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Clothing, cruisers and carbon dirt machines

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:32:39 GMT

GT's innovative carbon fibre Fury downhill bike is almost available to the public after a highly touted sneak peak last summer. According to GT, the full monocoque front and rear ends are crafted from carbon fibre not to reduce weight but to enhance strength. The 3.9kg (8.7lb) frame weight is actually comparable to the previous DHi, owing to the very thick tube walls but stiffness apparently jumps around 30 percent and fatigue and impact strength another 40 percent - far more than anything the company ...

Specialized 2010 road preview

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:25:36 GMT

Specialized has expanded on the lessons learned with the current S-Works Tarmac SL2 to produce – what else – the new Tarmac SL3. According to Specialized, the SL3 'module' weight (frame, fork, headset, crankset, seatpost) of 2,047g shaves a rather remarkable 153g off of the already light SL2 while simultaneously increasing both front triangle torsional rigidity and rear triangle stiffness by 18 percent. But what about drivetrain stiffness? "The SL2 bottom bracket rigidity had reached ...

Getting a taste of 2010

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:25:21 GMT

DT Swiss has expanded its range of pre-built wheels into the midrange with a pair of new '1600' models. The road-going R 1600 fetches a reasonable US$750 yet still weighs a competitive 1,600g per pair (claimed) without skewers thanks in part to its shallow 23mm-deep aluminum clincher rims. Bladed and butted DT Swiss Aerolite spokes connect to cartridge bearing hubs based on the company's 340 design, which apart from the heavier steel rear axle is a near copy of the higher-end 240s range. Ratcheting ...

Scott 2010 range preview

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:52:03 GMT

A new role for CR1 The Scott CR1 ushered in the ultralight carbon road bike wars just a few years ago but with Addict now running the show it has been retasked for 2010 to cater to a more relaxed audience. First and foremost is a softened ride quality in contrast to the original's occasionally harsh personality courtesy of so-called 'Scott Dampering System' seat stays and chain stays. According to Scott, the flattened sections in the stays allow much more wheel movement over road irregularities ...

Taylor Phinney's Trek-Livestrong Trek Madone

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:12:30 GMT

Taylor Phinney (Trek-Livestrong) has already proven himself to be a major force on the track but with his recent victory in the U23 version of Paris-Roubaix – at just 18 years of age – signs are pointing increasingly stronger to him becoming the next great all-American cycling superstar. All the ingredients certainly look to be in place: his parents are former US racing icons Davis Phinney and Connie Carpenter-Phinney; his Trek-Livestrong development team is essentially partially backed ...

Thomas Frischknecht's Scott-Swisspower Scott Genius

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:11:11 GMT

Thomas Frischknecht is one of the most decorated athletes in cycling with UCI world championship titles in cross-country, marathon and cyclo-cross disciplines, eighteen UCI World Cup victories, and fifteen world championship medals, not to mention three trips to the Olympics (for both road and mountain in 1996), eleven Swiss national titles and three UCI World Cup series victories. Not bad, to say the least. Even in retirement, the 39-year-old rider is heavily involved in racing – as team ...

Fi'zi:k 2010: New seatpost plus stiffer, lighter Antares saddle

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:09:21 GMT

Italian saddle maker fi'zi:k is branching out with a very tidy new seatpost, dubbed Cyrano, and a lighter version of its Antares saddle. Announced today at a press meeting in the hills close to fi'zi:k’s Vicenza, Italy base, both will be in European shops in mid-late September and the US in early October. The two-bolt, 3D-forged seatpost is the biggest news as it sees fi'zi:k expand from its traditional expertise in ‘soft’ materials – carbon fiber, microfiber synthetic leather ...

Ridley 2010 preview

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:58:24 GMT

Consumers who lust after Ridley's recently revamped Noah aero road bike – but can't afford one – will have a less expensive aluminum option for the 2010 model year called Phaeton (our preproduction photo sample was still marked with its earlier working name, Gryphon). The Phaeton will feature a giant deep-section down tube and bowed top tube like the Noah, along with a deep-section seat tube as well. The cutout on the Phaetone seat tube will be accomplished via a welded aluminum plate ...

Fabian Cancellara’s Saxo Bank Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL2

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:36:47 GMT

Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) hasn’t changed allegiances from last year to this one in spite of a new team name, new colors and new kit. The team is still run by Bjarne Riis and most of the old Team CSC-Saxo Bank infrastructure is still in place but Cancellara has found himself with a new frameset and now even a whole different set of componentry for 2009 nonetheless. Specialized have stepped in as the team sponsor this year and Cancellara tackled this past Sunday’s Ronde van Vlaanderen ...

Race tech from Giro d'Italia

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:53:16 GMT

Garmin-Slipstream's Dave Zabriskie goes electronic Garmin-Slipstream time trial specialist Dave Zabriskie rolled up to the start line for the Giro d'Italia's opening team time trial aboard his usual Felt DA, now set up with Shimano's electronic Dura-Ace Di2 group. Though slightly heavier than the mechanical version, Di2 still offers an advantage for Zabriskie by virtue of its multiple shift button placement. Team mechanics placed a pair of pods out on the extensions as usual but another set was ...