THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
EuroBike, Day 3: New stuff, all new stuff
For our third day at the Eurobike show in beautiful Friedrichshafen, Germany, let’s take a quick tour of some new brands coming to the U.S., and new products from some established brands. Then, in our final report, we’ll take a look at the scene here, inside the halls and out in the courtyard, in an attempt to convey the unique flavor of this terrific show, now in its 14th year.
AX Lightness
AX Lightness components, much coveted by weight freaks, have been trickling into the U.S. for a couple of years. Production quantities are small, so they are sometimes hard to find. But if you have your heart set on, say, some 98-gram carbon fiber brakes -- and yes, that’s the per pair weight -- this is the place to look. The new AX Orion brakes combine carbon fiber, aramid fiber and titanium in the most minimalist way possible. The Clavicula crank is similarly pared down with a carbon fiber spindle, hidden away in the bottom bracket shell where you can’t see it, but most certainly can feel it.
Isaac
An Anglo-German hybrid, Isaac was founded in 2001 and is named in honor of Sir Isaac Newton. That quirky association trickles down to the company’s frames, which have names like Joule, Kelvin and Force, and carry the relevant algebraic formulae on their chainstays. For the white lab coat set, the Impulse is a good place to start. Made with high-modulus carbon, it comes in at a bit under 1000 grams in a 54cm size and consists of a monocoque front triangle bonded to a monocoque rear triangle and the chainstays (four main carbon pieces in all, in other words). The monocoque fork has a 1.25-inch lower race and a 1.125-inch upper to add rigidity to the steering. All tubes are round, to maintain stiffness equally in all directions.
The Isaac Force is another interesting beast, with the carbon front end and chainstays bonded to aluminum (!) seatstays, because, say company engineers, aluminum has better properties in compression than carbon, and resists torsional and lateral movement better than carbon. Frame weight is about 1200 grams in a 54cm.
Isaac’s newest frame is the Sonic, at less than 900 grams in a 54, but it won’t be coming to the U.S. until the 2007 model year. But if you need an aero frame, take a look at the Joule, at about 1200 grams. Isaac frames are now distributed in the U.S. by Ochsner Imports, so ask your dealer to give them a call. And remember Newton’s First Law: One fig to a cookie.
Mavic
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Helium wheel, Mavic has introduced the Ksyrium ES, which is distinguished by, among other clever details, different rim profiles front and rear. The front rim extrusion has a depth of 22mm, while the rear is 25mm. The goal, says Mavic’s Chris Zigmont, is to save weight and more importantly to improve steering response by reducing “vaning,” or the tendency of a tall rim to act as a wind vane. If you need validation of the concept, take comfort in the fact that these wheels were ridden by David Moncoutié to his stage 14 win at the Tour de France this year.
The Ksyrium ES’s have 18 radial Zicral bladed black spokes in front and 20 radial/cross two at the rear with aluminum nipples. Weights run 650 grams front, 805 rear for the clinchers and 625 front, 785 rear for the tubulars. The rear hub’s left flange has been pushed out about as far as it can go to improve wheel stiffness, and the rear axle is half aluminum, half titanium. The front axle is, of course, aluminum.
Less expensively, Mavic has the Aksium at about $220 per pair, with bladed straight-pull spokes and a weight of 920 grams front, 1060 rear.
At the highest end, there’s the new Cosmic Carbone Pro, which is Mavic’s first all-carbon wheel. Building on the design of the Cosmic Carbone SL, the tubular-only Carbone Pro has a 52mm sidewall, 16 radial stainless spokes at the front and 20 radial/cross two at the rear, and a weight of 675 grams front, 835 grams rear. The wheels have been raced for two years, and the goal, says Zigmont, was to combine reliability with light weight, rigidity, and a braking surface similar to aluminum. To that end, a great effort has been expended to make the braking surfaces as smooth, flat and clean as possible. All yours for $2800 per pair.
On the mountain side there is the new Deetrack, a freeride wheel with 150mm spacing and a 12mm through axle, at $775 per pair. Also new is the Crossride, at only $200 per pair, which is disc and rim brake compatible, has bladed stainless spokes, Mavic’s traditional machined braking surface with a wear-indicator groove, and comes in silver or black.
The best deal of all is Mavic’s MP3 two-year warranty, which you can buy at the time of purchase for 8 percent of the retail price of the wheelset. For that you get unlimited repairs for two years, no matter what, at no additional charge. All U.S. repairs are done at Mavic’s headquarters in Haverhill, Massachusetts, so turnaround is quick, Zigmont says.
Pace
Returning to the U.S. after an absence of several years is Pace, England’s most interesting suspension fork company. Known for its lightweight designs, the company offers air springing in its RC 39 line coil springing in its RC40, and a blend of both in the RC41.
The RC39 comes in 80 or 100mm travel versions, has a handlebar-mounted lockout and weighs about 1395 grams. That remarkable figure is achieved with magnesium dropouts and what the company calls “Hollowform” technology, meaning that the legs, crown and brace are mostly air, as the cutaway photo shows. Another cool feature is that the damping oil does not mix with the lubricating oil, so less oil is used overall (to save weight) and the damping oil stays cleaner, reducing maintenance intervals.
The cross-country RC40 is available in 100-130mm or 120-150mm adjustable travel versions with linear coil springs in both at about 1800 grams, while the RC41 with air compression and a coil negative spring has either 130mm or 150mm of non-adjustable travel and weighs about 1600 grams. The RC40 and RC41 also have Pace’s Launch Control system, a lockout that automatically resets to full springing, with adjustable sensitivity for when the automatic reset kicks in.
If springing ain’t your thing but light weight is, consider the RC31 rigid fork, which in its titanium/carbon/magnesium/aluminum version weighs only 595 grams.
Scott
After encountering patent-infringement challenges on a previous design, Scott has introduced the Ransom all-mountain backcountry bike, which offers 6.5 inches of rear travel in its full mode or 4 inches in its “traction” mode, selectable by means of a handlebar-mounted switch. (Full lockout is also choosable.) The four-bar rear linkage hooks up to Scott’s Equalizer air shock, which has a flat spring curve over most of its travel and becomes progressive at high compression. The frame, including shock, weighs about 6.8 pounds in a medium size.
The Scott Plasma TT/triathlon bike is all about aerodynamics and was tested in the San Diego wind tunnel with Steve Larsen aboard. The frame has a 76-degree seat angle and is said to weigh only 980 grams (2.1 pounds) in a medium size.
Seven
We generally concentrate on European bike stuff for our Eurobike report, but we can’t resist a quick look at Seven’s new Diamas, a carbon road frame which offers fully customizable geometry. Available in early 2006, the projected weight is 2.6 pounds for a 54cm frame. We’ll gather more details at the U.S. Interbike show at the end of September.
Spiuk
Another newcomer to the U.S. scene, Spain’s Spiuk has arrived with helmets, bikes, clothing and sunglasses. Spiuk’s top helmet, the Nexion, has big air ducts and a removable bug liner. The size-adjustment system is easy to use, consisting of two buttons on the rear strap, and the helmet is available with or without a visor. Spiuk sponsors the Illes Balears team, and the Nexion is the same helmet worn by the redoubtable Alejandro Valverde.
Spiuk’s Duopower saddles have trimmed noses for less leg friction while pedaling. Road and mountain versions, called the Flow’in, are available.
