Eurobike show

Friedrichshafen, Germany, September 4-7, 2008

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More road machines from Eurobike

By Ben Atkins in Friedrichshafen, Germany

Cervélo builds on a season of success

This is not a museum piece;
Photo ©: Ben Atkins

Canadian company Cervélo has enjoyed success this year that even it cannot have dreamed of. In the last two months alone it tasted victory at the Tour de France with CSC-Saxo Bank and Carlos Sastre, followed by Olympic gold medals on the track for Spain’s Joan Llaneras and in the men’s and women’s time trials for the USA’s Kristin Armstrong and Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara. This was added to by several medals of other colours in other events. Evidence of this success was all over the Cervélo stand in the form of the actual winners’ bikes hung from the walls.

Sponsored riders in the Olympic road races used Cervélo’s new S3, which is a further development of the SLC-SL and replaces it at the top of the company’s range. The S3 is claimed to be even more aerodynamic than the SLC-SL was and uses techniques like top-entry internal cable routing - using some clever internal cable stops - to achieve this. Cervélo also says that the bottom bracket area is stiffer still, yet the frame affords far more comfort via pared-down chain stays and far slimmer seat stays.

Cervélo says that the S3 not only replaces the SLC-SL but now sits above where it was in the range. Now sitting below the S3 is the new S2 which is intended as the update to the venerable Soloist Carbon. This new frame looks almost identical to its predecessor, but like the S3, now uses slimmer stays (though not as dramatically changed) and similar internal cable routing.

Subtle changes have also been applied to Cervélo’s other road frame platform, the R3. To make the ride more compliant the R3’s seat tube diameter has been reduced and the frame now uses a 27.2mm seatpost - a standard that many framebuilders are returning to.

The CSC-Saxo Bank Team (or Saxo Bank as they will simply be called) will of course no longer be riding Cervélo frames in 2009, but the new so-called Cervélo TestTeam has managed to hold on to Tour winner Sastre and rumours abound about the possibility of more riders following him.

Stay tuned to Cyclingnews to find out what happens!

Milani brings tradition back to the future

Milani harks back to its past
Photo ©: Ben Atkins

Milani was originally established in 1927 by Natale Milani in the town of Gallarate, between Milan and Varese in northeast Italy. The company was only recently revived though by eldest son Celeste who looks to recreate the spirit and passion of his father’s frames.

Very much a boutique brand, the top of Milani’s range is the N107E, a full-carbon tube-to-tube frame bolstered with healthy doses of high modulus 3K carbon. The top and down tubes are both triangular in section, with the former changing shape along its length so that the top of it points up at the head tube and down at the seat tube.

That seat tube is round in profile and continues upwards past the top tube to form a semi-integrated seat post that Milani tops with a Deda Corto clamp. Milani offers the frame in six stock sizes, but keen to emphasise the individuality of the brand - and with the carbon wrapping construction - Milani also offers a full customisation facility.

Milani also makes time trial, track and cyclocross frames as well as an urban style fixie. The Icon time trial frame is similar in appearance to the N107E road frame save for a cutaway seat tube and conventional aero post and is built in the same way from the same materials. However, the Seigiorni (Six-days) track frame is made from 7005-T6 aluminium with contoured main tubes and an aero section seat tube.

As with many framebuilders, particularly of the boutique type, Milani includes a traditional style lugged steel frame in its range, too. The Replica is based on the frames that Celeste’s father once made and is available in the three colours that he used: Blue Sky, Champagne and Ruby. Along with the retro graphics and chrome detailing, the Replica is, where possible, equipped with original components like bars and stems from Milani’s old storeroom.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Ben Atkins/Cyclingnews.com

The Cervélo S3 is the Canadian company's new top aero road frame.
The S3 is claimed to have even more bottom bracket stffness than its predecessor, the SLC-SL.
Despite the extra lateral stiffness these flattened chainstays are claimed to make the frame more comfortable than before.
The rear end of the S3 is supposedly more aerodynamic than before, too.
The S3 uses top-entry internal cable routing similar to what's used on many top time trial frames.
Believe it or not this is a cable stop so that the internal cables don’t need as much housing which would add extra weight and friction.
This is not a museum piece; the Olympic themed paint scheme is available to buy.
Slotting in below the S3 is the new S2 which shares many of its features.
The seat tubes of the R3 and RS frames have been narrowed for comfort and now use 27.2mm seatposts.
Cervélo enjoyed incredible Olympic success. This is the bike ridden to points race gold and madison silver by Spain's Joan Llaneras.
Cervélo won gold in the both time trials through Fabian Cancellara and Kristin Armstrong, but this is Karin Thürig's bronze medal ride.
Celeste Milani and his family present the 2009 Milani range.
The Milani N107E is the Gallarate company's flagship frame.
The N107E frame comes in white as well as red.
The N107E's top tube has a triangular cross-section that points up at the head tube and down at the seat tube.
The N107E has an extended seat tube and is assembled using cabon wrapping techniques.
The Icon is Milani's time trial frame and uses similar tubes to the N107E but with an aero section seat tube.
The Milani Seigiorni track frame looks forward to the day that the Six Days of Milan returns.
Milani's range also includes the carbon Fango cyclo-cross frame.
Milani harks back to its past with the lugged steel Replica.
The Milani Replica has some lovely chrome detailing on the head tube lugs.
Milani uses Cinelli lugs for the steel Replica frameset.