall trade shows, Eurobike has a uniquely German flavour because of its location in, well, Germany. Everyone likes light gear, but the bike German industry seems to be completely obsessed with shaving grams and for years companies such as Tune and Storck have been pushing the envelope in using exotic materials to make ever-lighter components, while likely giggling to themselves at the UCI's prehistoric adherence to bikes that weigh 6.8kg. Storck's PowerArms are claimed to be the lightest in the world at 315g - just the thing for that next featherweight bike project.

Sugoi has a plan
Photo ©: Chipps

Step three - profit! Or at least, that's what we assume Sugoi is hoping will happen with this jersey, Okay, so the little fella doesn't actually look like a South Park underpants gnome at all, but meh - after a few days of treading the halls of a trade show you take your laughs anywhere you can find them!

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Chipps/www.singletrackworld.com

• Cannondale Six13 - the latest version of Cannondale's carbon and aluminium flagship has an aluminium seat tube instead of the previous model's carbon. That simplifies construction and reserves carbon for the bigger tubes, where it has most benefit.
• Cannondale Scalpel in carbon - already ridden to a silver at the world MTB championships by Christophe Sauser, the carbon/aluminium incarnation of Cannondale's cross-country suspension racer promises to shave weight of an already light platform.
• Litespeed's litest - Litespeed officially unveiled the 2006 version of its featherweight Ghisallo frame at Eurobike.
• Every little counts - Litespeed has fabricated a bottom bracket shell for the Ghisallo from three separate pieces, to put thicker material under the outer portions of thread
• Litespeed Ghisallo top tube and decal.
• Ghisallo dropouts are as minimal as a very minimal thing.
• When too much titanium is never enough - Litespeed presented this totally go-faster twofer with Zipp wheels and an aero bar.
• Cantilevers just won't die - the centre-pull brake design continues to be popular with cyclo-cross and touring riders and these Cafam brakes from IRD are 'Mafac like', hence the name.
• Interloc also showed these carbon cranks - the 135mm BCD version uses a hidden fifth arm on the spider, and there's a compact option too.
• And cranks too - SRAM's road group will also include carbon fiber cranks from the company's crank arm, Truvativ.
• Kryptonite New York lock - Kryptonite will probably be forever remembered as the company whose locks could be opened with a pen top, but is bouncing back with renewed emphasis on high-security items like its beefy New York lock.
• CSC's Jens Voigt took a break from winning races to sign autographs
• Giro has some snazzy helmet colour schemes including this version of the Atmos with a lone star in yellow. Just the thing for a certain Texan's threatened comeback.
• Giro's Discovery Channel team lid
• Sugoi has a plan - Step 1: Gnomes. Step 3 - Profit! Underpants not included.
• All the colours of Crank Brothers - if you can't find a Candy to match your bike, consider a new paint job.
• Nike Lance shoe - here's a look at the top of Nike's new Lance shoe which features nicely understated sliver and black styling and a ratchet strap that's integrated with the heel cup to keep your foot well and truly in place.
• Seven Diamas - US maker Seven cycles made the trip over to Eurobike to show off its dramatically-styled new custom carbon Diamas.
• Storck PowerArms - at a claimed 315g per pair (without rings) these German carbon cranks are some of lightest around
• Steel's still real - and still available from Derosa in the shape of the Primato. A handful of other marques showed steel frames at Eurobike, showing that there's life in the classic frame material yet.
• BMC pro machine - used for the first time at this year's Tour de France by the Phonak team, BMC's all-carbon lightweight will be available to the Rest Of Us in 2006.
• BMC's trademark seat cluster executed in carbon on the Pro Machine. We're not convinced there's a big benefit over standard seat cluster, but it sure looks cool.