Tech News – May 22, 2009 Got tech? Send press releases, news, and tech questions to the Cyclingnews tech desk. New Fulcrum Racing 3 road wheels coming The Fulcrum Racing 3 wheelset has been redesigned for 2010, and will be available in two versions: Racing 3 and Racing 3 2-Way Fit. The former is dedicated exclusively to the use of standard tyres, while the latter uses a special rim profile developed by Fulcrum that makes it possible to use both tubeless and standard tyres. According to Fulcrum's communication manager Lerrj Piazza, the Fulcrum Racing 3 maintains the performance features of the previous season. "The (new) wheels feature Dynamic Balance technology, which perfectly stabilises the wheel at high speeds," he said. "The spokes are stainless steel with aero profile at differentiated thickness 2-1,5-2. The hubs are oversize with aluminium body and axle and adjustable high-precision bearings to achieve the best performance every time." Racing 3 wheels are compatible with Campagnolo, Shimano, and SRAM drivetrains. 2010 Fulcrum Racing 3 - technical specs Rims: Material - aluminium, Height - 24mm, Colour -black Spokes: Material - stainless steel, Form - aero, differentiated thickness (2/1.5/2), Spoking - radial front (16); Two-to-One (21) rear, Colour - black Hubs: Material - aluminium, Bearings - Fulcrum proprietary, Colour - black, Compatibility - Campagnolo, Shimano, and SRAM Weight: 1,659g/pair Fulcrum Racing 3 2-Way Fit According to Piazza, tests carried out in collaboration with Hutchinson demonstrated that a Fulcrum wheel fitted with a tubeless tyre has a rolling capacity more than 31-percent higher than the same wheel fitted with a standard clincher tyre. "Precisely due to the advantages offered by the tubeless tires, Fulcrum has now decided to extend this technology to the Racing 3 model as well, but we decided to do it in the most advantageous way for the user," he added. "This means being able to take advantage of the best features of both solutions: performance, comfort, and seal for tubeless tyres; convenience of use in training for the standard tyres." According to Piazza, the Fulcrum Racing 3 2-Way Fit wheels differ from the Racing 3 version. "First of all, the weight, as this version is a full 80 grams lighter, a huge difference for this type of wheel," he said. "In fact, Fulcrum has used differentiated rims, 24 mm for the front and 30mm the rear, so that the front wheel, along with radial spoking, produces perfect aerodynamic penetration. "The rear wheel, on the other hand, was developed to instantaneously transmit the cyclist's power, the reason why Fulcrum chose a more rigid 30mm rim together with the now celebrated Two-to-One spoke ratio. Here, too, Fulcrum Dynamic Balance keeps the Racing 3 2-Way Fit wheel perfectly stable even at high speeds." 2010 Fulcrum Racing 3 2-Way Fit - technical specs Rims: Material: aluminium, Rim height: 24mm front/30mm rear, Colour: black Spokes: Material - stainless steel, Form - aero with new Fulcrum anti-rolling system, Front wheel - differentiated thickness (2.2/2/1.6/2) front, Rear wheel - differentiated thickness (2.2/2/1.6/2) left side - (2/1.8/2) cassette side, Spoking - radial front (16); Two-to-One (21) rear, Colour - black Hubs: Material - aluminium, Bearings - Fulcrum proprietary, Colour - black, Compatibility - Campagnolo, Shimano, and SRAM Weight: 1,580g/pair For more information, visit www.fulcrumwheels.com. Handmade Show coming to Virginia in 2010 The 2010 North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) will be held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia next February 26-28. The sixth annual NAHBS moves to the east coast of the US, after one year in Texas, two years in California, and one in Portland. The 2009 Show was held in Indiana near Zipp. "I researched all the way along the east coast and Richmond came up as the strongest candidate, all criteria considered," Show founder and director Don Walker said. "I then put forward three candidates to a vote among this year's exhibitors, and Richmond was the clear winner." Booth registration for the show will start immediately for the 2009 exhibitors, who will be contacted by email. Open registration will start June 15th, and will be accessible through the event website. NAHBS will occupy the 46,000 square-foot show Hall D in the convention center. This has space for over 200 10'x10' booths, and Walker expects to fill it. "I looked at some of the largest cities as well, and while these cities might have great cycling culture, their prices are out of range for the vast majority of my exhibitors," he added. Only 90 minutes by car from Washington, DC, Richmond is served by Amtrak as well, with a station about a mile from the proposed host hotel. Richmond International Airport is approximately 15 minutes by car from the convention center. For more information, see www.handmadebicycleshow.com. New UCI-compliant aero bar from 3T 3T's Zefiro aero bar is aimed at Photo ©: 3T 3T have unveiled a new aero bar aimed at short-course triathlon and sportive riders which is designed to comply with UCI rules. The Zefiro combines the aero base wing of 3T's Brezza bar with the company's Ergosum drop bends. The result is a hybrid that provides a conventional road race position in the drops and an aero position that meets the stringent ITU rules for forward bar extension. There are two versions, the Limited edition (430g) and Team edition (510g), which retail for $900 (£600) and $700 (£465) respectively. New carbon mountain bike wheels from Ritchey Ritchey have developed these new SuperLogic Photo ©: Ritchey Ritchey have unveiled a "new generation" of mountain bike wheels, including a top-end carbon set. The hoops are the result of two years of development and race testing with the Scott-Swisspower team. SuperLogic Mountain Disc Topping the range are the hand-built Superlogic Mountain Disc clinchers. These boast 25mm-wide monocoque rims made of unidirectional high-modulus carbon fibre. The rims are attached to Swiss-made cold forged Centre Lock (adapter for six-hole rotors available) alloy hubs via DT spokes and alloy nipples. The front wheel is available in two versions - quick-release or 15mm through-axle - and weighs 601g. RRP is 959.90 euros (approx £850/US$1,295). The rear weighs 727g and costs 1119,90 euros (approx £990/$1,510). WCS Mountain Disc A cheaper WCS (World Championship Series) version of the new wheels is also available, with 3K carbon rims and WCS hubs. The front wheel weighs 625g and costs 769.90 euros (approx £680/$1,040), while the rear is 770g and retails for 829.90 euros (approx £730/$1,120). WCS OCR Mountain If you can't stretch to the carbon rims, Ritchey also do the OCR Mountains, all-alloy wheels which come in at a fraction of the price. They boast the same Centre Lock WCS hubs and DT spokes as the WCS Mountain Discs, but this time they're mated to Ritchey's TRX66 32-hole rims. The front wheel weighs 740g and costs 239.90 euros (approx £210/$325), while the rear is 829g and retails for 289.90 euros (approx £255/$390). Elite unveil eco-friendly water bottle The Cervelo Test Team will be using Photo ©: Elite Elite have developed a new water bottle made from 100 percent biodegradable plastic. Every part of the Nature Bottle, from the body to the top and valve, is designed to decompose within one year. The company say it still has the same features and high quality of their traditional bottles. It will be put to the test by riders from the Cervelo Test Team at the Giro d'Italia on Saturday. Elite say: "Usually, along the roads of the Giro, the Tour, the Vuelta and all the great classics, the fans look forward to collecting the water bottles left behind by racers. From now on they can nab a water bottle unique in its class, a "classic item" that will become an important part of the collections of serious fans. "And if by chance one of these abandoned water bottles happens to be overlooked, in one year's time it will be completely reclaimed by the earth without damaging the environment." ScottUSA partners with DirtLabs By Gary Boulanger, Bikeradar.com US editor DirtLabs owner Mike Luby Photo ©: Shawn Spomer Boulder, Colorado-based DirtLabs is working with ScottUSA to service its popular Random Equalizer shocks. Owner Mike Luebesmier has worked directly for RockShox and Maverick founder Paul Turner, and rides a Scott Ransom. "A good friend of mine, Thomas Harter of seed-id.com and tout terrain in Germany, has worked with ScottUSA and Maverick in the past as an R&D engineer," Luebesmier told BikeRadar. "He connected me with ScottUSA. We shared the same philosophies on repair work and things got going from there." DirtLabs is also a Fox Racing Shox "Preferred" repair center. His services include Marzocchi, Manitou, RockShox, and Magura. His workshop also works closely with Maverick, Intense, and Torco oil. "ScottUSA is a very technically oriented company and I had to basically 'test' into the position, by doing repairs and sending them to their home office for critique," he added. "All in all I think it's a great fit for both parties." For more information, visit www.dirtlabs.com. Norco recalls downhill models Norco Performance Bikes, in conjunction with the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission, is conducting a voluntary recall of some 2007, 2008, and 2009 bicycle frames. The recalled bicycle frames include the following model year and model names: 2007 Team DH, 2008 Team DH, Aline Park, Aline, Atomik, Shore 1,2,3, 2009 Atomik (without gussets). All colours are included in the recall and the model name is printed on a decal on the top tube of each frame/bike. These bikes were sold through various distributors nationwide from September 2006 through February 2009 for between $2,000 and $7,000. The recall includes 3,600 frames, all made in Taiwan. Norco has received reports that the head tube areas of these frames can develop cracks in abusive riding conditions. These cracks could cause the head tube to separate from the remainder of the frame, resulting in a fall from the bicycle, an accident and personal injury. Norco has received one report of a rider who fractured their collar bone after falling from the bicycle. "We recommend immediately checking your frame for evidence of a crack; if found, do not ride your bicycle," Norco public relations manager Dustan Sept said. "Bring it to your Norco dealer to make arrangements for your continued riding. "If your frame shows no signs of any cracking, you may continue riding your bicycle. However, you may not perform any jumps or drops greater than five feet (1.75 meters) in height. If you perform any jumps or drops, you must use proper riding form, and both wheels must land simultaneously on a transition or down ramp," he added. Owners of these models must contact their local Norco Dealer to schedule a free front triangle replacement upgrade, whether or not their frame shows any evidence of a crack. Norco recommends inspecting your frame before every ride to make sure that there is no evidence whatsoever of any crack. For more information, contact www.norco.com. US and Canadian customers can call toll free (800) 663-8916 (8:30a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Pacific time). Customers outside US and Canada should call (604) 552-2940 or email recall@norco.com. Clif Bar introducing Quench energy drink By Gary Boulanger, Bikeradar.com US editor The Clif Quench energy drink, Photo ©: Clif First it was an energy bar. Now Berkeley, California-based Clif Bar is introducing Clif Quench, its first sports drink. Following its organic path, Clif Quench is made with all natural and 88 percent organic ingredients, including electrolytes and carbohydrates. According to company spokesperson Kate Torgersen, Quench has been in development for two years. "Clif Quench will be available in June at grocery and natural food stores," she told BikeRadar. "It's currently only available in the U.S." The bottle is made of 40 percent post-consumer recycled PET plastic - the highest percentage of any U.S. bottled beverage, according to Clif Bar - and the bottle and label are fully recyclable. Flavours include Fruit Punch, Orange, Lime-Ade and Strawberry Citrus. Each 16-ounce bottle will sell for US$1.49. For more information, visit www.clifbar.com. Photography For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here Images by Ritchey Ritchey have developed these new SuperLogic Mountain Disc Clinchers. Images by Elite The Cervelo Test Team will be using Elite Nature Bottles. Images by Shawn Spomer DirtLabs owner Mike Luby in his Boulder, Colorado workshop. Images by Clif The Clif Quench energy drink, coming to the U.S. in June. Images by 3T 3T's Zefiro aero bar is aimed at short-course triathlon and sportive riders. The 3T Zefiro aero bar is designed to comply with UCI rules. The Zefiro combines the aero base wing of 3T's Brezza bar with the company's Ergosum drop bends.